Crisis peer services support an individual who is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, providing a strengths-based approach to stability and safety, modeling the principles of recovery, and assisting in the navigation of health services and community resources.

David Rockwell is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and Trainer based in Richmond, Virginia. He identifies as someone with lived mental health experience. He previously spent twelve years working with Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services, in Glen Allen, Virginia. David worked with the Emergency Services Team and at the Henrico County Crisis Receiving Center for eight of those years. He supported persons with lived mental health and substance use experience, and their families, by providing empathy, direct support, recovery education, and community resource education. David was also a member of the STAR (Services To Aid Recovery) Team, which is a proactive, multi-disciplinary, mobile response to citizens needing mental health intervention. He is a certified Crisis Intervention Team Instructor, a certified WRAP Facilitator, a Mental Health First Aid Trainer, and a Virginia DBHDS Peer Recovery Specialist Trainer. He continues to be a presenter at local, state, and national mental health conferences and workshops.

A graduate of Campbell University, David pursued additional Masters’ education with Pastoral Care and Counseling. David is also a 2007 graduate of the Virginia Human Services Training Program, which prepared him for work in the Peer Specialist field. David has spent over 35 years in the Human Services field with faith-based, non-profit, private, and government organizations. His passion is to empower other mental health and substance use peers toward recovery and wellness, and to educate all citizens about the power of recovery.

David can be reached by email at virginiaforrecovery@gmail.com.