Beyond Substance

Sean Taflinger had completed treatment, but returning to the same environment gave him little room to change. At Progress House, he saw other people rebuilding their lives, though his own path took another turn before he was ready to accept their support.

In this episode of Beyond Substance, Dean Babcock talks with Darrell Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Recovery and Community Impact at Aspire Indiana Health, about how recovery residences work, the different levels of support they offer, and gaps in access across Indiana. Jodi Miller shares Sean’s experience of returning to Progress House and finding the structure, accountability, and relationships that helped him move forward. Allie Martin examines the availability of recovery housing across the state in “A Look at the Numbers.”

• National Alliance for Recovery Residences: Learn about recovery residence standards and levels of support.
• Indiana recovery residence locator: Search for DMHA-designated residences in Indiana.

About Darrell Mitchell:
Over the last several years, Darrell has led change in the recovery residence and recovery
supports field at the state and national levels. He is the Founder of the Indiana Affiliation of
Recovery Residences (INARR) and serves as Vice-President of the National Alliance for
Recovery Residences (NARR). In 2017, Darrell helped draft and pass legislation establishing
Recovery Housing standards in Indiana law. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Addictions
Counseling and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

In 2019, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture asked Darrell to author a paper for "The Rural Community Action
Guide." The RCAG has been distributed nationally to equip rural leaders with critical information
from lessons learned on the frontlines of prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural America. In
January 2020, Darrell was invited to the White House to attend the launch of ONDCP's Rural
Community Action Guide and meet senior leaders.

Darrell currently serves as Senior Vice President of Recovery & Community Impact at Aspire
Indiana Health, overseeing the integration of recovery principles and practices across Aspire's
healthcare system. He amplifies the voice of lived experience of the populations served by
Aspire and within local, state, and national communities.

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

What role can primary care play in helping people with substance use disorders find treatment and recovery?

In this episode of Beyond Substance, Dean Babcock speaks with Dr. Maria Robles about integrating substance use disorder treatment into primary care, including medication, behavioral health support, peer recovery services, and coordinated care. Dr. Robles is a dual board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine and addiction medicine. She provides primary care and substance use disorder treatment in the outpatient setting. She also developed and currently runs an inpatient addiction medicine consult service. Dr. Robles has a passion for teaching and works with the Indiana University School of Medicine Internal Medicine program and with the Medical School. She provides lectures and develops curriculum. Dr. Robles strives to have a patient-centered approach which allows her to connect with patients who are at all stages of recovery. 

Then, Jodi Miller shares the story of Sam Ferling, a nurse who hid an opioid addiction while continuing to work and raise her children. Now in recovery, Sam brings her lived experience into her work with patients, using it to strengthen empathy, trust, and advocacy.

Together, the conversations explore what can happen when health care professionals listen closely, respond without judgment, and make treatment available when someone is ready for help.

A Look at the Numbers:
Primary care is often the first point of contact for most health concerns. However, it is not consistently used to screen, diagnose, or monitor SUD—even though SUD is a chronic, long‐lasting condition similar to asthma or high blood pressure. Similar to other chronic conditions, SUD can require ongoing management. Understanding the scale of this issue and recognizing the need for ongoing monitoring helps explain why integrating SUD treatment into primary care could make a meaningful difference.

SUD affects millions of Americans. According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 48 million Americans aged 12 and older had a substance use disorder. This includes nearly 28 million people with alcohol use disorder and 28 million with a drug use disorder. These conditions often occur together, as about one in six people experienced both alcohol and drug use disorders at the same time.

The survey also found that access to treatment for SUD remains limited. It estimated that of those who needed treatment in 2024, only 23 percent received it. Among adolescents, the gap was even greater: 93 percent of teens aged 12 to 17 with an SUD did not receive treatment.

Despite the need for care, many people with SUD faced significant barriers to treatment. In 2024, 45 percent of people with SUD reported they didn’t seek care because they thought it would be too expensive, and almost 40 percent reported they didn’t know where to go or how to get treatment.

Primary care can play a key role in reducing barriers to SUD treatment. This is particularly true in rural areas, where long travel distances make it harder for people to reach specialty care. As of 2025, only 14 percent of behavioral health treatment facilities
in the U.S. were in rural communities, with less than half of them specializing in
substance use treatment.
 
