My name is Rebekah Couch and I am a former teen mother of five children, the youngest child being my only clean & sober pregnancy allowed to remain in my care. I am a survivor of multiple sexual assaults and was afflicted with untreated mental health issues as an adolescent. My destructive journey began with self-medicating and illegal activities in Jr. High and a daily cocaine addiction by the age of fifteen that eventually advanced to methamphetamine abuse. My addiction and criminal activity persisted for eighteen years, until finally embracing sobriety in December 2007.
My first-hand experience as a dual-diagnosis, uncooperative and contentious client of Sacramento health care systems, CPS Family Court, DHS office and Sacramento County Probation Departments make my perspective especially valuable to providers....
Over the past nine years, I have re-established healthy relationships with my first four children, continuously participated in the rearing of my eight year old, created a solid foundation of recovery, received training and experience working with high-risk mothers. Currently, I am the current Director of Advancement for Pregnancy Support Group, a contract speaker for Yolo County Foster Kinship Care Education, a volunteer Liaison for Family HUI Mainland, and the most recent appointee of the CA Child Welfare Council; Prevention & Early Intervention Committee. Additionally I have served as a Case Manager of Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home (a homeless shelter for pregnant women) over a four year time period.
It has been my pleasure to serve and effect change in different capacities throughout the community and now at the state level. I have compiled some basic client related barriers to trauma informed care as well as barriers I feel are more systematic related. Please let me know if your agency would like me to share an accumulated life of experience, knowledge, and methods that serve to illicit change and recovery. I am humbled and honored to provide my perspective to anyone interested.
**References and feedback from previous public speaking events available upon request**
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