“Stan makes this place awesome because of his genuine ability to connect with clients. Stan is always willing to spend the extra time, go the extra mile or take on an extra task to benefit our clients and his coworkers.”
—Carson Economy, LPCC-Senior Therapist, CARC Evaluation Team
“The way Keith interacts with our clients is beautiful. He is the true definition of ‘meeting the clients where they are’. Keith is a life saver. He’s got jokes, but in an instant can be serious, sincere and nonjudgmental with so much passion and empathy for others.”
—Shawn Nix, Peer Support Specialist, CARC Community Based Services
As Lead Peer Support Specialists, Stan and Keith help our clients transition through the early stages of addiction recovery and assist them in making decisions regarding housing, employment, treatment and anything else that affects their personal recovery. Peer Support Specialists are expected to carry a caseload and provide support to our clients which can include one-on-one conversations, attending a court appearance, or doing group education classes on different recovery related topics. Stan and Keith’s daily responsibilities include meeting with clients individually and attending team meetings to discuss client treatment options. They are also expected to lead their team by maintaining accountability, strategizing ways to implement new programs and helping boost morale amongst a team of over 20 colleagues. Keith and Stan also work with the KORE (Kentucky Opioid Relief Effort) program, where Peers Support Specialist are on call to respond to patients who have recently overdosed at The University of Louisville Emergency Room.
Outside of Centerstone, Stan is a Kickboxing instructor at ILoveKickboxing and works with the Heroin Rocket Docket at the Hall of Justice, advocating for low level drug offenders to choose treatment instead of incarceration. He also volunteers with Young People’s Recovery, a group that organizes recreational events for young people in recovery that are fun and expand their support network. Stan is a single father and faced a long battle to get full custody of his two year old son, Brantley. “Going through that process to be the father I am today, is by far my greatest accomplishment,” he says.
Together, Keith and his fiancé Jennifer have six children, all creative and talented in their own way. They also have a dog named Riley and a cat that they tend to just call “Cat”. In his free time, Keith enjoys spending time with his family, working out, hiking, working in the yard, lounging by the pool and smoking nice cigars. Keith is most proud of his decision to return to school and hopes to transfer to Lindsay Wilson to pursue a degree in Counseling by the end of next year. Keith is also a Community Support Specialist.
FAVORITE MOVIE: Stan: 300; Keith: I, Tonya
FAVORITE FOOD: Stan: Anything with buffalo sauce!; Keith: Anything that has too many carbs!
FAVORITE QUOTE: Stan: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” —Mike Tyson
Keith: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”—Martin Luther King Jr.