Jessica Turkett, M.A.
Program Director

Since she can remember, Jessica has always had a passion for helping others and seeing them succeed. After she completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Business Management Economics, Jessica began working in the field of insurance. She soon realized that her true interests lie beyond just helping in that capacity, but more so in connecting with and supporting individuals on a deeper level. She became passionate about providing guidance and assistance to those suffering from various mental health related issues. It was then that Jessica changed direction and pursued her career in Psychology.

Jessica graduated from Argosy University in 2010 with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. Her past clinical experience spanned to a variety of settings such as acute inpatient hospitals, residential treatment for children and adolescents, IOP/PHP programs, correctional facilities, in-home case management, and direct outreach for the homeless or individuals resistant to treatment. Jessica has worked with individuals with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, dual-diagnosed, child/adolescent disorders, mood and personality disorders. Jessica has a strength-based approach and believes we all have an intrinsic desire towards growth and happiness.

In 2022, as Jessica continued to grow in her role with Active Recovery Network, she became the Program Director and shifted her focus from working with clients to supporting the growth of staff and the program with the same heart and passion that had driven her work with clients. As the Program Director, Jessica supports the staff to continue to grow, challenge themselves to do and be better, to continue to develop a high-impact curriculum, and to expand our partnerships with community programs and providers toward becoming an even more integral part of people’s recovery, growth, and personal development journey. Her ability to challenge and inspire staff to be creative, skillful, and effective in supporting clients and families has had an immensely positive impact on the organization’s effectiveness and ability to deliver high-touch, life-changing, client care and support.

Jessica feels that oftentimes we have been conditioned to focus on “what’s wrong” with us, which can hold us back from reaching our goals, while it is more effective and more helpful to focus on our strengths to overcome obstacles. Once we gain self-awareness we can begin to make positive steps in our lives which are the building blocks in recognizing our innate ability to strive to be our “best self.” Jessica believes that persistence is a key to success, walking alongside others with unconditional support. Even in times when we may doubt ourselves.