About Us

Spreading compassion, hope and joy - one life at a time. Rachel is empowering individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) to work towards finding a better quality of life. Over the past nine years, Rachel has worked as an Executive Director of an inpatient SUD facility and Treatment Center Director of an outpatient facility. This has led many individuals to begin the process of rebuilding their lives as successful contributors to society and reconnection with their families. During this time, she obtained her Bachelor's in Psychology and completed her Master’s in Social Work. 

She has received various certifications and licenses including her Licensed Clinical Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LCADC) for Kentucky, Targeted Case Management Certification (TCM) in Kentucky, Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC), and Licensed Social Worker (LSW) for Indiana. One of her greatest achievements is the countless hours spent supporting the community through volunteering to support those suffering from the effects of addiction by working on non-profit committees and mentoring women. She has facilitated the opening of four treatment centers through her compassionate approach and combined experiences, both inpatient and outpatient. She is on a mission to help people with a vision and the drive to make a difference in their communities. She offers comprehensive services that provide them with the resources they need to make their dreams come true. She has already helped countless people reach new heights and continues to support them in all areas, making sure they have everything they need to succeed.  

For over 10 years, Michelle Collins has been a valued contributor in the field of Alcohol and Substance Abuse treatment. You may know her from her work as the director of the largest women’s residential treatment center in Kentucky or her work in Behavioral Health in the private sector. Michelle currently holds a degree in Human Services and CADAC II in Indiana and an Adult Mental Health Peer Support in Kentucky. She is currently pursuing a certificate as an Addiction Peer Recovery Coach. For the past four years, Michelle has been involved in the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort and Building Communities of Recovery data collection for national studies. 

Originally from Indiana, Michelle relocated to Kentucky in 2012 and has been highly active in Louisville’s recovery community. She exhibits empathy and compassion to those suffering from Alcohol and Drug addiction. Michelle is open about her own experiences and recovery, allowing her story to give hope to those still struggling with theirs. 

Amy Spain Duncan is a bachelor's degree Registered Nurse and founding partner of Where We Began, LLC. Amy’s life has been impacted, directly and indirectly, by substance use/alcohol use, and mental health issues and she finds extraordinary joy in recovery fields of service. With a group of trusted like-minded women, they began a company to help others develop and expand programs that serve those with mental health and alcohol use/substance use disorders. There is a right way to operate within the regulations and requirements of State and Federal best practice guidelines and Amy is skilled and knowledgeable to assist organizations to operate under these guidelines.  

Amy brings a comprehensive understanding of State and Federal regulations that govern and guide treatment programs. Her role is to direct and assist clients in compliance and regulatory concerns while developing policy and procedure to facilitate these efforts. Amy has successfully licensed and developed programs and assisted in Joint Commission and CARF certification for facilities throughout the United States. She brings energy and compassion to every program and tailors' policy to achieve individual goals and meet set standards of care for all companies we serve. 

Where We Began LLC also operates as Corydon IOP (Intensive Outpatient Programming) and Counseling in an underserved rural area in Southern Indiana. Amy serves as a Director of Operations for this site in her hometown. It is a shared vision with her partners to bring wellness and healing to this region heavily impacted by mental health and substance use disorders. In pursuit of this vision, Amy achieved her Certified Alcohol Drug Addiction Consultant Level II in Indiana and Targeted Case Management Certificate in Kentucky. Along with her experience in recovery and her nursing degree, these additional certificates equip her to be a maximum service within the organization and to the population served.