Her Story
About Amber
As a certified peer specialist, I work in the mental health and social services field helping people who have mental health or substance abuse barriers connect to resources and achieve recovery and wellness. What defines my work is that I bring lived experience - I myself have struggled with both mental health and substance abuse barriers throughout my life. I've been sober for 8 consecutive years now, after battling addiction for about 15 years. My journey included being in and out of sobriety, and at the end of my active abuse career, I was incarcerated, unhoused, and had lost pretty much anything that I had. I chose to go to rehabilitation in December 2017 and have been sober ever since. I came to this field from the restaurant industry, where I had worked since I was young, but it wasn't conducive for a recovered lifestyle. On my seventh soberversary, a friend reached out and suggested I become a peer specialist. She got me hooked up with training and a scholarship, which required writing a bio and getting a letter of recommendation. I received my certification in June 2025. I love what I do and love making an impact in people's lives. I feel honored when people share their journeys and experiences with me, and honestly, I learn more from my peers than they do from me. It's an experience unlike anything I've ever had before in my life. As peer support specialists, we wear a lot of different hats - we help empower people and help them advocate for themselves. The best way I can describe it is when people are in dark spaces and dark corners of the room, we hand them a flashlight and hold out our hand and help lead them out.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amber
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My mentor Peter Anderson has always encouraged me to follow my path, whatever that looks like. He consistently meets me where I'm at and doesn't expect me to be anything more or less than I am. I always feel like I can approach him with honesty for his wisdom, knowledge, and experience, and I feel like I don't have to hold back with whatever it is that I'm trying to navigate at any point in my time. He's the one that really encouraged me to follow my path, whatever that looks like.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would be pretty honest. I would say that becoming a certified peer specialist is one of the most rewarding, yet difficult jobs that I've ever had to face. The rewards are in how you interact with people. The difficulty is how you interact with yourself. I would encourage her to make sure that she practices self-care on all levels - mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. This job will push you to your limits, but it is worth it in the end to see growth, not only in yourself, but in your community and the people that you serve.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The biggest life educational lesson that I've learned is acknowledging that I'm not getting anywhere unless I know who I am and being proud of that person. Very early on in my sobriety, I tried to define myself by different roles, but I didn't have a very clear sense of self. I don't define myself necessarily by my diagnoses or roles anymore. In addition to the letters behind my name and the degrees, knowing who I am and being proud of that person is probably the biggest value I hold. I'm also passionate about removing the stigma around mental health and substance abuse, making nutrition more affordable, activism around racial injustices as a woman of color, and SA and trauma resources.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.