Primary care is especially critical during transitions, such as when someone leaves residential treatment and returns home. During this time, individuals often lose contact with counselors or case managers, increasing the risk that early symptoms go unnoticed. When primary care is integrated into the system, it provides consistent follow-up where recurrence can be identified early and reconnection to services is more accessible.

Integrating substance use disorder screening, diagnosis, and medication treatment into routine primary care visits can strengthen early diagnosis, ensure continuous patient support, and expand access to treatment by providing these services directly within the primary care system people are already relying on.


Episode Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance, #RecoveryIsPossible, #SubstanceUseDisorder, #AddictionRecovery, #PrimaryCare, #AddictionMedicine, #OpioidUseDisorder, #LivedExperience, #Healthcare, #Nursing, #RecoverySupport, #Buprenorphine, #MOUD, #MentalHealth, #ShawnPNeal, #AdvoCast

Music from #Uppbeat :https://uppbeat.io/t/stan-town/balearic-tides
License code: O1VHJPNBQGOAN7KT

Music from #Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/dope-cat/carefree-sunbeams
License code: 0FRCZWGGBB5H5HFH

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

Overview
In this episode of Beyond Substance, hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller explore how problem-solving courts can support recovery while maintaining accountability. Dean speaks with Zachary Miller, a deputy prosecutor with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, about Veteran's Court, treatment courts, diversion programs, reentry, and the community partnerships that help people move toward stability. Jodi then shares the personal story of Aaron Shaw, an Indiana veteran whose life changed after entering Veteran's Treatment Court. Together, these conversations show how recovery can grow when legal accountability is paired with treatment, peer support, trust, and people who keep showing up.

A Look at the Numbers
The episode’s data segment featuring Allie Martin adds important context. The segment highlights Indiana treatment court research showing reductions in drug-related emergency department visits, EMS involvement, rearrest, and mortality among treatment court participants.


Professional Interview Summary
Dean Babcock talks with Zachary Miller, a Deputy Prosecutor for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office’s Quality of Life Program. He also serves in Marion County’s Problem-Solving Courts as the Deputy Prosecutor for the Women’s Drug Treatment Court Program and the Re-Entry Court Program. He has been a member of the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office’s Strategic Initiatives Division since November 2021. He is also a current member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Indianapolis Affiliate of NAMI Indiana. He explains how problem-solving courts differ from traditional court processes by bringing prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, treatment providers, case managers, peer support specialists, and community partners together around a shared goal: helping people move toward stability.

Personal Story Summary
Jodi Miller shares the story of Aaron Shaw, a veteran born and raised in Indiana. Aaron became a father in 2004, joined the military in 2005, served in Iraq from 2006 to 2007, and returned home after a 15-month deployment involving 156 combat missions. After coming home, he struggled with the loss of military connection, unemployment, drinking, prescription opioid use, heroin use, and legal consequences.

Takeaways

• Problem-solving courts combine accountability, treatment, supervision, and support to help address the underlying issues that may contribute to criminal justice involvement.
• Veterans may face specific barriers, including trauma, mental health needs, physical injuries, documentation challenges, housing instability, and difficulty trusting help.
• Recovery is about more than stopping substance use. It often involves rebuilding family relationships, employment, transportation, treatment, mental health care, community, and purpose.
• Peer support and lived experience can help people feel seen, understood, and less alone during a difficult process.
• Aaron’s story shows that when people are treated as human beings and given a real path forward, recovery can lead back to family, community, and service.

Episode Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance, #ShawnPNeal, #AdvoCast, #RecoveryIsPossible, #ProblemSolvingCourts, #VeteransCourt, #VeteransRecovery, #TreatmentCourt, #RecoverySupport, #PeerSupport, #SubstanceUseRecovery, #MentalHealthRecovery, #JusticeAndRecovery, #CommunitySupport, #RecoveryCommunity, #LivedExperience, #SecondChances, #IndianaRecovery, #AccountabilityAndSupport, #HopeInRecovery

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

In this episode of Beyond Substance, hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller explore how storytelling can help communities face substance use, recovery, and the impact addiction has on families, neighborhoods, and systems. Dean speaks with Lisa Dotson-Hall, creator of The Addict’s Wake, about how a documentary project that began in Brown County, Indiana became a tool for education, compassion, and community conversation. Jodi then shares the personal story of John Cunningham, whose recovery, public voice, and work through Recover Out Loud show how one person’s story can help others feel less alone. Together, these conversations show how recovery can move beyond the individual and become a source of connection for an entire community.

