Teresea Higham

Mental Health Professional/Team

"Teresea has worked very hard to ensure that Jackson County and surrounding areas have treatment for mental health/addiction. Her family was devastated by addiction in 2006 and she has worked every day since then to understand addiction, help heal families, educate herself and others, and end the stigma surrounding mental health/addiction. Through her own desperation, she knew that other families had to be struggling like hers was and started a NarAnon support group meeting in Columbus, IN in December of 2010. This group was vital to her own recovery and once she stronger, she enrolled in Ivy Tech to work on an Associates Degree in Human Services and also received a technical certificate in addiction counseling (May 2014). Right away she enrolled in Indiana Wesleyan University and withing two years, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Addiction Counseling (May 2016). Not being swayed by others, she defied all odds when she applied to Indiana University-Purdue University, Columbus and was accepted into their elite program. In August of 2018, Teresea graduated with a Master of Arts in Mental Health and in November of that same year, she opened an outpatient treatment center in Seymour in November of 2018 (New Beginnings Recovery Center, LLC) and has treated many folks who have little or no insurance coverage. She believes that treatment plans should be as unique as the individual and doesn't hesitate to be willing to change something if it is not working for the individual. Teresea believes that the families of the individuals struggling with mental illness/addiction should not be left out of a person's treatment and involves them whenever possible. Long time recovery is so important to her that she wants to employ folks in recovery as often as possible. In fact, Teresea believes that eliminating barriers to treatment/recovery is vital to long term recovery and is currently in the process of beginning a non-profit organization, Recovery First Corp, that will be ran and operated by recovering individuals. This organization is working hard towards making Jackson County Indiana a true Recovery Community. Teresea is one of the most caring, compassionate people that I know and I am honored to be her friend and so very proud of her work in Jackson County, Indiana."