Seattle's Recovery High School Honors Alumnus Jaden Joannes, Launch of “Jaden’s Community Support Fund”
Seattle, WA – The Interagency Recovery Academy on Queen Anne, Seattle’s only recovery high school, hosted a commemorative event to celebrate the life and legacy of alumnus Jaden Joannes, who tragically passed away three years ago from an overdose in 2021. The event served as a celebration of Jaden's life and a fundraiser for the newly established "Jaden's Community Support Fund," aimed at helping young people struggling with addiction.
Seth Welch, Recovery Program Manager at the Interagency Recovery Academy, described Jaden as a "huge personality both in this school and in the local recovery community," and a "young brother and friend of mine." The school, one of 43 recovery high schools in the country, has been operating for about 10 years, providing a unique environment for students pursuing sobriety and recovery from addiction while dealing with mental health challenges. Welch emphasized the school's role in helping students not only survive addiction but thrive in recovery, enabling them to pursue their dreams and build a sober community.
Jaden's mother, Katie Joannes, shared the deeply personal motivation behind the fund. "My son attended this school, the recovery high school, and unfortunately, he passed away from an overdose in 2021," she explained. The fund, which has already raised around $50,000, aims to support programs Jaden would have been proud of, such as vocational training, housing after treatment, and other recovery support initiatives for young people. Joannes highlighted Jaden's loving, magnetic, and fiercely empathetic personality, noting his advocacy for social justice and his deep care for others, even while struggling internally with anxiety and substance use disorder. A portion of the funds were secured through a settlement from a treatment center where Jaden was a patient, after Joannes fought for policy changes to ensure safer discharge procedures.
Bel Barquet, a friend of Jaden and fellow alumnus of the school, remembered him as a "jokester, very upbeat, very sneaky," with a "childlike laugh." Barquet emphasized the critical role the Interagency Recovery Academy played in her own life, stating, "This school did help me a lot and I think that my life would have turned out very differently if it wasn't for the school." She also highlighted the importance of having teachers and staff, like Seth Welch, who are themselves in recovery, fostering a more relatable and effective environment for students.
Chelsey Richardson, whose daughter is Jaden's sibling, shared intimate details of Jaden's childhood, recalling him as a "very smart kid, fun, talented," who grew up attending schools in the central district and loved skateboarding. She underscored the surreal feeling of the event, acknowledging the ongoing difficulty of his loss, but also the excitement of creating a lasting legacy in his name. Richardson performed a poem in his honor during the event, reflecting on the profound impact Jaden had on her and her daughter.
Raven Richardson, Jaden's younger sister, spoke of her brother as "amazing, hilarious, resilient." She shared the enduring impact of his passing on her life, stating, "I have no choice but to succeed because I have to make him proud." She expressed missing his laugh, his hugs, and their unique bond as a safe space for each other. Raven's goal for her speech was to convey her vision of Jaden and what she felt he would want people to know, while also finding a therapeutic outlet for her grief.
The "Jaden's Community Support Fund" is housed at the Seattle Foundation and will be an ongoing project. Katie Joannes plans to involve a youth advisory committee, comprised of Jaden's sister and other close friends, to decide quarterly where to donate the funds, ensuring that the decisions are made by individuals with lived experience who were close to Jaden.
Seth Welch expressed his hope for the future, advocating for the establishment of more recovery high schools in Seattle and King County, and even in Tacoma. "Every recovery high school that you establish and sustain is going to save easily a thousand lives," Welch stated, calling it a "modest estimate." He believes Jaden would have loved to see another recovery high school erected in his name, further extending his impact.
The event not only honored Jaden's memory but also underscored the vital role of community and specialized support in fostering recovery and sobriety among young people. It served as a powerful reminder of the resilience of individuals and the profound impact of collective action in addressing addiction and promoting healing.
