TROSA Staff Member Jesse Battle Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC) presented the APNC 2024 Flo Stein-Bolton Lifetime Achievement Award to TROSA staff member Jesse Battle.
The Flo Stein-Bolton Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual who exemplifies Flo Stein-Bolton’s commitment to the field as a fierce advocate, compassionate professional, and innovative thinker.
TROSA welcomed the APNC leadership team to our campus, where they surprised Jesse with this special award honoring his nearly thirty-year commitment to serving and advocating for individuals in recovery.
Senior Director of Community Partnerships and a Member of the Clinical Counseling Team
Jesse Battle is currently the Senior Director of Community Partnerships and a member of the clinical counseling team at TROSA.
Jesse accepted this position after serving as the Director of the Men’s Program for twenty years. During this time, Jesse was also Director of the Women’s Program for four years, developed TROSA’s computer network, and served as TROSA’s Network Administrator for over ten years. He also oversaw the medical department and created and developed the education department, admissions department and continuing care department.
Facing a judge with habitual felon charges, Jesse was provided with an opportunity to attend the TROSA program in 1995.
After graduating the program in 1997, Jesse earned his undergraduate degree and an MS degree in Mental Health Counseling (MSMHC). He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS), A Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS), a Master Addiction Counselor (MAC), a Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP), and a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP). Jesse has served on multiple boards and presented at many professional conferences in his field.
Commitment, Compassion, and Advocacy
Jesse’s nominators credited him as a major influence in the evolution of TROSA’s treatment program for close to three decades. His continued commitment to excellence in his field has, in turn, resulted in TROSA being a national model for recovery programs. TROSA’s Director of Clinical Services Lisa Finlay shared, “I cannot think of someone more deserving of this honor than Jesse Battle.”
The award’s namesake, APNC Past President Flo Stein-Bolton, was on hand herself for the award presentation to share her congratulations with Jesse and her reflections on TROSA’s growth as a leading treatment program. She addressed colleagues and residents present for the award presentation: “Keep giving this message to people that there’s hope and a bright future…a future that contributes to our state and to this nation.”
TROSA President and CEO Keith Artin shared remarks as well and heralded Jesse as “an amazing ambassador and a real advocate for our residents.”
Keith addressed Jesse’s dedication to changing lives, sharing with him: “You’ve changed so many lives for the better since coming to TROSA nearly three decades ago, and I personally consider my life to be better for knowing you.”
As he accepted his award, Jesse took to the podium to reflect on his achievements and what drives him to continue his transformative work:
“It means a lot to know that what I do every day impacts somebody, and I’m not going to stop. That’s something that’s ingrained in me. Everybody I see deserves to stand up, deserves to be heard, deserves to be seen, deserves to be somebody, and I’m not going to deny that to anybody.
“Watching so many people stand back up, and tell the world that they are somebody, means everything.”