David Stoecker, LCSW, CPS, HRS is a person in long-term recovery. He is the Executive Director/Founder of Better Life in Recovery and co-founder of the Springfield Recovery Community Center and the Southwest Missouri Drug Poisoning Coalition. David was the Advocacy and Education Outreach Coordinator for the Missouri Recovery Network and a therapist for 8 ½ years, working with people involved with treatment courts. He was a 2018 SAMHSA Voice Award recipient and the 2017 Missouri Mental Health Champion. He co-created the Certified Peer Specialist training for Missouri and Missouri and ICRC’s Harm Reduction Specialist training, and co-facilitates both trainings. He wrote the book, Hope Dealer: A raw, real-life journey from addiction to a better life in recovery and co-created the documentary Not My Child, which has been screened hundreds of times in multiple states around the country to educate families and communities on substance use disorders.
I have been facilitating and training for over a decade in Missouri, and have helped Missouri create both their Certified Peer Specialist and Harm Reduction Specialist certification trainings. I have written trainings for clinical and non-clinical staff on topics such as Opioid Education and Naloxone Distribution, Recovery Language, Psychopharmacology and the 12 Steps, Compassion Fatigue, Mental Health First Aid, WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), Boundaries and Self-Care. There is something special about speaking to a group of people to give them knowledge that will reduce stigma or allow them to better support the people they serve, and that is why I fell in love with training!