Mandy Learo serves as Program Director for Jasmine Road, where she manages the residential team and oversees implementation of the program, including creation of individualized care plans, curriculum, group activities, and facilitation of phased resident transitions toward independence.
Mandy was the founder and executive director of Sylvia House, a residential program for women in early recovery. She was trained as a Recovery Coach through NAADAC and is a certified group facilitator for Seeking Safety and Ending the Game with extensive training on Motivational Interviewing. She was a founding member and currently serves on the board of the SC chapter of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences. She received a yoga therapy certification at Yoga Vidya Gurukul in Nasik, India and attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where she studied Writing for Performance, Publication, and Media.
As a person in long-term recovery, Mandy’s passion comes partly from lived experience and deep belief in the beauty and power of change. In her personal time, Mandy loves to enjoy the Upstate’s family-friendly community and activities with her young son.
SESSION(S):
Good Vibes: Promoting a Healthy House Culture
- Everyone in residential care knows that houses have vibes. We’ve all walked into a home where misery thickened the air, and, if we’re lucky, we’ve also walked into spaces where laughter and lightness restored our faith in the work and the world. In this presentation, we define culture in the context of therapeutic community living spaces and outline actionable steps shelters can take to encourage a house culture marked by love, belonging, and enthusiasm about recovery. We will share some of the cultural problems Jasmine Road has had in the past and what works for us as an organization to hold the healthiest space possible for the survivors we serve.
