Darrell Mitchell

Darrell Mitchell is an accomplished business professional. Over the last several years, Darrell has led and impacted change in the recovery residence field at the state and national levels. He is the Founder of the Indiana Affiliation of Recovery Residences (INARR) and serves as the Vice-President of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR). In 2017, Darrell was instrumental in the drafting and passing of legislation that placed Recovery Housing standards into Indiana Law. Darrell studied Public Relations, and Marketing at Purdue University and has a Bachelor of Science in Addictions Counseling and a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Darrell did not plan a career in healthcare, behavioral health, or addiction treatment. Fortunately, with the help of others, Mitchell overcame addiction and has been a person in long-term recovery for many years. Experiencing the miracle of recovery in his own life inspired pursuing a new professional path of service to those with mental illness and substance use disorders. Mitchell serves on local, state, and national recovery and mental health boards and committees and speaks at regional and national conferences and events.

In 2016, Mental Health America of Indiana presented Darrell with the "Heroes for Recovery Consumer Advocate Award." In 2018, he was honored with the prestigious "Leadership Award" by the Indiana Housing & Community Development and the Indiana Affordable Housing Council.

In 2019 the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked Darrell to author a paper for "The Rural Community Action Guide." The RCAG has been distributed nationally to equip rural leaders with critical information from lessons learned from the frontlines of prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural America. In January 2020, Darrell was invited to the White House to attend ONDCP's launch of the Rural Community Action Guide and to meet with senior leaders.

Darrell serves as Vice President of Recovery Communities with Aspire Indiana Health, overseeing the integration of recovery principles and practices across Aspire's healthcare system, including Substance Use Disorder resident and recovery facilities, medical, outpatient behavioral health, housing, and employment services. Darrell amplifies the voice of lived experience of the populations served by Aspire and within local, state, and national communities while also serving as the Executive Director of Progress House.