December 9, 2022
Our Team, Our Passions...Tim Bitting
Driven. Energetic. Inspired. It’s hard to imagine Tim Bitting, our new Outreach Manager, sitting down for any length of time. . . and he doesn’t, even when the workday is over.
Tim’s journey to Hopewell had a few twists. A native of Northeast Ohio, he graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in life science. Five years in research and design followed. Then life took a turn, and Tim switched careers to work in inpatient treatment for substance abuse, earning a CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) license along the way. He later received a Masters in Mental Health Counseling.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a change in direction. “My fiancée, Angela, and I moved back to Ohio to be closer to family. We bought a house and eloped to a destination wedding in an exotic location (Columbus, Ohio),” Tim jokes.
“I came across Hopewell in my role as a discharge planner in an acute mental health inpatient facility. I fell in love with it, especially with the concept of the community as healer,” Tim said. Cue another bend in the road this past spring when he joined the Hopewell staff. He focuses on creating relationships with institutions and mental health professionals across the country so they will keep Hopewell in mind as an option for their clients. Marketing and social media round out his portfolio.
For Tim, downtime is more like active relaxation. “Angela and I love hiking and spending time in nature. We built a hunting cabin on 200 acres in West Virginia, and we fish, go 4-wheeling, and get out on a lake with a boat or jet skis. It’s so rural – there’s no cell service and we can really disconnect.” Family and faith are extremely important and the couple is very involved in their church.
Asked to describe a “best day at Hopewell,” Tim recalled joining our community drum circle. “You start with a big mishmash of sound. After a while, the drumbeats become like a river, and you feel excitement and connection as everyone tunes into one beat. Drumming allows people to get in tune with themselves, be vulnerable, and communicate through the instrument. It was a powerful experience that really symbolizes the healing community I've found at Hopewell."
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