Bob Hicks is currently a Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor (CADC II) and Certified Prevention Specialist with The Pathway Program in Rocklin, California. Bob started his personal recovery journey in 2012 in Greensboro, NC. After struggling with substance abuse from the age of 15, Bob entered treatment at 19 years old. Bob notes that he initially had no interest in staying sober, but that as a young person, his parents played a huge role in his early recovery. With the help of some health care professionals and local alcohol and drug counselors, his parents put up firm boundaries and gave him two options – go through an addiction treatment program or find a new place to live.
Bob decided to go through a program and said of the experience, “after a few months of struggling and failing to stay sober, I found something in recovery that I’d been looking for my whole life; purpose.” Bob stayed sober from then on and continued to find purpose in helping young people recovery.
After treatment, Bob was able to return to the activities he enjoyed before substance abuse. He finished college and returned to playing college football, became an active member of local 12-step support groups, and spent time healing and improving his relationships with his family. In 2016, Bob decided to make helping people in recovery a profession and completed drug and alcohol counselor training in Atlanta, GA. His work experience has taken him all over the country. He went on to work for Step Two Recovery Center in Cumming, GA for a little over a year while gathering hours to become a certified substance abuse counselor. He then moved to St. Louis, Missouri to work as a Senior Counselor for The Crossroads Program. In February 2019, Bob moved to Kansas City, Missouri with The Crossroads Program to work as the school support group counselor. He earned a Prevention Specialist certification and worked with the school districts to provide prevention education and early intervention services to the community.
Bob was hired in January, 2020 by The Pathway Program as an Outpatient Counselor, and stayed there until October, 2020 when he moved to the Sacramento area to help open the new facility in Rocklin, California. “I went to Oak Ridge High School for the year I lived in El Dorado Hills, and I’ve always wanted to come back. I am so grateful to be able to be a part of providing help for substance abuse to young people, their families, and the community. My recovery journey has been 9 years in the making, and it continues to get better. The need for addiction professionals who work with young people with substance use disorders in the greater Sacramento area is extremely high, and I look forward to helping in any way I can in the years to come.” Other than helping young people and adolescents with substance abuse issues, Bob enjoys most outdoor activities including hiking, mountain biking, and river tubing.