Technology professional dedicated to supporting the St. Joseph’s mission
Blake Pecore works as a Network Cloud Infrastructure Administrator, and said he takes pride in supporting the mission of St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment & Recovery Centers.
MALONE – Welcome to Recovery Works, a series of Q&As shining a light on outstanding members of St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers’ 200-strong workforce that stretches from the heart of the Adirondack Mountains to the St. Lawrence River.
Blake Pecore, Network Cloud Infrastructure Administrator, is part of a team responsible for ensuring secure, seamless technology operations support the delivery of lifesaving care at both St. Joseph’s and Citizen Advocates.
A Carthage native who grew up in Malone, Blake’s love for all things tech began early in life, leading him to study cybersecurity at SUNY Canton before joining Citizen Advocates in August of 2021. He played an instrumental role when the Citizen Advocates and St. Joseph’s Information Technology teams were combined in July as part of a broader collaboration in place between the two organizations since early 2023.
The following is his story, in his own words.
How has working with the team at St. Joseph’s changed your outlook on mental health and addiction issues?
I’ve always been a firm supporter of mental health, but I didn’t know the extent of addiction services in the North Country. You hear through school that there is a problem with substance use in the North Country, but I think it is something that even 10 years ago people didn’t want to talk about. I think St. Joseph’s and other non-profits have done a lot in bringing the stigma down. You see more people willing to talk about it and recommending that people get help. I don’t know if it’s changed my view or more opened me up to realizing how much help there is in the area.
How does your role contribute to the overall mission of St. Joseph’s?
I feel like I get to do a lot of cool stuff that supports the employees and helps them do their job so much more efficiently. It helps them provide an overall better level of care and service.
What is your favorite thing about your work?
My favorite part of the job is having a leadership team and a management team that supports us. That’s something I really love. At jobs I’ve worked in the past, it wasn’t like that.
Is there an impactful story from your time at St. Joe’s that you’d like to share?
The first major project we did with St. Joseph’s was with North Country Freedom Homes (a residential addiction treatment facility located in Canton that is affiliated with St. Joseph’s). We went out there and it was a strict deadline … to redo all of their networking and migrate all their accounts and files. We got it all done and got the new network up and running, which allowed us to see firsthand how much easier their jobs became (at North Country Freedom Homes).
How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
Our director Hannah (Fisher) is a very firm advocate for us. She gives us a lot of one-on-one time. IT issues don’t happen during the nine to five, and she allows us a very flexible schedule. I think having someone there caring about me and checking on me has helped a lot.
What do you do for fun outside of work?
I have really learned to start taking advantage of the Adirondacks with hiking, kayaking, and camping. You’ll never beat spending time with friends and family, that’s one of my favorites.
I’m a big believer in memories over material things, I prefer experiences like traveling and making memories.
To learn more about the St. Joseph’s, visit www.stjoestreatment.org.
ABOUT ST. JOSEPH’S ADDICTION TREATMENT & RECOVERY CENTERS
St. Joseph’s provides a full continuum of care with locations in five New York State counties. Our services include Inpatient residential care, Veterans and First Responders residential care, our Family Program, Outpatient treatment, Open Access Center services, Adolescent residential treatment, Aftercare support to best promote sustained recovery, and Supportive Housing.
St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment & Recovery Centers is licensed by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), and is a Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)-accredited program, and is a Sanctuary-certified, trauma-informed community.