Our guest this week is Wil Derouen of Seattle, WA who is a Peer Support Counselor at Dads M.O.V.E. and father of five boys including one with ADHD.

Wil and his wife, Hazel, have been together for eight years and married for one year. He is the proud father of five boys from three women: Zion (18), Cameron (21), Treveon (23), Sheraud (24) and Kahlil (26) who has ADHD.

Wil's story is rather remarkable including some serious ups and downs. Wil is like a phoenix that has risen from the ashes. He served three years of a five year sentence from 2008 to 2011 in state prison on a felony conviction of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. He was released two years early for good behavior, which included working with other inmates to create resumes and develop job-rediness skills.

In his role as a Peer Support Counselor at Dads M.O.V.E. (Mentoring Others through Voices of Experience), Wil is uniquely qualified to work with a wide range of dads, including incarcerated dads and others who have felony convictions.

The mission of Dads M.O.V.E., established in 2011, is to strengthen the father's role in raising children with behavioral health needs through education, peer support and advocacy.

We’ll hear Wil’s story of tragedies and triumphs as well as redemption on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.

Show Links
Email – wderouen@dadsmove.org
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiljr75/
Website - https://www.dadsmove.org/

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channe... Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/do...

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/

SFN Dads Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/

Discover more about the Dads Honor Ride 2023 - https://21stcenturydads.org/2023-dads-honor-ride/

Find out about Horizon Therapeutics – Science and Compassion Working Together To Transform Lives. https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/