Interview - Dr. Lucas Piccinin

Interview Responses 

Dr. Nichole Pettway 
Deputy Director – Wellness, Empowerment, Resilience, Trauma & Recovery Center (WERC) 
Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) 

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Prepared responses for interview/publication use 

1. Your journey is incredibly powerful—from overcoming personal challenges to becoming a leader in mental health and community transformation. Could you share your story and what inspired you to step into this field and create impact? 

My journey began in pain, instability, addiction, incarceration, and the kind of trauma that could have easily broken me for good. I know what it means to feel discarded, ashamed, and uncertain about whether life can ever look different. But I also know what it means to make a conscious decision to heal, to recover, and to rebuild one day at a time. What inspired me to step into this field was not theory—it was lived experience. I have walked through the consequences of unaddressed trauma, separation from family, low self-worth, and systems that often respond to pain with punishment instead of support. That is why my life’s work is rooted in helping people understand that their past does not define them—it can refine them. I stepped into this work because I wanted to become the kind of person I once needed: someone who could see potential where others only saw problems. Today, every program I help lead, every room I speak in, and every person I encourage is part of that mission—to turn pain into purpose and create pathways to healing, dignity, and self-sufficiency. 

2. As the Deputy Director at WERC, how would you describe your leadership philosophy when it comes to driving programs focused on trauma recovery, resilience, and empowerment? 

My leadership philosophy is grounded in compassion, accountability, and transformation. I believe people do their best work when they feel seen, supported, and held to a clear standard of excellence. In trauma recovery and resilience work, leadership cannot be detached. It has to be human-centered, culturally responsive, and rooted in trust. I lead with the understanding that trauma affects how people show up, but I also believe healing requires structure, consistency, and meaningful opportunity. So I work to build programs that do more than stabilize people in crisis—I want them to restore confidence, strengthen coping skills, and create real pathways forward. For me, empowerment means helping people recognize that they still have value, voice, and agency, even after some of the hardest experiences of their lives. As a leader, I try to model both empathy and expectation. I want staff and participants alike to know that healing is possible, growth is possible, and excellence is possible. 

3. With your extensive experience across public health, homelessness services, and reentry programs, what key insights have you gained about the intersection of mental health, addiction recovery, and social reintegration? 

One of the greatest insights I have gained is that mental health, addiction recovery, and social reintegration cannot be treated as separate issues. They are deeply interconnected. When people are struggling with trauma, untreated mental health conditions, substance use, homelessness, or reentry barriers, those experiences compound one another. You cannot expect someone to sustain recovery if they do not have safety, support, purpose, and access to resources. You also cannot talk about reintegration without acknowledging shame, stigma, and the emotional toll of starting over. True recovery is not just about stopping harmful behavior—it is about building a life that feels worth sustaining. That means integrated services matter. People need behavioral health support, housing pathways, employment opportunities, case management, community connection, and hope. I have learned that when systems work together instead of in silos, outcomes improve. People are far more likely to stabilize when they are treated as whole human beings rather than as a diagnosis, a charge history, or a case number. 

4. You have worked closely with vulnerable populations, including individuals impacted by incarceration and homelessness. What strategies do you believe are most effective in creating sustainable transformation and breaking cycles of trauma? 

The most effective strategies are the ones that combine relationship, structure, and opportunity. Sustainable transformation does not come from one conversation or one service referral. It comes from consistent support, trauma-informed engagement, and practical pathways that help people rebuild their lives. First, trust matters. Many vulnerable populations have experienced betrayal, institutional harm, and repeated disappointment, so relationship-building is essential. Second, services must be individualized. People need care plans that respond to their actual barriers—whether that is housing instability, untreated trauma, unemployment, family reunification, or substance use recovery. Third, accountability must be paired with compassion. People need support, but they also need tools, expectations, and opportunities to practice new behaviors. Finally, sustainable transformation requires access to real economic and social mobility. Healing is strengthened when people can secure employment, reconnect with community, gain stability, and begin to see themselves differently. When we invest in the whole person instead of just reacting to the crisis, we help break generational cycles of trauma and create lasting change. 

