Welcome to the Trait-Based Model of Recovery


This program is part of a partnership between your organization and the Center for Trait-Based Transformation. You’ve been enrolled to support your recovery journey through a strengths-based, person-centered model focused on identity, balance, and long-term well-being.


START FROM STRENGTH.


How to Begin


Start with Trait-Based 101: Start Here, followed by the Welcome to the Trait-Based Model of Recovery video. These first steps will orient you to the framework and help you understand how to move through the program at your own pace.


There is no rush. The model is designed to meet you where you are.


Understanding Traits and Their Shadows


Each trait in this model has both a healthy expression and a shadow expression. Traits themselves are not the problem. When life becomes overwhelming or unbalanced, strengths can become distorted and show up in ways that are reactive or harmful.


The goal of Trait-Based Recovery is not to eliminate traits, but to bring them back into balance. By developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence, participants learn to recognize when a trait has moved into its shadow and how to intentionally restore it to a healthier expression.


This approach allows recovery to be guided by insight rather than shame, and growth to be supported with clarity, dignity, and self-respect.


Meet the Creator


Dr. Jason Roop spent 17 years in active addiction and experienced homelessness before entering recovery in 2013. That lived experience became the foundation for a rigorous academic and applied journey, culminating in a Ph.D. in Business Management and Leadership in 2022.


Dr. Roop is the founder of the Trait-Based framework, a strengths-based, person-centered model expressed through recovery, prevention, and leadership. His research, published in Scientific Reports, demonstrates that Trait-Based approaches enhance engagement and significantly reduce anxiety and depression by reframing struggle as misdirected strengths rather than deficits.


An author and national speaker, Dr. Roop’s work focuses on identity restoration, trait development, and ethical leadership. He serves on the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission and continues to advance human-centered models through ongoing research, system-level implementation, and advocacy for accessible pathways to long-term recovery and growth.




Trait-Based Model of Recovery


Program Guide


Below is an overview of the program structure. You do not need to complete everything at once. This guide is here to help you see where you are and what comes next.

  Module 1 - Who am I? (Trait Identification)
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  Participant Guidebook - 2nd Edition
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  Module 2 - The Shadowlands (Trait Management)
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  Module 3 - Self-Leadership (Life Skills)
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  Module 4 - Finding Balance (Health and Wellness)
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  Module 5 - Connecting to Community
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  Module 6 - Transformational Leadership
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  Module 7 - Putting it All Together (Professional Skills)
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  Module 8 - Entrepreneurship and the Journey Ahead
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  Entrepreneurial Opportunity Pathways - 'Oaks of Opportunity'
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Learn more about the Center for Trait-Based Transformation

https://startfromstrength.org