Breaking the cycle: Tim Shoulderblade's story of recovery and giving back

At 9 years old, Tim Shoulderblade took his first sip of beer. At 13, he started to use meth after losing both his father and older brother in the span of months.

“I lost my father figures – my role models. I started following the wrong people,” Shoulderblade said. “After that, I just spiraled.”

Shoulderblade became addicted to alcohol and drugs, which led him to dropping out of school, participating in escalating criminal activity and homelessness. For 20 years, he lived a turbulent life.

On Aug. 17, 2022, he woke up in the Douglas County Jail, charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, one felony count of robbery and a misdemeanor count of battery. That’s when he made a life-altering choice to accept treatment.

“I took an inventory of my life, and in that moment, I realized that believing I had control and knew everything wasn’t working at all,” he recalled. “I prayed to my higher power and opened myself up to take it all in. It was time.”

Fast forward two and half years, Shoulderblade, now 33, has an associate’s degree in social work from Haskell Indian Nations University. He has a full-time job, an apartment and a family. He is giving back to the community by serving on the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and providing a recovery-based program in the jail, among other ways.

“His story is a light of hope for those who struggle with substances,” said Shannon Bruegge, Douglas County Drug Court program officer. “Tim is proof that sometimes all you need is to accept the opportunity afforded to you, engage fully in the process, surrender and work the steps. I believe Tim Shoulderblade is a young man destined for greatness.”

Shoulderblade shares his story to give others hope that change is possible.

Turbulent life

Shoulderblade grew up on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Lame Deer, Mont., where he began drinking and using drugs at a young age. By 13, Shoulderblade said he was charged with assault and battery for beating up a man. Another time, he got caught with marijuana in his shoes and his pockets. He spent time in a juvenile detention center. 

A judge warned him that his charges were getting more serious and he needed to make a change. Shoulderblade said he agreed to attend a boarding-type school in Montana, but instead he “high-tailed it” to Tulsa, Okla., to live with an aunt.

“When I got down there, it got a lot worse,” he said.

Shoulderblade said he sold drugs and drank at school. By 15, he dropped out of school and worked at a pizza place. He went from living with his aunt to his mother and then his girlfriend who was also using drugs.

One night, at 17, Shoulderblade said he drank a bottle of alcohol in his car and then “made one of the worst decisions of his life.” He started driving and blacked out. Law enforcement, about eight vehicles and one helicopter, were able to stop him on Interstate 44, outside of Tulsa, Okla. Shoulderblade was fortunate; he walked away with a dislocated shoulder, scrapes and bruises. No one else was injured. He spent time, once again, in a juvenile detention center. He was required to go to a victim impact panel, a funeral home, an emergency room and an AA meeting. 

“I did all of those things, and I just fell back into alcohol and drugs,” he said. “I was still high and going places that I wasn’t supposed to be.”

At age 21, the relationship with his girlfriend ended, and he became homeless. He said he bounced from place to place, crashing on couches and sleeping where he could, including under bridges, in stolen tents or beside convenience stores and laundromats. 
He eventually hitched rides with acquaintances to Kansas City and Lawrence, where he fell into the same routine of drinking, drugs and homelessness. In Lawrence, he slept in a tent in various places, including near the Kansas River.

Turning point

Shoulderblade said on the night of Aug. 17, 2022, that he was so drunk and high that he doesn’t remember the incident that landed him in jail. He allegedly showed two teenagers a large hunting knife, punched a teenager in the face, and took a skateboard.

“When I learned what happened, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. 

Shoulderblade was ready for treatment.

Two pivotal moments pushed him toward change. While in jail, he watched a motivational video of a rabbi whose words resonated deeply — emphasizing the importance of taking stock of one’s life, assessing what was working and what wasn’t. Then, he saw the stark reality of El Dorado Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison, and knew that if he didn’t seek treatment, that’s where he was headed.

Shoulderblade was accepted into the Douglas County Drug Court program, a four-phase treatment program for adults charged with felonies. If participants complete the program, their charges are dismissed.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Reentry team helped him find housing by connecting him with Artists Helping the Homeless (AHH), a nonprofit agency that provides a group home for men in recovery and supportive services, like transportation. While in the Drug Court program, Shoulderblade worked at Checkers Foods, and he earned his GED diploma.

His lawyer — now District Attorney Dakota Loomis — checked with authorities in Tulsa, Okla., to see what charges he was facing there. Shoulderblade had a warrant for his arrest and about $1,700 in fines. Loomis helped arrange a court date, and Shoulderblade traveled to Tulsa where a judge heard about his recent successes in the Drug Court program. The charges were suspended, and Shoulderblade paid the fines. His driving privileges were reinstated. 

That was a huge milestone because he wasn’t allowed to drive from 2009 until 2023. As soon as Shoulderblade got the email, he was thrilled and shared it with the Drug Court program team and AHH staff. AHH Senior Outreach Specialist Nolan Litke took him to get his driver’s license, and he passed both the written and driving tests.

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“It was a great feeling walking out of there with that piece of paper for the first time in my life,” he said.

On April 5, 2024, Shoulderblade graduated from the Drug Court program, and his charges were dismissed. 

Shoulderblade now works for AHH, where he helps log client information such as urine drug tests, accomplishments and disciplinary actions as well as drives clients to appointments, work and meetings, among other responsibilities. AHH has two group homes in Lawrence as well as several in the Kansas City area.

“Being a driver is awesome,” Shoulderblade said. “I get a lot of one-on-one time with these guys, and I get to pick their brains and see where they are at and what goals they are working toward. It’s really fulfilling. I love what I do.”

On May 9, about 25 people from the Drug Court team and AHH attended the graduation ceremony at Haskell to watch Shoulderblade receive his degree, including District Court Judge Mark Simpson, who oversees Drug Court. 

“He was so encouraging. He never sugar-coated anything. He gave it to me straight,” Shoulderblade said about Judge Simpson. “His support and his encouragement meant the world to me and seeing him there. I had the biggest lump in my throat the whole time. I wanted to cry.”

Shoulderblade has developed a relationship with the pastor at Velocity Church in Lawrence, where he and others from AHH clean the church on Saturdays. On Wednesday evenings, Shoulderblade provides Wellbriety, a recovery-based program geared towards the Native American population. On the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, he serves as a representative for the community and is an active member of the Drug Court Alumni Group.

In spring 2026, Shoulderblade plans to attend the University of Kansas where he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work.

AHH Founder and Executive Director Kar Woo said Shoulderblade serves as a role model and proof one can make a change. 

“One could be satisfied with any one of his accomplishments. Tim continues to build upon them. All of us at AHH are proud of how Tim hit life's reset button and never looked back,” he said.

AHH Community Manager Dustin Moore has worked with Shoulderblade since he first stepped into AHH as a client.

“It’s inspiring to witness someone fight to break free from the lifestyle Tim once lived,” Moore said. “It’s one thing to take steps to change your own life - but Tim has gone even further. He’s now taking steps to help change the lives of many others.”
 

Note: Douglas County provides funding for the Drug Court program, Artists Helping the Homeless and Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The Board of County Commissioners approves the funding.