“Brian is extremely dedicated and strives to provide the best services possible to the folks that he works with.”
Please join us in congratulating Brian Dougherty as the November Staff on the Rise and for his recent promotion to Community Outreach Program Supervisor.
Brian started working at RISE in March 2023 as a Case Manager for the Forensic Intensive Case Management (FICM) program – a pilot program assisting incarcerated individuals in Saratoga County with community re-integration. As this pilot program was ending, RISE received a grant from the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) to create a new two-year pilot program – the Outreach and Engagement Services Team (OEST) for which Brian will be the program supervisor.
OEST will focus on providing street-level outreach and engagement services in the community to populations who typically have difficulty accessing treatment. “I am grateful for this opportunity,” Brian says. “I am confident that our team will be successful in obtaining our goals – promoting harm reduction services and preventing overdose and drug-related deaths. This approach is crucial as it challenges some of the traditional ideas associated with the recovery process and paves the way for a fresh perspective.”
“We will promote well-being through a comprehensive approach.”
“We will be connecting with and educating individuals on the signs of overdose, the use of Naloxone/Narcan, and informing them of the recovery services available to them,” Brian explains. “We will promote well-being by addressing substance use disorders, mental health issues, and disease prevention through a comprehensive approach. We aim to provide education, collaboration, and easy access to resources that empower individuals to make informed choices while transitioning through their recovery process.”
Victoria Furfaro, the Advocacy and Outreach Director, shares Brian’s confidence in his ability to lead this new team. “Brian is extremely dedicated and strives to provide the best services possible to the folks that he works with,” she shares. “He is eager to expand his knowledge in the field and is always looking for training and educational avenues to improve his ‘tool belt.’ I’m looking forward to seeing Brian step into his supervisory role, and to seeing how much he grows at the forefront of a brand-new program!”
Brian has also been instrumental in the running and managing of the Adelphi Street Shelter – often working additional hours at the shelter to cover open shifts or managing the shelter when Victoria is unavailable. Victoria says, “Brian is always a team player, and fills in wherever he needs to. He is a reliable and integral part of the team. I can always trust him to hold down the fort when I am not available.”
“I’ve always felt compelled to help others.”
“I’ve always felt compelled to help others,” Brian shares. “Working closely with our clients and developing trusting relationships with them, gives me the satisfaction that I am doing good in the world and reinforces my goal to live my best life. What I enjoy most is creating the trust and rapport needed to assist individuals on their path to recovery and, hopefully, help them evolve into the best versions of themselves. We take the time to understand our clients’ relationship with substance use – identifying patterns, exploring initial motivations, and ultimately releasing the mental, emotional, and physical traumas trapped inside their body – ultimately creating a safe space for them to uncover the root causes of substance use and to help motivate their desire to change.”
Brian obtained a double major in political science and history and a minor in religious studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. He hopes to obtain a master’s in social work through the online program at Syracuse University to become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). He is currently a certified second-degree Reiki practitioner and has just been accepted into a six-month training program for Certified Reiki Professionals at the New York City Reiki Center.
“I aspire to to integrate clinical and holistic healing modalities.”
“This program integrates the system of Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki with practical in-depth clinical training from the John Harvey Gray Lineage,” Brian explains. “While I pursue my LMSW degree, I will also work to attain certification as a Reiki Master Teacher, giving me the essential skills to integrate clinical and holistic healing modalities, which will allow me to offer individuals a well-rounded treatment approach. My goal is to continue growing and expanding professionally with RISE. Eventually, I aspire to open a Reiki clinic to provide energy healing services, mental health counseling, and teach Reiki to those who are interested in practicing this healing art.”
Brian began working in his family business right out of college doing fundraising, business development, marketing, and sales for nonprofits and colleges. In his late twenties, Brian started working in construction as the lead technician at several maintenance facility companies. He eventually joined the Local 669 pipefitter union, which helped him make valuable contacts and allowed him to become a finish carpenter, specializing in high-end remodels and new home construction in Saratoga Springs.
“I use my own lived experience to connect with people.”
Brian became interested in human services work due to his battles with an autoimmune illness. He began to utilize self-healing techniques and trauma-release therapies using holistic approaches to healing. He discovered that he could use his own lived experience to connect with people struggling with substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and homelessness. This realization led him to change careers once again. He began his new career as a residential counselor and med technician at New Choices Recovery Center before coming to RISE.
“I enjoy the positive high-energy environment at RISE,” Brian says. “I appreciate that the RISE administration supports us in attaining our professional and educational goals and encourages us to attend trainings that helps us to be successful with the populations we serve. This is an exciting time to be working at RISE, as we continue to add new programs and expand our ability to serve individuals in-house. RISE is dedicated to supporting the community and is actively working to identify and address gaps in essential services. I also truly appreciate working with Victoria because she challenges me to grow as a professional and she is fully invested and supports the programs she oversees.”
Brian lives with his fiancé and their three children – two girls who are four and five years old and his son who is two. “It is the greatest experience of my life; being a father and being present in my children’s lives. We have a small backyard farm raising ducks, chickens, and turkeys. Working on the farm is a therapeutic way for our family to spend time together. We love the taste of fresh eggs from our birds. In the future, we plan to cultivate our produce and herbs, raise goats, horses, and bees, as well as teach our kids to live a subsistence farm lifestyle to fulfill our family’s needs.”
The RISE administration appreciates all that Brian has done for the individuals we serve in the short time he has been with the agency – especially his willingness to work all the extra hours at the Adelphi Street Shelter. We look forward to watching him grow in his position as a program supervisor and within the agency. He is empathetic, compassionate, and dedicated – all the qualities of a Staff on the RISE. Please join us in congratulating Brian as our November Staff on the Rise.