Michael is a bilingual peer recovery specialist from St. Paul with Salvadoran blood. He has relevant experience learning in depth about how the mind and drugs negatively impact the brain, body, and soul, as well as about feelings and life itself. Michael has battled with addiction for 6 years and has successfully recovered from it. His approach involves sharing the tips, methods, insights, and resources he learned and used to get him through recovery. His approach towards his clients is also empathetic, patient, non-judgmental, informative, quick to listen, hopeful, and caring. He has extensive knowledge of substances and emerging drug trends due to his lived experience. He is certified in Mental Health First Aid, has completed human services career training, and is also certified as a recovery peer specialist.