Speaker Name: Dustin Dick
Session Description:
At the heart of this presentation is the understanding that healing happens in relationship, with family, culture, and community. By acknowledging lived experience and honoring moments of realization, we encourage people to move toward recovery in ways that feel meaningful to their lives. When communities work together, individuals are better able to find their path without judgment or comparison. This work emphasizes connection over conformity, reminding us that recovery is strengthened when people are supported, not told they must heal in the same way. By building belief, compassion, and shared responsibility, we create space for recovery that is personal, sustainable, and rooted in community.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will gain an understanding of how community connection, lived experience, and multiple recovery pathways support healing. They will explore how belief, shared spaces, and peer support can strengthen recovery and encourage individuals to move forward in ways that feel meaningful to them.
References:
“Recovery Coach Academy of Canada (RCAC). Peer recovery support training and coaching framework.
Lived experience and community recovery practices within Indigenous and peer-led healing environments.”
BIO
Oki, my name is Dustin Dick. I am 38 years old and from Siksika Nation, with family ties to Manitoba. Recovery gave me the chance to rebuild my life and reconnect with my children Aries, Kaytin, and Kason, something I am deeply grateful for. My mother Cheryl, father John, and siblings Linda, JD, Dallas, Jasmine, and Billi Jo continue to be a strong part of my healing journey. I have five years of sobriety and over three years committed to personal growth and recovery. I work as a family support worker and am continuing to develop my skills to better serve my community. My lived experience taught me that setbacks can become lessons, and that we all carry the ability to grow when given support and connection. My goal is to share hope and create spaces where people feel encouraged to move forward in their own way.