Meet Our Team

MC brings more than two decades of military and law enforcement experience to his work supporting first responders. He served six years in the United States Air Force and 16 years with the California Highway Patrol. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and a master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. MC understands firsthand how the demands of being a first responder can affect a person over time. On the job, first responders are often taught to stay strong, keep moving, and push difficult experiences aside. But what gets pushed down does not always stay there. Over time, unresolved stress can begin to show up through isolation, changes in relationships, substance use, or other unhealthy ways of coping. MC’s own journey eventually led him to seek treatment in a dual-diagnosis rehabilitation program. Asking for help was
one of the hardest things he had ever done, but it also became one of the most meaningful experiences of his life.

Treatment changed the way he viewed addiction and the people struggling with it. He saw firsthand that addiction does not discriminate. People from every background and walk of life can find themselves struggling, and every person has a story that extends far beyond addiction. That experience became an important part of MC’s work as an Addiction Specialist and his commitment to helping others. MC believes one of the most important parts of recovery is having a place where a person feels genuinely heard and understood. He approaches people without judgment or labels, recognizing that there is always more to someone than what is visible on the surface. For MC, peer support begins by understanding the person behind the struggle and helping them recognize that asking for help can be the beginning of meaningful change.