Jan Lovett

Email: jan.lovett@utahrecovers.org

In their early and mid-twenties, Jan’s two daughters began having issues with drugs and alcohol. Not knowing where to find help, Jan and her husband tried private counseling and Al-anon meetings but didn’t feel like they were given the right tools. Because she didn’t understand what addiction (substance use disorder) was and believed it was a choice, Jan resumed to doing what most parents do: nag, plead, and threaten their loved ones.

After finding and attending USARA’s family support group for the first time, Jan and her husband finally felt like they found a home. Not only was she given tools to truly communicate better with her loved ones, but she learned the importance of self-care and that she couldn’t ‘fix” her daughter, but she could work on herself. She believes that when family members know they aren’t alone and have a safe place to share their experiences, it can lighten the burden.

Because of the difference that USARA made in her family’s lives, Jan has since been trained by Dr. Robert Meyers, the founder of the CRAFT model. Both daughters have found recovery and Jan has been facilitating CRAFT support groups for the past 9 years. Not only does she continue to facilitate family support groups, but she also helps train other facilitators across the country. Believing that families recover together is a valuable lesson in itself and something she shares with everyone.

Jan has worked at the University of Utah for the past 24 years and enjoys many hobbies such as home decorating, gardening, baking, decorating cakes, needle felting, and creating paper crafts. Her husband jokingly tells her that he can’t afford to have a hobby because she has so many.