KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For more than two decades, Jason Goodman struggled with addiction.
"Struggle would be a mild word for what it was like for 20-plus years," Goodman said. "I've still got a long way to go."
Goodman is in recovery and serves as the regional lifeline director for the Metro Drug Coalition. He also just attended training to become a certified recovery coach.
"Recovery coaching is a nationally recognized coaching platform for folks to support other folks in their recovery," Goodman said. "We need as many people as we can to support these folks."
Metro Drug Coalition will be hosting a four-day training in Louisville, Tennessee, to help educate community members on how to coach others through the recovery process.
The training program starts on Monday, Dec. 9, at 9 a.m. Each class lasts until 5 p.m.. Classes end on Dec. 12.
Goodman knows firsthand how much of an impact a good coach can have.
"The first time somebody actually listened to me and put down on paper, or just to memory, the goals that I wanted to achieve for myself and let me know that their whole role was to share their experience with me... then the game changed for me," Goodman said.
Metro Drug Coalition executive director Karen Pershing said this is one of the programs they plan to offer at The Gateway recovery center.
"You work with an actual person who is in the early stages of recovery to actually establish goals and objectives for how they want to move forward in their recovery and also rebuilding their lives," Pershing said. "The coach holds them accountable to those objectives and helps provide the support and the connection to resources that they may need."
The training costs $400 for the four-day workshop. Interested participants can sign up on the Metro Drug Coalition website.