About me
Robyn is a Certified and Registered Peer Recovery Specialist with an Integrated Forensic Peer Support endorsement, grounded in both lived experience and professional practice. In recovery from substance use, mental health challenges, and trauma, Robyn views recovery as a lifelong, non‑linear journey—because real change rarely follows a straight line.
Before entering the world of Peer Support, Robyn spent the first half of her professional life deep in the fast‑paced, high‑pressure world of restaurant management, developing a strong foundation in leadership, operations, and customer service. After years of slinging wings and perfecting the art of the up‑sell (ranch, blue cheese, or celery—no judgment), Robyn decided to trade in her apron for a different kind of service—one with less grease and more grace.
In 2020, Robyn ventured into Peer Support as a Substance Use Disorder Peer Recovery Specialist at the Harrisonburg‑Rockingham Community Services Board. What started as a career shift quickly became a calling… or possibly a desperate desire for regular sleep. Either way, it stuck. Robyn discovered a natural aptitude for Peer Support, and by the end of 2021, she stepped into the role of Peer Program Coordinator at HRCSB.
In this role, Robyn was instrumental in formalizing both the Mental Health and Substance Use Peer Programs and—because she clearly wasn’t busy enough—successfully implemented Medicaid billing for Peer Services in 2022. In 2023, she graduated from the VCU DBHDS Recovery Leadership Academy, further strengthening her commitment to systems‑level change.
Robyn currently serves as Chair of the VACSB Peer Services Subcommittee and is a passionate champion of Peer Services. Her advocacy focuses on Peer‑led supervision, effective hiring and development of Peer Recovery Specialists, and valiantly attempting to solve the ongoing mystery that is the RRWP.
Alongside her equally talented (and shorter) counterpart, Robyn Hantelman, Robyn has traveled from Virginia to Texas presenting the SUPERhero Supervision series—because supporting the supporters deserves a cape, too.
At the heart of her work, Robyn believes in the power of hope, the healing role of laughter, and the radical idea that things really can—and do—get better. She also believes that Peers are essential to removing barriers, unlocking healing, and changing systems from the inside out. Her professional goal is simple but bold: to help create a world without stigma, where everyone can find their own path to recovery.
When she’s not busy trying to save the world one person at a time, Robyn enjoys time with her husband and her two extremely spoiled dogs, whose superpower is excessive slobber. She recharges by diving into a good book, tackling a crossword puzzle, spending time outdoors, cracking jokes, and unapologetically napping.
Robyn is living proof that even the most unconventional paths can lead to a meaningful life filled with laughter, purpose, and the occasional face‑plant—but don’t worry, she always gets back up.
