Baden Hicks spent the early part of his career as a boilermaker/welder as well as working in the Dive industry. He is now a qualified Alcohol and Other Drugs Peer Support Worker at Turning Point, Richmond. Vital to this role, is his 20 years lived experience of drug addiction which he describes as ‘being caught in a revolving door of drug-related crime, prison, psyche wards, homelessness, and many failed attempts to overcome his substance use issues.’ It wasn’t until he found First Step – a drug treatment program that was right for him – that he could begin his journey of recovery, and slowly rebuild his once successful life. He is now passionate about supporting others in their own journeys as well as speaking out about the stigma of addiction, Advocating for the importance of people getting Naloxone trained and the lack of adequate treatment for those seeking help, and a criminal justice system that fails to recognise addiction as the health issue he believes it to be.
