Jessica Dangerfield
Case Manager, Lived Experience
Meet Jessica Dangerfield
Jessica Case Manager for Level Up IOP
“My name is Jessica Dangerfield, and my greatest qualification for this work is not found in a degree, certification, or job title—it is found in the life I’ve lived, the battles I’ve fought, and the recovery I’ve chosen every day for the past 11 years.
I was raised in an environment where addiction, abuse, violence, homelessness, and incarceration were normalized. As a child, I didn’t know there was another way to live. Some of my earliest memories are rooted in fear.
At just three or four years old, I remember waking up to the sound of gunfire as bullets shattered the windows of our home after retaliation from one of my father’s bar fights. Around that same age, I experienced childhood sexual abuse and later had to testify in court.
I also witnessed severe domestic violence in my home, including a terrifying moment when my father came into our house carrying a kitchen knife while I hid in fear.”
Shaped by Her Childhood
Those experiences shaped her childhood, but they did not define her future.
Growing up surrounded by addiction and trauma taught Jessica how to survive long before she ever learned how to feel safe. As she entered adulthood, she faced many of the same struggles that had surrounded me as a child.
Jessica experienced homelessness, unhealthy relationships, and the overwhelming weight of trying to build a life while carrying unresolved trauma. As a single mother raising three daughters, there were times she questioned whether life would ever be different.
“I know what it feels like to wonder where you’ll sleep, how you’ll provide for your children, and whether hope is even possible.”
“I also know what it feels like to live with shame, guilt, fear, and the belief that your past will always define your future.”
Recovery Changed Everything
Today, Jessica is in recovery for 11 years. Recovery gave her far more than sobriety—it gave her a new way to live. It taught her accountability, healthy relationships, emotional healing, boundaries, self-worth, and the understanding that healing is possible regardless of where you’ve come from. It allowed her to break generational cycles and create a different future for her daughters.
Jessica’s faith has become one of the strongest foundations in her recovery. During seasons when she couldn’t see a future for herself, in her own words,
“God never stopped pursuing me.”
Through recovery, faith, and the people who believed in her before she believed in herself, she found purpose in the very pain that once threatened to destroy her.
Today, she has the privilege of serving as a Case Manager in an Intensive Outpatient Program.
“I don’t sit across from clients believing I’m better than they are—I sit beside them because I understand what it feels like to carry trauma, addiction, fear, hopelessness, and shame. I understand that addiction is often the symptom of something much deeper, and I believe every person deserves to be seen beyond the worst decisions they’ve made.”
Support, Accountability & Advocacy
Jessica’s role is to provide support, accountability, advocacy, and hope while walking alongside individuals as they build a life in recovery.
She strives to meet every client with compassion, honesty, and respect, while reminding them that recovery is not about perfection—it’s about progress, resilience, and learning to believe that change is possible.
“My story is not one of perfection; it is one of perseverance. It is proof that generational cycles can be broken, trauma can be healed, families can be restored, and recovery is possible.
If there is one thing I hope every person who walks through our doors understands, it is this:
Your past may explain your story, but it does not have to determine your future.”
Today, she doesn’t just work in recovery—she has the privilege of living it every single day, and it is one of the greatest honors of her life to help others discover that they, too, are capable of healing, hope, and lasting change.
