Meet Amber King

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber King.

Hi Amber, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up it always felt like I was never good enough. I never felt I was pretty enough, skinny enough, athletic enough. My life was a constant self-competition of always trying to prove my worth, dedication, and value to others but never myself. As most women can understand this feeling. This constant stressor and struggle in my life led me down the path of addiction. I struggled with addiction for 12 years. I gave up my soul to be skinnier and then it reached a point where I even lost that. I lost everything and struggled with homelessness for a significant period of time. In 2013 I ended up in a long-term addiction treatment program called Stout Street Foundation. This program taught me how to live, how to love myself, and most importantly that my true beauty and value in this world come from within myself. I had amazing strong women to look up to and show me the way. I found my spark again. I have always been a high achiever in life before my addiction and stubborn to boot. Through my recovery, I have harnessed these qualities for something positive and have worked diligently to rebuild my life, my soul, and my hope. Today I am a mother, a friend, a partner, a hard worker, a student, and most importantly a good person trying to make a positive impact on the world through my career.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road I have traveled has been a long road. I am not someone who has ever been given the gift of the easy way out or through things in life. I have fought, struggled, and cried along this path. At times I have questioned if my hard work and sleepless nights would pay off. If I would ever achieve success. The funny thing about that is I have learned to identify my own meaning of success and stop defining it through other people’s terms and ideologies. I have struggled with jobs that went out of business and my career is helping others and being there for them when everyone else has given up on them. I stayed at one company for several months after it closed attempting to relocate the clients so they would be safe. I went an entire six months without a consistent paycheck because it has not been about the money but about helping people in recovery stay safe and maintain hope and that people care about them. I have been thrown head first into jobs with little training and experience and worked to build something that was successful and helped streamline processes to be more efficient. I have even been so stressed at times with my career I have questioned taking an easier path and getting out of the industry altogether. But at the end of the day, I know my purpose on this earth and the reason I was given a second chance at life is to help others and spread hope. Hope that anyone has within themselves the ability to start over and create a new and more meaningful life.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work is in the treatment recovery field. I have worked at all levels of care at different programs over the last six years. This has really helped me develop a sense of understanding of treatment programs and efficient policies and procedures. My most recent role has been in community outreach and admissions. I have developed processes and procedures to streamline admissions shortening the amount of time it takes for a person struggling with addiction to receive treatment services. My community outreach role consists of advocacy and community education. I have advocated for people to remain in treatment over incarceration to give them an opportunity to receive therapy that they have never received before. My career is building awareness and hope for those that struggle with substance use. I work with those struggling with addiction and their families to find the services that are going to be the best fit for that individual. Even if it is not with the program, I work for. The most important thing is that the individual struggling is met where they are to get the best quality of care.

I currently work with Foundry Treatment Center in Steamboat Springs which is an amazing program that offers a full continuum of care including medical detox, residential, Partial Hospitalization, and Virtual Intensive Outpatient. This program is unlike any other being that it has a trauma-integrated approach. All of the staff is educated on trauma-informed care and the program helps those struggling with substance use and co-occurring mental health, their treatment is centered around the resolution/understanding of trauma, self-regulation skills, coping skills, and the development of a healthy recovery lifestyle. Foundry Treatment Center is located on a serene ranch out in Steamboat where we help people reconnect not only with themselves and others, but the world around them through nature hikes, horticulture, equine therapy, and even fly fishing when the weather permits. We work with individuals to break down stereotypes around gender roles and work with individuals to understand, process, and accept the power of emotion and open the door for full mind, body, and soul healing. Our Ranch in Steamboat is currently gender-specific treatment for men and our Virtual IOP program is all gender inclusive.

I am proud of myself for never giving up and always believing that with hope, faith, and some courage anything is possible. I also recently advocated for someone to receive treatment over-incarceration and the judge was receptive and gave the person an opportunity to do something different besides continuing through the revolving door of the prison system. The thing that sets me apart from others is my persistence to continue the path and work diligently until my goals are accomplished. When I set my mind to achieve or accomplish something, I will not give up until that goal is met. I have met every single goal I set for myself when I got into recovery and now I am working on my next five-year set of goals. I also love my ability to see how things function and how processes can be improved to build on productivity. I am good at meeting people where they are at and relating to people that are struggling. I believe in those that society has forgotten or written off as lost because I too was lost once. I will not lose hope or faith that we can heal those that are hurt and have turned to substances to numb their emotional and spiritual wounds. Because deep down inside of us all, we need someone to hear our pain and tell us we are still accepted and beautiful despite this.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe in taking calculated risks. I think it is important to go against the tide and if it is something you believe in and know it is what’s right. I believe in weighing the pros and cons of the potential outcomes, and if you have more to gain than not trying I say go for it. Earlier in my career, I was told by someone I really respected that you have to make judgment calls, stand behind your decisions, why you made them, and be okay with it. Sometimes in life, you have to make that jump or take that risk. It is only in failing that we truly learn to improve, grow, and build back stronger. I recently started with a different organization and it was a risk. I was previously the Director of Outreach for Stout Street Foundation and these people are my family it was scary because this place is my home and safety net. Stout Street will always have my heart and my gratitude for helping me to save my life. I saw an opportunity for a different challenge weighed the pros and cons and jumped in head first.

I have wanted to work with Foundry Treatment Center for some time now because I believe in the people and the mission of this organization wholeheartedly and wanted to be a part of their team. So, I took the risk and asked to join the team, and now I am working with an amazing group of individuals that have the same growth mindset that I do. I recently completed my orientation at the end of June and was blown away by the genuine care, compassion, and dedication the entire team exhibited for the clients they serve and the work they are doing.

It is funny looking back over the years, it really makes you realize that my journey and my success are not my own. I can honestly say I would not be where I am today if I did not have some amazing people in my life that believed in me. Through their friendship, guidance, and mentorship they gave me the freedom to make choices, make mistakes, and navigate through choices to build my confidence. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to share my story and dedication to helping others.

So I guess in wrapping up, I just have to say thank you to my supervisors and mentors over the years that believed in me and challenged me. (Amy, Tino, Kelly, Matt, Christopher, Judy, Bill, Bre, Keenan, Breeah). Thank you to my amazing collegues over the years that allowed me to vent my frustrations and struggles.  Thank you Stout Street Foundation for my life back and the freedom to grow. Finally, a big thank you to Ben, Tom, and the rest of the team at Foundry Treatment Center Steamboat for taking a chance on me and bringing me on your team. I am honored to be a part of such an amazing team of thought leaders and innovators in the recovery treatment industry.

To Reach out to Amber Directly,

amber.king@foundrysteamboat.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amking36

To Contact Foundry Treatment Center Steamboat

• Website: https://forgingnewlives.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundrysteamboat/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foundrysteamboat
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/foundryrehab
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw2_YXL2aLd5plQaMyhfRbw
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-foundry-llc/mycompany/