5. Community-based care and social medicine are evolving rapidly. How do you see integrated approaches to mental health and wellness shaping the future of public health systems? 

I believe integrated approaches are the future of effective public health systems because people do not experience their challenges in isolated categories. A person may be struggling with trauma, housing insecurity, grief, substance use, chronic stress, unemployment, and family disruption all at once. Community-based care and social medicine recognize that health is shaped not only by clinical treatment, but by environment, relationships, economic stability, and access to support. The future of public health must involve stronger partnerships between behavioral health, community organizations, healthcare providers, housing systems, workforce development, and violence prevention efforts. When those systems work together, people receive more coordinated and meaningful care. I also believe the future depends on listening more closely to communities and valuing lived experience as expertise. Integrated care should not just be clinically efficient—it should be culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and designed in ways that preserve dignity. If we continue moving in that direction, public health systems can become more preventative, more equitable, and more transformative. 

6. Your career spans outreach, case management, program leadership, and policy engagement. What have been some of the most significant challenges in this journey, and how have they shaped you as a leader? 

One of the greatest challenges in my journey has been learning how to lead while still carrying the memory of everything I have survived. There is a difference between recovering personally and then stepping into positions where you are responsible for systems, staff, and community outcomes. I have also had to navigate environments where lived experience was not always valued the same as formal credentials, even though both matter. Another challenge has been leading in spaces where resources are limited but needs are overwhelming. In this work, you often care deeply about people while trying to build programs, maintain compliance, support staff, and respond to crisis all at once. Those challenges have shaped me into a leader who is resilient, solutions-focused, and deeply intentional. They have taught me the importance of humility, emotional intelligence, and staying teachable. They have also reinforced my belief that strong leadership is not about titles—it is about service, integrity, and the courage to keep showing up with vision even when the road is hard. 

7. Looking back, what achievements or moments stand out as particularly meaningful—especially in terms of the lives you’ve helped transform and the communities you have impacted? 

The most meaningful moments for me are not always the public recognitions, although I am grateful for them. What stands out most are the lives that have changed—the people who once felt hopeless and are now working, parenting, healing, and believing in themselves again. I have seen individuals impacted by addiction, incarceration, trauma, and homelessness begin to rebuild their confidence and reclaim their future, and those moments mean everything to me. I am also proud of the opportunity to help create programs, trainings, and spaces that center healing, accountability, and self-sufficiency. Whether through direct service, leadership, speaking, or curriculum development, I have tried to build bridges between brokenness and possibility. On a personal level, every milestone in my own journey matters too—from recovery, to education, to authorship, to leadership—because each one represents evidence that transformation is real. The greatest achievement is knowing that my life has become a message of hope for others. 

8. You are deeply committed to empowering women and individuals overcoming adversity. What advice would you offer to those who are trying to rebuild their lives, and what is your broader vision for a more inclusive and compassionate mental health ecosystem? 

My advice is simple but powerful: do not let your history make you believe your future is already decided. You may have made mistakes. You may have experienced trauma, loss, addiction, incarceration, rejection, or setbacks that shook your sense of identity. But none of that disqualifies you from healing. Rebuilding your life takes honesty, support, consistency, and patience. It takes a willingness to ask for help and a decision to keep going, even when progress feels slow. I would encourage anyone starting over to focus on one right decision at a time, because small choices create lasting transformation. My broader vision for mental health is a system that is inclusive, trauma-informed, community-rooted, and compassionate without being passive. I want to see systems that value lived experience, remove stigma, expand access, and treat people with dignity across every point of service. Mental health care should not be a privilege for the few—it should be accessible, responsive, and connected to the real conditions people are living through. That is the kind of ecosystem I want to help build. 

Optional submission note: A high-resolution headshot and BOSS logo can be attached separately to satisfy the publication design requirements.