In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Technology Transfer Specialist and President and CEO of Inentional Begginnings, LLC, Sharon Hesseltine. We turn our attention to the stigma and barriers that women face while parenting or pregnant while being challenged with substance use disorder (SUD). Sharon highlights her personal journey as a mother while plowing through her road to recovery. She also debunks some common myths of being pregnant with a SUD.
Listeners will get an overview of her newest project, "Providing Peer-Based Recovery Support Services for Pregnant and Parenting Families".
Sharon Hesseltine, BSW is the President and CEO of Intentional Beginnings Consulting & Training, a small non-profit with the mission of strengthening organizations and individuals serving those who experience substance use disorders, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and trauma. Sharon received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Southern Illinois University in 1981, and in 2011 completed a two-year post-graduate Certificate in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health from the University of Minnesota. For over 30 years Sharon has worked in Public Health and specialized in early childhood development, women’s health, and addiction.
Her career has ranged from providing direct services to women through managing two sober living residences to designing and facilitating statewide and local collaborative initiatives that call on her skills in public policy, strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration, program assessment, and marketing. She is a national trainer, Technology Transfer Specialist, and facilitator for multiple organizations including the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTC), and the Opioid Response Network. In 2018, Sharon took the lead in developing SUD specific training for Peer Support Specialists and Supervisors for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Sharon is passionate about reducing the stigma associated with addiction and developing the capacity of communities, organizations, and individuals to better meet the needs of individuals with substance use disorders. With her husband, Scott Hesseltine, she currently resides in Louisville, KY.
Sponsorships: off for this episode
