Meet Michael Durchslag

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Durchslag. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michael, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

I did not have a very favorable experience as a student growing up in Cleveland, OH. I always seemed to get in trouble starting at a young age. Thankfully, I came from a household that put an emphasis on learning and even though school was a very difficult place for me, I developed some decent academic skills. However, by the time I got to high school I began to engage in some very risky behaviors. I did graduate but my experience in high school really shaped me. My graduating class was supposed to be over 900 students but only 590 of us graduated. Some of those who didn’t were my friends and no one seemed to care whether we were in school or not in school, so I didn’t go.
I knew I needed a small college in a small town to help cut down on distractions. It was in college that I fell in love with learning and when I graduated in 4 years, I remember my father hugging me and saying, “I never thought you would make it out of Cleveland alive.” Little did I know that my recklessness in high school had caused so much fear for my family.
I took my love for learning and good academic skills and applied to Graduate School to pursue my PhD in Religious Studies. My education was paid for and I received a small stipend to help teach Intro to Religion classes to undergraduates. An interesting thing happened, I fell in love with the teaching part but I became bored with the research part even though I was quite good at it. After 2 years, I decided to leave graduate school and pursue a career in teaching high school.
But it was my own high school experience that shaped who I was and where I wanted to teach. I knew there had to be a better way so I sought out a school that served what I deemed “throw away kids” the same kids me and my friends were at the same age. I also sought out an environment that honored each young person for who they were and provided them the space for self-discovery while also learning. Knowing that I had been given a so-called “second chance” at life, I wanted to pay that forward by giving young people that same chance to be able to reinvent themselves and to move beyond their past. Knowing today that there was a very good chance I would be here today, I never want to take today for granted and the best way I know how to do that is to be of service to others.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a person in long-term recovery. My high school years were quite chaotic and although I was not engaged in recovery when I left Cleveland, OH, the geographic change did help keep me alive until I was able to find recovery from a severe substance use disorder. It was in this process that I started working at P.E.A.S.E. Academy (Peers Enjoying A Sober Education), the longest running recovery school in the country. The youth I get to work with are the boldest, most courageous young people I’ve ever met and I loved being able to help teach them about the world around them through the social studies curriculum. Teaching energized me and I never saw myself in an administrative role. However, in 2006 when the position of Director of P.E.A.S.E. was offered, I decided that the school leadership needed some stability and I accepted the position starting in January 2007. It was in this role that I learned that adolescents are the most underserved demographic in the addiction and recovery field and I became involved in advocating for better services for our youth. However, this advocacy was very localized.
In 2015, I was approached to serve on the Board of the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS). This allowed me to grow and be able to be of service on a national level. ARS supports existing schools through Accreditation, which P.E.A.S.E. Academy went through, supports new and emerging schools by providing Technical Assistance and continued support, and advocates for adolescent recovery support. Being able to help others help youth in a meaningful way has energized me as well as allowed me to grow professionally to better serve those I do in Minneapolis.
In 2014, I with a few community members started a separate non-profit organization, PEASE Community Foundation (PCF), with an initial mission of supporting P.E.A.S.E. Academy. Knowing that I wanted the students I serve to have the best opportunities possible, I knew we needed more than the per-pupil dollars of a public education offers. PCF has grown to now be able t0 provide an Peer Recovery Specialist run After-School Program to serve even more youth, an enhanced Parent Support Group to help our families, and several community educational opportunities. PCF helps provide the financial support I need to be as active as I am at both the State and National level. As we continue to provide unparalleled recovery support for adolescents, my mind is not only focused on how to improve what already exists but also to the future. Safe, supportive, recovery schools are a need and I will continue to work along side ARS to meet the goal of every geographic area being able to access a recovery high school. Geography should not be a barrier to recovery supports.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Understanding that I am responsible for the effort, not the outcome. This allows me to focus on what I can get done in any day and keep my stress to a manageable level. My hard work and attention to detail has not always provided me the results I have wanted, but I also know that I did the necessary work for something to be successful regardless if it was or not.

I am a mission driven individual. I found work that I care deeply about and that has made all the difference in the world. To put in the hard work day in and day out, I can’t imagine doing it to the degree I do if I didn’t truly love the work. Life is too short not to love what one does.

Network, network, network. Greet everybody with a smile and with kindness. Follow-up with those meetings with gratitude. You never know how the people you meet will help support you on your journey. I always like to build and maintain bridges, never burn one regardless of how the other person may have responded to me.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Being overwhelmed is common. I do everything I can to stay in the moment. What I can get done right now? Sometimes, I can’t do anything in the moment and I have had to learn how to be ok with that. I have also learned that I can’t do everything on my own. I have a certain skill set and even within that skill set, I don’t know all the answers. I have to be willing to ask for advice and for help. I also need to surround myself with people with complimentary skill sets. I am stronger in community than I am alone. I also need to give myself time and space to just be still. Frequently, if I find myself stuck and overwhelmed it is because I am trying to force something. If I take the time to quiet myself, solutions do present themselves, and I still need to take that time and space to enter back into the task with a sense of calmness. Sometimes, I have done everything I can for the day. It might be best for me to stop working, get a good night sleep and wake up early refreshed and ready to work. Lastly, I remind myself frequently that I have a track record of getting things done. There are times that I become overwhelmed by “how am I going to get everything done” and I remind myself that my track record is that I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.peaseacademy.org www.recoveryschools.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PEASEAcademyMN https://www.facebook.com/recoveryschools