Spotlight Series – Caroline Collins
Caroline Collins, M.Ed.- Recovery Advocate Supervisor
Caroline began working in the substance abuse treatment field in 2011 in Tampa, Florida before graduating from the University of South Florida with a major in Psychology and a minor in Behavioral Healthcare. In 2012 she relocated to South Florida to work in the Hanley Center Admissions Department. Since that time, she has earned her Masters of Education degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, completing her internship with the Hanley Center IOP and Transitions programs while also working as the Continuing Care Coordinator. Caroline is originally from Columbus, Ohio and is an avid college football fan.
What brought you to Origins?
I began working at Hanley Center at Origins in the Admissions Department upon moving to South Florida in 2012. Hanley Center seemed like an amazing place to get acquainted with the field of addiction treatment as they offered a wide variety of people an opportunity to get well in a beautiful and safe environment, and I hoped to be able to help families on the journey to recovery by taking the first step toward treatment.
If there were only one thing you could tell us about working within your client specialty area, what would it be?
As the Recovery Advocate Supervisor at Hanley Center, I get to watch all of our amazing RAs interact with the clients in their most vulnerable moments and offer hope and solution to them to start building a foundation for their recovery. I can see all the hard work that RAs do by watching our clients grow little by little on a daily basis during their time at Hanley Center.
What have you learned through your experience working in treatment?
I have worn many different hats throughout my time at Hanley Center, and the greatest lesson I have learned is balance. Both in my work and when helping a client through a problem, it can be tempting to become very rigid or see things in black-and-white, but I believe that recovery is a process that teaches flexibility and openness to new ideas and ways of doing things. I try to share this with my clients and remember to apply it when I have a challenge at hand.
Do you hold any credentials or certifications, or do you participate in any other professional activities outside of work?
Upon obtaining my Masters of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, I became a member of the American Counseling Association. I also enjoy participating in activities and trainings offered by the Alliance for Eating Disorders and continuing my education in areas related to addiction such as trauma or family systems issues.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you have any pets or engage in special hobbies?
My husband and I have adopted two pets that are closely related to my time at Origins: our yellow lab, Daisy, was actually adopted from a dear, late friend of Hanley Center, Tom S., and her counterpart, a black cat named Charlie, was part of a litter rescued from Hanley Center’s main campus. We enjoy watching college football and traveling.
For more information regarding the many programs of Origins Behavioral HealthCare where Caroline Collins works, please visit: www.originsrecovery.com.
