Partners & Collaborators
Robert Zellner, CPRS, RPS
Instructor & Consultant
Biography
Robert Zellner brings more than 6 years of experience in behavioral health. Mr. Zellner graduated from Hagerstown Community College in 2020, where he completed his associates in Human Services, Business Administration, and Management. He currently serves as a trainer and consultant for Appalachian Recovery Concepts LLC. As a peer support specialist and registered peer supervisor, Rob has used his lived experience to support of many initiatives including Justice and Recovery Advocates Inc. and Alternative Drug & Alcohol Counseling (ADAC). He was previously, the Director of Client Services and Methadone Coordinator at Awakenings Recovery Center in Hagerstown, Maryland. Mr. Zellner was the Peer Recovery Specialist Supervisor for the Harm Reduction and Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program in Washington County, an Appalachian County in Western Maryland, where he has lived since he was 6 years old. He has served as a Field Supervisor for Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health’s BeSure West research study. He is also an Americorps alumni of the COAT (Conquering Opioid Abuse Together) program, where he received Maryland's 36th Governor's Award for his Service and Volunteerism. Prior to his current career path, Mr. Zellner worked in the trades of residential and commercial carpentry. He was contracted through Rockridge Contracting LLC and worked under multiple additional contracts with multi-state skilled-trade temp agencies. Construction as a profession was the #1 thing he knew to avoid throughout the early recovery process. Chronic pain, pride, and fear of losing everything, including family and social connections, all present a real risk within the construction trades. Mr. Zellner knows what supports can and should look like and believes that with the properly trained and motivated champions, mountains can be moved. He works with and advocates for people of all backgrounds, cultural differences, and disciplines to better serve the community in which they work and live.
Resume
Work Experience:
2022 March – Current
Justice and Recovery Inc. – Thurmont Md
Title: Lead Outreach, Harm Reduction, Peer Support
2022 March – September 2022
Phoenix Health Center – 217 East Antietam St. Hagerstown Md, 21740
Title: Office Manager, Counselor
2019 September – January 2022
Awakenings Recovery Center – 111 S. Potomac St.Hagerstown Md, 21740
Title: Director of Client Services/Methadone Coordinator
2020 September – December 2021
Hagerstown Community College – 11400 Robinwood Dr, Hagerstown Md, 21742
Title: Adjuct Instructor
Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Program
2019 January – August 2019
Washington County Health Department – 1302 Pennsylvania Ave, Hagerstown Md, 21742
Title: Peer Support Specialist Supervisor, Harm Reduction/Syringe Services Program (SSP) and Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program
2018 November – 2019 August
Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Baltimore, Md, 21205
Title: Field Supervisor/Research Assistant BeSure West Pilot Study
2018 August – January 2019
Capital Diagnostics, 14201 Park Center Drive #407, Laurel, Md, 20707
Title: Specimen Collector
2017 September – August 2018
Frostburg State University- 101 Braddock Rd, Frostburg, Md, 21532
Americorps Conquering Opioid Abuse Together (COAT) program
Title: Full-Time member
Education:
Current – University of Baltimore – Criminal Justice
2021 -- Alcohol and Drug Traniee
2020 -- Hagerstown Community College － Hagerstown, MD – A.A. Human Services, A.A.
Business Administration, A.A.S. Management
Training:
2020 – Trainer of National Council for Behavioral Health, Mental Health First Aid (Youth)
2020 – Trainer of National Council for Behavioral Health, Mental Health First Aid (Adult)
2020 – Trainer of Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) Ethical
Considerations Curriculum
2020 – Trainer of Digital Peer Support (DPS) Curriculum
2020 – Trainer of SMART Recovery Curriculum
2019 – Certified Peer Recovery Specialist – Maryland Addiction and Behavioral-Health
Professional Certification Board (MABPCB)
2019 – Registered Peer Supervisor – Maryland Addiction and Behavioral-Health Professional
Certification Board (MABPCB)
2019 – Trainer of Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) Recovery Coach
Academy (RCA) Curriculum
2019 – Trainer of Harm Reduction as a Recovery Coaching Pathway
2019 – Master Presenter of Stages of Change, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT), Social Determinates of Health, Drug User Health/Comprehensive