Name: Joshua Tan
Title: Addictions Facilitator
A little bit about you:
Interests and Hobbies
- Interested in spending time with family/close friends
- Enjoy watching shows (particularly sitcoms and crime dramas), classical literature, and video games; also enjoy exercising
General Personality
- Mellow; pleasantly placid
- Compassionate and thoughtful
- Analytically driven and tactful in communication
Bio and work:
- Extensive occupational experience with those in marginalized communities, including those with intellectual disabilities, experiencing homelessness, and youth in troubled circumstances
- Extensive customer service and management experience working in the food services industry
Why do you help with people in Recovery?
- To provide a genuine sense of hope to those who do not believe there’s a better way of living
- To encourage and foster a firm commitment to living a meaningful life that is directed towards developing one’s own mental and physical well-being
- To better understand the circumstances and thinking process behind those who suffer from an addiction and/or mental health difficulties
A Message to those in Recovery that may choose our services:
- I have been working with VBH since they opened in Ottawa (September 2018); I have noticed that those who are most successful are those who genuinely put in the effort and are willing to challenge their previous ways of thinking
- Wanting to overcome the difficulties brought about by mental health and to overcome an addiction is certainly a great start, but putting in the actual effort when triggers are most present and being as honest as possible with staff is one’s greatest chance at getting better
- If you choose to stay at VBH, expect a friendly, home-like feeling during your stay; you’ll be put to work, of course, but your progress depends solely on the effort you put in; we’ll do what we can to help you develop a firm commitment to getting better, but the actual commitment depends on you.
A few memories of helping someone at Valiant Recovery:
- A few of our clients entered treatment because they felt or truly thought they had to (whether they were going to face homelessness, be shunned by the family, or lose those dearest to them); over time, these clients began to accept that treatment was needed, and worked diligently to better their lives
- As I’ve enjoyed the presence of all our clients to varying extents, I will refrain from using specific examples
What do you like teaching the most in course work?
- CCI
Why do you like working for Valiant Recovery?
- To actually know the owners, who are thankfully very kind and good willed; to have a great clinical director in close working proximity that cares about his staff and addresses their concerns; to have a great staff team, each member having their own unique skillsets and goals in life; and to gain perspectives and practical growth in my own skillset while building meaningful relationships with our clients is a genuinely rewarding and meaningful work experience
What are the main benefits that you see for our clients?
- A better future and more realistic outlook in their lives
