Ms. Gabbard's goal is to provide a safe place where a diverse population can receive support regardless of substance use and recovery by taking a holistic, patient-centered approach.
CONNERSVILLE, IN, January 27, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Charmin M. Gabbard has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Gabbard is the executive director of the Fayette County Connection Café in Connersville, Indiana, a grassroots organization that she co-founded with Dr. Alison Greene, a faculty member at Indiana University, in 2021. Bringing more than two decades of experience in similar settings, Ms. Gabbard focuses on reducing harm and providing recovery services for those with substance use disorders and mental illnesses.
Fueled by her own experiences of abuse, substance misuse, and incarceration, Ms. Gabbard felt empowered to make a difference in her hometown, which has become significantly affected by the opioid epidemic. Serving as the new home of the former award-winning Fayette County Harm Reduction Alliance, Ms. Gabbard's goal at the Café is to provide a safe place where a diverse population can receive support regardless of substance use and recovery by taking a holistic, patient-centered approach.
As an industry expert, Ms. Gabbard can look past the stigma to identify her patients' strengths and lead them to a successful recovery. In addition to caring for individuals struck by homelessness and various mental health issues and substance abuse disorders, she remains in constant contact with stakeholders and community leaders to support the organization, while also supervising four employees and three interns. Before establishing the Fayette County Connection Café, Ms. Gabbard was notably the harm reduction coordinator for the Fayette County Harm Reduction Alliance from 2018 to 2021.
Among many personal and professional accomplishments, Ms. Gabbard had the opportunity to speak publicly about stigmas at a mobile exhibit for the state museum called "Fix Beyond the Heartbreak." She was also critical in assisting Overdose Lifeline Inc., an Indianapolis-based nonprofit organization, in securing six naloxones (Narcan) boxes throughout five different communities for emergency use to prevent addicts from overdosing. Looking toward the future, Ms. Gabbard is seeking to secure a physical hub in other counties that can serve to educate people about the stigma surrounding substance use and mental illnesses.
A recognized leader in her community, Ms. Gabbard formed Jeffrey's Elves in 2019, which gives out toys to needy children. Jeffrey's Elves was created in memory of her friend's son who was killed in a vehicular accident. Ms. Gabbard also volunteers her time at the Crosspointe Biker Church and participates in community clean-up services with AmeriCorps and the Indiana Department of Health.
Ms. Gabbard presently holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Phoenix since 2020. She is presently pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice and substance abuse with a concentration in psychology.
To continue remaining aware of industry changes, Ms. Gabbard is a member of the National Alliance of Mental Illness and the Indiana Addiction Issues Coalition. She is also the vice president of the Fayette County Drug Coalition.
Respected for Ms. Gabbard's expertise, the Fayette County Connection Café was honored as the Service Provider of the Year by Mental Health America in 2022. The organization also named her Provider of the Year in 2022. Among other accolades, Ms. Gabbard was the recipient of a Women of Excellence Award by Fayette County in 2022 and was named the Recovery Advocate of the Year by the Indiana Addiction Issues Coalition in 2021. Her work has also been featured in multiple media outlets such as the Indianapolis News.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
# # #