Consistency
Daily assignments keep growth top of mind — participants build the rhythm that makes change sustainable.
About the Author
Andrew Drasen
Author · Speaker · Founder of A Vision of Hope Media
The Mission
About A Vision of Hope Media
A Vision of Hope Media publishes books, curriculum, and stories on identity-based recovery, reentry, and systems change — founded by Andrew Drasen, an author and speaker who wrote his memoir during incarceration and now helps programs and individuals rebuild from the inside out.
From that choice came A Vision of Hope: A Story of Redemption and Purpose, its companion volume Reflections, and The Workbook — designed for use in treatment and reentry programs, as well as for individuals seeking growth and self-reflection. These works are more than books. They are tools for growth, self-awareness, and transformation.
Through A Vision of Hope Media, we create resources, share stories, and build connections that inspire recovery, foster personal responsibility, and spark systemic change. Whether you are on your own journey of healing, walking alongside someone who is, or working in a program that changes lives, A Vision of Hope is here to be a guide, a companion, and a reminder that it is never too late to begin again.
Because hope is not just something you find. It is something you build — brick by brick, action by action, thought by thought.
Lived Experience
Andrew's Story
Andrew Drasen was born in Racine, Wisconsin, and lives in Franklin, Wisconsin. He grew up in a middle-class Midwest household — intelligent and driven, but struggling with self-image and the weight of feeling he had to earn his worth. He discovered alcohol and marijuana at age twelve, which began a nearly two-decade battle with addiction that would touch every corner of his life.
Years of drug court, probation, overdoses, relapses, and incarceration followed. During his final stretch behind bars, Andrew made a decision: he would write his story honestly and finish it before release. He completed A Vision of Hope five minutes before walking out — writing during chow times, lockdowns, dayroom hours, and late nights.
After release, life moved forward. Andrew rebuilt — selling cars, starting a business, and building a life with Caroline, his fiancée. They were together for five and a half years before she tragically took her life during a mental health crisis in July 2025. That loss devastated Andrew and simultaneously strengthened his resolve to share his story and reach people before the cliff's edge — honoring Caroline by helping others in the struggle and pushing for systems that provide real help.
What Andrew Believes
With addiction, the problem is not the relationship with drugs and alcohol — it is the relationship with self, others, and the world around us. Andrew created a framework centered on identity restoration, cognitive restructuring, goal setting, action planning, and legacy framing. When we live with intention, guided by the light within us, drugs and alcohol fall away as a natural byproduct of living on purpose.
Writing with Purpose
For Andrew, writing is not just about telling stories — it is about telling the truth. The trilogy was born in the middle of incarceration and recovery, written in real time as he fought to change his life. He writes to connect through honesty, accountability, and purpose, so that every reader walks away not just moved, but challenged to act on their own vision of hope.
He uses a conversational style — as he would talk — distilling what he thought and felt in the memoir, giving the lessons learned in Reflections, and allowing for practical application in The Workbook. He believes we all have something to recover from, and we can learn from the biggest fool or the greatest sage.
"A decision without action is nothing more than a thought."
— Andrew Drasen, A Vision of Hope
Programs & Tools
The 90-Day Framework & ReturnPath
The three-book ecosystem — memoir, reflections, and workbook — forms a ninety-day framework for transformation that adapts to each person's pace and learning style. It is already being integrated into treatment centers and reentry programs nationwide.
ReturnPath extends that work: a facilitator-led, identity-based curriculum for recovery, reentry, and life transition. ReturnPath complements evidence-based approaches like CBT while centering the participant's own goals — what they want to change, what they want to change it to, and how they will get there.
ReturnPath
Three Pillars of the Program
Accountability
Accountability partners create external peer support first — so internal accountability can take root over time.
Action Planning
The work prepares participants to rebuild life on their own terms. After graduation, the plan becomes action.
In the World
Speaking, Press & Recognition
Andrew speaks with at-risk youth, treatment programs, and recovery communities. He was featured in Authority Magazine , accepted to present at the 2026 Global Conference on Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health and Psychiatry in Boston, and will host a breakout session at the 22nd Annual Mental Health & Substance Use Recovery Conference in Wisconsin Dells. The memoir earned a Readers' Favorite five-star review and IndieReader Approved recognition. Read more on the blog about recovery, reentry, and systems change.
Start Your Journey
Whether you need a cautionary tale or, as the name suggests, a vision of hope — the series is for anyone stuck in addiction, the justice system, or simply living a life they never intended.