​Youth Outreach Specialist

Mid Valley-BCN

​

     Lara Carranza grew up in Salem, Oregon. At age 14, she started using methamphetamines. Her drug abuse led her down a tough, unfortunate path to a very bleak future. Through numerous legal consequences and eventual treatment centers, Lara was able to end her 13+ year addiction. It was no easy feat, yet Lara survived and is able to tell her amazing story that inspires teenagers and young adults who are struggling through similar problems.

     Lara has lived with ADHD and Depression for the majority of her life. Once she started using methamphetamines, her life began to spiral out of control. The consequences of her drug abuse and her mental challenges were drastic. She couldn’t hold onto friendships, keep a stable relationship, or complete any assignment a school teacher would ask for. Lara could not finish high school, and she eventually got wrapped up in the state legal system.  Lara found herself overwhelmed in juvenile and adult correctional facilities, having no one to talk to or understand her situation. Her struggle with drug addiction would not have lasted as long as it did if she had had the positive help and sympathetic ear she desperately needed from the probation officers and treatment counselors she encountered. These unfortunate experiences contributed to Lara’s eventual desire to help others that were in the same situation she found herself in. After many years of living an poisonous lifestyle Lara, learned valuable lessons about how to get her future on track and how to stay healthy. Her family and her counselors at various treatment centers supported her in her battle against addiction and mental illness. After joining her seventh and final treatment facility, Lara found solace in Willamette Family, where she received individualized treatment that led to her ultimate sobriety. Lara’s mother and father always had faith that their daughter would one day overcome the limitations of her drug abuse. Lara went on to earn her GED and attend Chemeketa Community College. Lara’s mother introduced Lara to the programs that Youth M.O.V.E offered, and after being trained by professionals in peer delivered services she was hired by Youth M.O.V.E. Her calling in life was helping others defeat the demons she once struggled with herself. Her great experience with Youth M.O.V.E has allowed her to be the woman that inspires us all today.

     Lara is now an essential member of the Youth M.O.V.E community. She is a Youth Support Partner; providing emotional support and lending a compassionate ear to the young adults who are working to overcome challenges related to mental illness. She helps them recognize their dreams and their potential, and knows firsthand what it takes to accomplish those goals. Through personal interaction and representation on the Children Services Advisory Committee, Lara always puts the needs of the youth first. She is the best at what she does because she has had personal experience and has learned the value and importance of a guiding hand. Lara is now that guiding hand for many young adults who desperately need her. In her free time, Lara loves to settle down with her 4 year old son and a plate of Mexican food to a rowdy game of Oregon Ducks football. Her family is the source of her great strength. Lara enjoys traveling to exotic, tropical places and hopes to be able to visit Cabo San Lucas and Jamaica one day.