Senator Darryl Rouson: Recovery, Redemption, and Public Service

In this deeply moving and inspiring episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal welcome Florida State Senator Darryl Rouson, a Hanley Center alumnus, longtime recovery advocate, and dedicated public servant, whose journey powerfully illustrates that recovery is not only possible but life-changing.

Senator Rouson shares his remarkable path from addiction and repeated treatment attempts to long-term recovery, public leadership, and legislative impact. With honesty, humility, and profound insight, he reflects on the “gift of desperation” that brought him to Hanley Center in March of 1998, and how that moment became the foundation for a life devoted to service.

Growing up in a supportive family, attending Catholic schools, and becoming the first African American prosecutor in Pinellas County, Senator Rouson’s early success masked a deepening struggle with alcohol and cocaine addiction during the height of the 1980s. After nine years and eight treatment programs, it was at Hanley where recovery finally took root, through dignity, accountability, spirituality, and connection.

From sleeping on the floor of an office building early in recovery to leading the NAACP, serving eight years in the Florida House of Representatives, and now the Florida Senate, Senator Rouson speaks candidly about owning his story, living with integrity, and refusing to let his past define his future.

Today, his lived experience informs his legislative work, particularly around mental health and substance use disorders. He discusses two of the bills he is most proud of:

• Senate Bill 282, which formally recognizes and supports peer recovery specialists, and
• Senate Bill 1620 is landmark legislation improving access, accountability, and quality of care for mental health and substance use treatment in Florida.

Throughout the conversation, Senator Rouson emphasizes the irreplaceable value of peer recovery, the importance of recovery support after treatment, and the need to treat addiction as healthcare, not a moral failing or a crime.

He also shares the deeply personal practice of carrying the journals he began writing during his first days at Hanley, a reminder of where he started and why he continues to give back. Looking ahead, Senator Rouson reflects on his upcoming book, A Journey Through Addiction to Public Service, and the honor of having the Darryl E. Rouson Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Research named after him at the University of South Florida.

This episode is a powerful message of hope for individuals in recovery, families, clinicians, policymakers, and anyone who believes in redemption, second chances, and the transformative power of compassion.

As Senator Rouson reminds us: “We do recover.”

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