Stay True to Your Purpose and All Will Be Well

Stay True to Your Purpose and All Will Be Well

John Shinholser is a long-time recovery advocate who has been widely recognized for his work in building and operating Recovery Community Organizations, or RCOs. He is co-founder of the McShin foundation, has served in numerous leadership capacities with the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia and as a board member of Rubicon, one of Virginias most comprehensive treatment facilities. He has been recognized for his work by the Virginia general assembly, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, the national nonprofit Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the Caron Foundation. He is also a United States Marine Corps member (ret.) and a person in long-term recovery.

Help for Heroes with Dr. Mark Fleming

Dr. Mark Fleming is Vice President-Clinical Operations for Lifepoint Behavioral Health [https://www.lifepointhealth.net/behavioral-health]. He is a licensed Psychologist and Healthcare Executive who has experience in a variety of settings including college counseling, in-patient stabilization, private practice, hospitals, and residential treatment units. Dr. Fleming currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel and Behavioral Health Officer in the United States Army. Of particular note is his work with the program Help for Heroes [https://www.helpforheroes.com/program]. This effort delivers trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment designed to address the mental health and substance use needs of active-duty service members, veterans, first responders, and other frontline professionals. In this podcast, Dr. Fleming discusses his work with a wide variety of clientele, the particular needs of frontline professionals, and why he gains so much satisfaction working with those seeking recovery.

We Are Saving Lives And Making A Difference

It's fair to say that the rural northwest corner of Kansas is a "treatment desert," with few options for individuals seeking help to change addictive behaviors. One bright spot is in Colby, home of High Point Advocacy & Resource Center. They offer a wide range of services, including counseling, family support services, and peer mentoring. Two of their certified Recovery Advocates are Tisha Beckman and Ryan White. They join the program and share their passion for using their lived experience to benefit others. They also describe the evolution of High Point Advocacy into an agency that uses evidence-based services, advocacy, and human connection to save lives.

Cherene Caraco on Radical Leadership

Cherene Caraco is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Global Strategist of Promise Resource Network [https://promiseresourcenetwork.org/], or PRN. PRN is a community organization based in Mecklenburg County NC that proudly declares they are Survivor Led, Recovery Focused, and Wellness Driven. Members of the PRN community use their lived experience to serve others who have either been kicked out or opted out of traditional mental health and substance use treatments. Cherene herself has been involved in mental health services for over 33 years, both professionally and personally. She recently spoke at the SMART Recovery conference about her experience as a radical leader and her thoughts about working in the recovery field. In this podcast she expands upon the themes of living and working according to one's values, speaking truth to power, and building resilience in the midst of trauma.

SMART Is What You Do With The Rest Of Your Life

Rosana Panjon is a trained SMART Recovery facilitator and works as a certified Recovery Support Specialist for health organizations in Connecticut. She brings her lived experience and insight to her work with those seeking recovery in all kinds of situations. In this podcast, Rosana shares her personal stuggles with substances, cultural considerations in recovery, how she got involved in peer recovery work, and why she considers SMART to be such a powerful future-forward force in her life.