Karen Collins: I am a 54-year-old graduate student currently pursuing a master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling at Rivier University. I hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern New Hampshire University, with concentrations in both Addictions and Mental Illness. After retiring from a successful career in the corporate sector, I chose to dedicate my second career to the field of recovery, with a focus on co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders. 

I currently work at the Cynthia Day Family Center, a program of Harbor Care that provides residential substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, allowing them to live with their children during recovery. This role has deepened my lifelong passion for the process of recovery and strengthened my commitment to building recovery capacity—both personally and professionally. 

Previously, I co-created a Suicide Prevention course and plan to continue developing educational resources that support mental health and recovery, now with the foundation of clinical training I once aspired to achieve. I am also a proud parent of three adult children, and I share my home in northern rural New Hampshire with two dogs and two cats. I enjoy spending time in nature hiking, fishing, boating, and riding horses. I also enjoy volunteering and participating in many civic activities.