Recover Michiana Board and Advisors
Recover Michiana of South Bend, IN, started its substance use disorder prevention program in 2019 when it was nothing more than a picnic. Today, the nonprofit organization has grown into a movement.
In 2019, a small group of organizers held a festival of celebration for those in recovery from substance misuse. We invited local resources to exhibit and offer their services to others seeking help for themselves or a loved one. We wanted to meet them where they were, no matter where they were on their path. The attendance and excitement went well beyond what anyone expected. We heard countless stories of people who couldn't find support and resources for themselves or a loved one. We quickly learned that this was something our community needed more of. As excitement grew, Recover Michiana Fest grew. In 2021, we held our 2nd annual festival at Howard Park in South Bend, Indiana, where our attendance doubled in size. Our grassroots organization attracted people, organizations, and entertainers from across the country who wanted to be a part of the movement. In 2022, Recover Michiana, Inc. was established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Through our work and outreach, we have been recognized by the Indiana Recovery Network, a program of Mental Health America of Indiana.
Recover Michiana's Mission:
- Raise awareness by holding family-friendly sober events across the state of Indiana to reduce the stigma and increase access to local services for all persons affected by substance misuse.
- Maintain a resource hub and provide resource mapping to provide free information and access to local services, recognizing that there are many acceptable pathways to recovery.
- Provide higher education scholarships for individuals who have lost a parent to substance use disorder.
- Provide funding for and access to recovery coaches and peer support who offer guidance and support to individuals and families affected by substance abuse to break down barriers hindering successful rehabilitation.
Meet The Recover Michiana Board of Directors
Beth Szweda is the founder and CEO of Correct Property Tax LLC. Her journey began in the recovering community when her family was deeply impacted by the opioid crisis. Witnessing the struggles her then-husband faced with substance misuse for nearly a decade and eventually losing him to the disease compelled Beth to use her skills as a successful business owner to make a positive change and assist other families facing similar challenges.
Recover Michiana was formed by a team with a common goal in mind: to harness their shared yet distinct experiences with the opioid crisis and channel them into a purpose-driven initiative that could bring about positive change. Their collaboration is fueled by a deep understanding of the challenges posed by addiction stemming from their journeys. Together, they are committed to making a significant impact in the lives of those affected by substance abuse, offering support, guidance, and hope to families and individuals in need.
In the organization, Beth's primary focus lies in managing finances, conceptualizing and implementing innovative ideas, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the infrastructure, all while providing strong leadership in the administration.
The Szweda family's mission centers around providing support to families, especially children, who endure the heartache of growing up in an environment affected by substance misuse. Their passion is dedicated to promoting hope, peace, and recovery, seeking to bring positive transformations to the lives of all those affected in our community.
Beth Szweda, Founder
Co-founder and Executive Director of
Recover Michiana
Jaime Case-Williams
Jaime Case-Williams is a wife and mom to four children. When her recovery journey from alcohol use disorder began in 2017, Jaime became passionate about helping others impacted by addiction and trauma. She is a Community Outreach Coordinator for Allendale Treatment, where she cultivates relationships with the community by promoting recovery, supporting families of struggling loved ones, offering recovery resources, and providing hope.
As someone who has personally experienced the fear and anxiety of seeking help for a substance use disorder, Jaime's goal is to remove any stigma and barriers associated with accessing quality addictions and mental health treatment and to empower others to believe that living a life in recovery is not only possible, but that it can be fun, beautiful, and authentic!
Jillian is a student at Purdue University, where she is studying Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management. Professionally, she hopes to make positive, impactful changes within our nation to make recovery more accessible, accepted, and safe for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, and location. Jillian has a particular interest in harm reduction policy and holistic healing using the 8 Dimensions of Wellness.
She has been an active volunteer for Recover Michiana since its inception in 2019, officially becoming a Board Member in 2023. Having lost her father in 2017 to an opioid overdose after a lifelong battle, she is keenly familiar with the anxiety, sadness, grief, and helplessness you feel as a child, knowing your parent might be taken from you someday. The reality of "addiction" for a child can be scary, overwhelming, shameful, complicated, rage-inducing, and so much more — but Jillian's mission has always been and will remain for children to feel empowered enough to break the vicious generational cycles of substance use disorder and mental illness with the support of their community.
With the help of her family, Jillian founded the Szweda Scholarship in 2020 to uplift children who have lost a parent to substance use disorder. There are no academic requirements, but the high school senior must be attending a four-year institution in pursuit of a higher degree. If you are or know a high school soon-to-be senior who has lost their parent, please direct them to the "Scholarship" tab.
Jillian Szweda
Alejandro Saucedo
Alejandro is a Kingdom-Minded Champion Leader who thrives in all that he does. He has a strong passion for activism for many social issues affecting our community. He is driven by faith to make a positive impact on all those he encounters.
Alejandro has firsthand experience in suffering from the chains of addiction for over 15 years. Facing criminal charges and looking at spending the rest of his life in prison, he chose to seek recovery while incarcerated. His transformation process led to outstanding results and now leads a life of excellence.
Alejandro's approach to tackling recovery is uncommon but desperately needed. He meets suffering individuals right where they are literally on the streets. He has made a connection with other addicts in high-risk neighborhoods by loving them when they are unable to love themselves. He offers them prayers, a listening ear, clothing, resources, transportation, conflict intervention, Narcan distribution, and job placement through his various connections or his own business dedicated to second-chance employment.
Recover Michiana made a big impression on Alejandro's heart and embraced him full force when he was released from prison. He got involved right away and desired to contribute to the mission by becoming one of the first male board members on our team.
Meet the Recover Michiana Advisory Board
Heidi Heckaman
Heidi Heckaman, CARPC II has lived in St. Joseph County almost all her life. She is a wife and mother. Heidi has struggled with substance use and maintaining good mental health practices all her life. Her journey of recovery started in 2017. Since embarking on her recovery journey, Heidi has achieved remarkable progress. She managed to break free from the clutches of the criminal justice system, which is a significant achievement considering the challenges that individuals with substance use issues often face in the legal system. Additionally, she was able to reunify with her youngest son, who was in the care of the Department of Child Services (DCS). Rebuilding family relationships after such challenges speaks to her dedication and resilience. Heidi's transformation extended beyond her personal life and into her professional path.
Her passion for helping her community began to flourish in 2020 when she felt prompted by God to start volunteering at Oaklawn Psychiatric Center as a recovery coach. She officially joined their team in February of 2021 and continues to serve there at the Recovery Café South Bend as the coordinator. She became a Peer Support Specialist and Supervisor of Recovery Coaches. Heidi also serves on the Board of Directors for the Upper Room Recovery Community (a sober living facility), South Bend's low barrier shelter M4N, The Partnership for a Drug-Free St. Joe County, and the Indiana Birth Parent Advisory board. Heidi's multiple roles in her community showcase her leadership and ability to guide others in their journeys of healing and transformation.
She enthusiastically joined the Recover Michiana Advisory Board in June of 2023.
"My passion is to provide hope to the hopeless, directions for the lost, evaluating resources in our community to share with its members, and to be a light in our darkest corners. I know there is more, and I want to share that and connect people to the help and resources they need. What I want for myself and for all those I serve is not just to survive, but to thrive. -Heidi
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