40. From Lived Experience to Leadership: A Journey of Resilience and Recovery

In this episode titled From Lived Experience to Leadership: A Journey of Resilience and Recovery, hosts Jay Kinuthia, a UConn School of Dental Medicine student, and Kate Adams, a Quinnipiac University PA student, explore the often-overlooked intersection of incarceration, mental health, and addiction, focusing on how healthcare professionals can better support individuals with criminal justice backgrounds. They’re joined by Victoria Steele, a Mental Health Assistant at Connecticut Valley Hospital and Board Member at Community Partners in Action, whose powerful journey from incarceration to recovery now fuels her work in advocacy and patient care. Through Victoria’s story, the episode highlights the importance of empathy, dignity, and understanding in healthcare, and calls for a shift in perspective to truly see the person behind the criminal record.