Recovery Radio

In this episode, Zach is joined by Jami Leslie, who works within an Employee Assistance Program to help staff members with drug and alcohol addictions, as well as mental health. The two discuss her day in the life working with the program and how the pandemic has affected her role.

In this episode Zach is joined by Chief Thomas Synan Jr., a United States Marine Corps veteran, 10-year SWAT veteran, and 26-year police veteran. He is currently the Police Chief of Newton Police Department in Ohio. The two discuss Chief Synan's family history of addiction which led him to create the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition.

In this episode Zach is joined by Joan Newcomb, the Manager of Employee Assistance for Norfolk Southern Railway Company. She is the head of Norfolk Southern Railroad's Employee Assistance Program to support employees with everything mental health, substance, abuse, and overall wellness. The two discuss the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation program through Norfolk Southern and how it helps employees in recovery.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Dr. Chris Kerrigan, a double board certified physician in internal medicine and addiction medicine. He is the Director of Addiction Medicine at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California. The two discuss the changes in how addiction is being taught in hospitals and effects of the pandemic on addiction hospital visits.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Debi Nadler, the Managing Director of the Drug Epidemic Awareness Walk Across America. The two discuss why she started the Drug Epidemic Walk Across America and how they have pivoted during the pandemic.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Dr. Angela Huskey, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Millennium Health. Her work has been featured in JAMA and the US Department of Health and Human Services utilizes her work on the Emerging Threat Intelligence Program to prevent drug overdoses. The two discuss her work with Emerging Threat Intelligence Program and substance abuse trends throughout the pandemic.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Monty Ghosh, an Internist and Addiction Specialist at the University of Alberta Hospital. The two discuss harm reduction in Canada, as well as problems with tainted drug supplies.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Renata Castro, an award-winning immigration attorney representing individuals and corporations nationwide in their pursuit of immigration benefits. The two discuss how she has seen immigration and addiction play out together in the court system.

In this episode Zach is joined by Stephanie Medley, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the State of Kentucky. In her current role she serves as Employee Assistance Counselor for GE Appliances. Stephanie is also the creator of Killinitlife.com, a blog she authors to support the importance of self-care, self-expression and self-acceptance. In this episode the two discuss stigma in the workplace and how coworkers, supervisors, or HR professionals can help employees who may need addiction recovery or mental health assistance.

In this episode Zach is joined by Carey Wong, who currently serves as Chief Counsel at Child Advocates. She is the co-founder of the Child Advocacy Clinic at IU McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis and currently serves as adjunct professor in the clinic. The two discuss her work with children of addicts, and what is the best timeline for recovering from the trauma of a parent using drugs or alcohol.

In this episode Zach is joined by Dr. Kenneth Yeager, the director of Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) program at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. The two discuss the STAR program and what types of success Dr. Yeager has seen in the program. Dr. Yeager also discusses the differences between hospitals and addiction treatment centers.

In this episode Zach is joined by Drew Hanthorn, a local Indianapolis business owner who runs the Steel House Indy and is in recovery himself. The two discuss how Drew balances recovery and owning a business, and his advice to those managing employees struggling with addiction.

In this episode Zach is first joined by Justin Eisele, a lawyer at Seddiq Law in Rockville, Maryland. He has been practicing for 15 years and is passionate about criminal justice reform, and more specifically meaningful reform for those who suffer from addiction and or mental health challenges. The two discuss how addiction and mental health are faced in the criminal justice system, and what we could change to do better in the handling of these cases. Following Justin, Zach is joined by John Tompkins, a criminal defense attorney whose tried over 100 jury trials, written more than 20 appellate briefs, and argued numerous cases in the Indiana Court of Appeals, the Indiana Supreme Court, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. The two discuss custody in cases of addiction and challenges to re-entering society in recovery.

In this episode Zach is joined by Cathy Cooke and Mary Jo Jennison-Stelzer. Cathy is a CDCA and Certified Interventionalist Professional who works for Sober Escorts. Mary Jo is a CDCA and is finishing her last few classes to become a Certified Intervention Specialist who works for The Ridge Ohio Treatment Center. The three discuss misconceptions of interventions and how to know when it is time to stage an intervention for a loved one. Following Cathy and Mary Jo, Zach is joined by Dr. Charles Miramonti, an emergency medicine physician and senior medical director of community health. Zach and Dr. Miramonti discuss how hospital doctors and nurses handle addiction, and what to expect when coming into an emergency room struggling with addiction.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Dr. Mario San Bartolome, a clinically active addiction medicine specialist, triple board certified in family medicine, addiction medicine, and preventative medicine. As the medical director of substance use disorders for Molina Healthcare, Dr. Mario guides medication policy, education, utilization management, and fraud/waste/abuse initiatives involving substance use across the enterprise. The two discuss the meaning of the term language of addiction and how Dr. Mario helps his patients through relapse.

In this episode Zach is first joined by Dr. Daniel Amen, one of America's leading psychiatrists and brain health experts. He changes people's brains and lives through his health clinics, best-selling books, and television programs. Zach and Dr. Amen discuss his experience in the neuroscience and recovery fields, and how brain imaging changed the way he helps his patients. Following Dr. Amen, Zach is joined by Brandon Drieman, a Captain and 19-year veteran of the Indianapolis Fire Department where he serves as the Coordinator of Firefighter Wellness & Support. He is a Certified Recovery Specialist with a Substance Abuse endorsement and travels the U.S. and Canada lecturing on behavioral health and assisting fire departments with peer support programs. The two discuss how the stigma of addiction impacts the first responder community, and the need for public safety to prioritize recovery programs over discipline.

In this episode Zach is first joined by Michael Lohan, father to Lindsay Lohan, who has dedicated his life to raising awareness about the opioid epidemic. He is 12 years sober and started a recovery center in Florida after spending 2 years researching evidence-based therapies for addiction that have long-term success. The two discuss Michael's research on addiction recovery and his idea of the missing component to treatment. Following Michael Lohan, Zach speaks with Dr. Rajnish Jaiswal, the Associate Chief of Emergency Medicine at Metropolitan Hospital Centre and Associate Professor at New York Medical College. Zach and Dr. Jaiswal discuss trends in addiction that he has witnessed working as an emergency room physician in the Bronx and East Harlem, New York.

In this episode Zach is joined by Dr. Anton Bizzell, who has over 20 years of combined clinical, research, health services, policy, and management experiences. He has served as a medical officer for the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism within the NIH. Zach and Dr. Bizzell discuss his experience working with state and local chambers on the opioid epidemic, and what advice he has for those struggling with drugs and alcohol. Following Dr. Bizzell, Zach speaks with Bruce Perkins, a certified substance abuse therapist, addiction counselor, intervention professional, marriage and family therapist, social worker, and an alcoholism and drug counselor. The two discuss how a family can go about planning an intervention and how the pandemic has affected the ability to do interventions.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Mike Eiden a social worker, drug/alcohol counselor, and certified sex addiction therapist. He currently works full-time in his private practice focusing on cases involving complex trauma, chemical addiction, sex addiction & sexual health, and traumatic bonding. The two discuss the difference between addiction lapse and relapse, as well as if it is possible to prevent them. Mike also shares the difficulties of getting sober again following a relapse.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Spencer Metcalf, the Lead Peer Recovery Coach of IU Health's Virtual Behavioral Health Hub. He has been a Certified Addiction Peer Recovery Coach for 2.5 years and is in school pursuing a nursing degree with hopes of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. The two discuss his own recovery and how stigma affected him directly. Spencer also shares the effects of stigma that he has witnessed in those fighting to get sober.