Michael Russell Jr.
Ashland,CA
Summary
Compassionate Substance Use Disorder professional and Registered Associate Drug and Alcohol Technician with expertise in facility safety, harm reduction, and patient care. Proven leadership in high-risk de-escalation, staff training, and team operations. Equipped to enhance recovery environments and promote well-being in advanced counseling or leadership roles.
Overview
1
1
Certification
1
1
year of professional experience
Work History
Substance Use Navigator
Cardea Health
Oakland, CA
08.2026 - Current
- Collaborated with healthcare teams to coordinate patient navigation and support services.
- Streamlined communication between bridge team members, fostering a collaborative working environment for successful navigation.
- Assisted patients in understanding care pathways and accessing necessary resources.
- Managed scheduling for patient appointments, ensuring timely follow-ups and continuity of care.
- Developed educational materials to enhance patient understanding of health initiatives.
- Streamlined communication processes between patients and healthcare providers for improved service delivery.
Ambassador
Fivekeys
San Francisco, CA
10.2025 - Current
- Cultivated safe, supportive environment through wellness checks, compassionate community engagement, meal distribution, and harm reduction strategies for clients. Practiced high-risk conflict de-escalation, maintained real-time radio communication with team, and authored precise incident reports and daily operational logs to ensure operational integrity.
- Engaged community members through outreach initiatives and events.
- Educated participants on available programs and resources.
- Collaborated with team to enhance program visibility and engagement.
Safety & Resident Ambassador
Cardea Health
Oakland, CA
03.2026 - 08.2026
- Managed daily facility safety operations and client intakes while building supportive client relationships and conducting wellness checks. Coordinated cross-functional team communication, trained and supported new staff, de-escalated critical conflicts, and delivered emergency response with essential harm reduction support.
- Managed patient care plans to ensure effective treatment and follow-up.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to enhance patient outcomes and service delivery.
- Assisted in conducting health assessments and developing individualized care strategies.
Marketing Associate
Golden Gate Generations
South San Francisco
08.2025 - 12.2025
- Facilitated face-to-face customer engagement and territory outreach, using active listening and needs-based evaluation to rapidly build rapport with diverse populations. Navigated objections with effective communication strategies, maintaining an empathetic, professional demeanor while achieving team target quotas and tracking daily metrics.
- Developed and executed targeted email marketing campaigns to enhance customer engagement.
- Coordinated social media strategies across platforms to increase brand awareness and audience interaction.
- Analyzed market trends and competitor activities to inform promotional strategies and product positioning.
Education
Associates of Arts (AA) - Social and Behavioral Sciences
Cerro Coso Community College
Tehachapi, CA6 2026
Skills
- Substance use support
- Clinical & Harm Reduction
- Harm reduction strategies
- Crisis management
- Conflict de-escalation
- Emergency response protocols
- Resident wellness & Safety checks
- Client engagement onboarding
- Peer & Staff Training Facilitation
- Cross-Functional Team & Radio/Walkie-Talkie Communication
- Incident reporting documentation
- Data Management
- Disaster Preparedness
- Team Collaboration
- Compassionate care
- Client Advocacy
Certification
- Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician (RADT) | California Certifying Board | Status: Active / in progress
- Medi-Cal peer support Specialist Training Certificate (80-hour) | CalMHSA-Approved provider | Status: Completed
- Google AI Essentials VI Certificate | Issued by Google
- Teacher’s Assistant (TA) -Computer Literacy | Instructional Support for Excel, Word, & Sheets
Timeline
Substance Use Navigator
Cardea Health
08.2026 - Current
Safety & Resident Ambassador
Cardea Health
03.2026 - 08.2026
Ambassador
Fivekeys
10.2025 - Current
Marketing Associate
Golden Gate Generations
08.2025 - 12.2025
Associates of Arts (AA) - Social and Behavioral Sciences
Cerro Coso Community College
Additional Professional Development:
- Diploma in Drug & Alcohol Treatment Specialist | Stratford Career Institute, Focus: Pharmacology Of Addiction, Counseling Methodologies & Treatment Theory
- CPR / AED & First Aid Certified | American Health Care Academy |Status: Active (Expires: [06/07/2028])
- Google AI Essentials v1 Certificate | Issued by Google
- Certificate in Responsible AI Use | Professional Development
- Teacher’s Assistant (TA)- Computer Literacy | Instructional Support for Excel, Word, and Google WorkSpace