As an addictions case manager and sober coach, Kamal Singh plays an important role at Together We Can (TWC)—a partner organization of Rhodes Wellness College. TWC is a Vancouver addictions centre that helps men enter recovery from substance misuse, empowering them toward more healthy and productive lives. In addition to his coaching duties, Kamal develops community partnerships and oversees key initiatives like the TWC Alliance program (TWC, 2018a).
Kamal is also enrolled with Rhodes Wellness College, where he is currently completing our intensive weekend training program. Our college is proud to help addictions counselling professionals, equipping them with additional skills and knowledge that have an immediate impact in their work.
Kamal says his experience at Rhodes Wellness College has refined everyday skills and approaches he uses at TWC, and allowed him to advance personal objectives (Singh, 2018). Read on to know more about Kamal’s successes with the Rhodes-TWC partnership—and his thoughts on the future of addictions recovery work.
Together We Can Helps Men with Long-term Recovery
Since 1993, Together We Can has provided recovery services to men struggling with substance misuse, helping them lead more healthy lives. Adopting an integrative approach to long-term rehabilitation, TWC provides recovery programs, therapeutic housing, and after care initiatives that support men and their families (TWC, 2018b). Kamal Singh has worked at TWC since 2016, where he provides case management for families and one-on-one coaching to clients (TWC, 2018a).
Given its integrative and community-based approach to addictions recovery, TWC is a natural partner for Rhodes Wellness College. Kamal says TWC is a good fit for motivated professionals with addictions counselling training. Noting the opportunities available to students of Rhodes Wellness College, Kamal says TWC is “always looking for an energetic and eager graduate” (Singh, 2018). TWC is familiar with the impressive qualifications that come with an education at Rhodes Wellness College.
Listing the personal attributes TWC seeks in future employees, Kamal says “we are looking for anyone who has a passion for helping others, is compassionate, understanding, and empathetic towards the struggles of addictions” (Singh, 2018). Together We Can affords recent graduates opportunities to work as group facilitators, one-on-one counsellors, and support workers.
Rhodes Wellness College Provides New Perspectives
Like many of Rhodes’ part-time students, Kamal prizes the flexibility of weekend training. “Rhodes allowed me to continue my fulltime employment and steady revenue stream while still advancing my education and career goals,” he says (Singh, 2018). The decision paid off in Kamal’s work with TWC, adding to his already impressive skillset and paving the way for a refined interpersonal approach. Discussing the outcomes of his training, Kamal says “I routinely ask more questions with the intent of understanding another person’s perspective rather than relying on assumptions” (Singh, 2018).
Kamal’s weekend training has also encouraged greater collaboration with clients in addictions recovery. He says he is now more attuned to the client solution—encouraging clients to consider their needs before weighing in with his expertise. While leveraging this expertise, Kamal says Rhodes Wellness College has also helped him “establish boundaries and reasonable time frames for brief solution-focused discussions” (Singh, 2018). Among the key outcomes of his course, Kamal lists greater patience, compassion and empathy, contract development, marketing strategies, and refined interview approaches.
Kamal Offers Advice to Students Beginning Their Addictions Counselling Training
For professionals considering a part-time course at Rhodes Wellness College, Kamal offers some essential advice. Given the intensive nature of the weekend program, Kamal says it helps to be “mentally prepared and engaged” in order to “stay focused for two and a half full days of experiential dyads” (Singh, 2018). This engagement also requires rest and personal organization, which help “ease the transition from work to school” (Singh, 2018). He also offers some valuable practical advice as well, suggesting that students “Pack food for the day (it is expensive to eat out multiple times in a day downtown)” and “Take transit (parking is expensive downtown)” so that students can avoid unnecessary expenses. Finally, Kamal suggests students arrive ready to share personal experiences—a key component of our unique training approach at Rhodes Wellness College.
When asked about the future of addictions counselling, Kamal highlights open-mindedness as a “fundamental principle of recovery” (Singh, 2018). “My hope is that recovery will continue to practice open-mindedness towards other modalities of therapy,” he says. Addressing addiction recovery for men, he adds that “there are so many effective therapies that can be utilized when working within this demographic that could probably benefit numerous people at various stages in their recovery”. Kamal hopes for a more holistic approach to addictions healing, “ultimately producing a higher number of people who do recovery” (Singh, 2018).
Are you hoping to build the counselling skills for long-term professional growth?
Contact Rhodes Wellness College to enroll in our part-time training!
Works Cited
Singh, K. (2018, May 30). Email Interview. Rhodes Wellness College Partner Spotlight: Together We Can (TWC). (O. Higgins, Interviewer).
TWC. (2018a). Sober Coaching. Together We Can, Addiction Recovery & Education Society. Retrieved from: https://twcrecoverylife.org/sober-coaching/
TWC. (2018b). Together We Can – Addiction Recovery & Education Society. Retrieved from:https://twcrecoverylife.org/
