At the turn of the millennium, during her teens and early twenties, Heather Chase was addicted to methamphetamine.

To fund her addiction, she broke into cars and homes and forged checks, leading to several arrests and a year in jail. But she got sober in 2004 after attending a court-ordered recovery program in Salt Lake City.

She moved on, ultimately graduating college in 2014 and earning a master’s degree in 2015. Today, she runs the same nonprofit recovery center she attended, called the Haven, where she has worked for 18 years and now serves as executive director.

“It’s like a CEO for a nonprofit, but not as cool sounding,” she says.

Staying ahead of the paper trail

Chase’s last criminal offense was in 2002, she says. But her record followed her for two decades, complicating every

See Full Page