Professional Interview Summary
Dean’s conversation with Lisa Dotson-Hall centers on the creation and community impact of The Addict’s Wake. Lisa describes moving to Brown County, becoming involved with women in incarceration, and realizing how many people experiencing addiction had lives, families, dreams, and communities before substance use became part of their story. That experience led her to believe that film could humanize substance use disorder in a way that invited compassion rather than judgment.

Personal Story Summary
Jodi’s narrative segment follows John Cunningham, a person in long-term recovery whose story became part of The Addict’s Wake. John shares how he created Recover Out Loud while searching for community and how the documentary gave his recovery story a broader platform. His story moves through incarceration, limited access to formal recovery resources, the weight of a 30-year plea agreement, and the small but powerful hope that helped him begin to change.



Episode Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance #EngagingACommunityInRecovery #RecoveryIsPossible, #RecoveryCommunity #SubstanceUseDisorder #AddictionRecovery #TheAddictsWake #BrownCountyIndiana #RecoverOutLoud #StigmaReduction #CommunityRecovery #LivedExperience #RecoveryStories #MentalHealthAwareness #OpioidRecovery #IndianaRecovery #HopeInRecovery #ShawnPNeal

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

Substance use and suicide are often discussed separately, but this episode of Beyond Substance makes clear that they frequently overlap in ways that can be dangerous when missed. Hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller examine that intersection through data, clinical insight, and lived experience, showing why people struggling with both need to be seen, understood, and treated more completely.

Segment 1: Professional Interview Summary
Holly Hartman brings a systems-level view to the conversation, grounded in decades of nursing, behavioral health, risk management, and suicide prevention work. She explains that suicide risk among people with substance use disorders is shaped by more than one factor. Trauma, chronic pain, co-occurring mental health conditions, cumulative losses, and hopelessness all complicate the picture. She stresses that people do not arrive at crisis in a vacuum, and that providers need to better understand what happened long before the treatment encounter.

Segment 2: Personal Story Summary
Zainab’s story gives listeners a close look at what the overlap between substance use and suicidal thoughts can feel like from the inside. She describes isolating herself, feeling hopeless, and talking about wanting to die, even in social settings where others might not have realized how much pain she was carrying. As the emotional pressure intensified, smoking, alcohol, and self-harm became ways of coping and numbing thoughts that felt overwhelming.


#BeyondSubstance #SuicidePrevention #SubstanceUseDisorder #MentalHealthAwareness #AddictionRecovery #RecoveryIsPossible #SuicideAwareness #BehavioralHealth #TraumaInformedCare #MentalHealthMatters #HopeAndHealing #SupportSavesLives #LivedExperience #CommunitySupport #ShawnPNeal




Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

In this episode of Beyond Substance, hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller explore expungement in Indiana and why it can be a critical step for people working to rebuild their lives in recovery. Dean speaks with Robin Kelly, an attorney with Indiana Legal Services, about how expungement works, who may qualify, and what legal and financial requirements people need to understand before starting the process. Then, in a narrative segment led by Jodi, listeners hear the story of Charmin Gabbard, founder and executive director of Connection Cafe, whose life journey moved from childhood trauma, substance use, incarceration, and major legal barriers to long-term recovery, leadership, and hope. Together, the episode shows how expungement can affect housing, employment, transportation, and reentry across Indiana communities.


Segment 1: Professional Interview Summary
Dean’s interview with Robin Kelly offers a practical look at Indiana expungement law and the role it can play in recovery and reentry. Kelly explains that expungement is a civil legal action designed to give eligible individuals a chance at a cleaner slate. She breaks down the main requirements under Indiana law, including how long a person must wait after their most recent conviction, the need to have no pending charges, and the importance of resolving unpaid court costs, fees, fines, or restitution before filing. She also makes clear that conviction expungement in Indiana is a once-in-a-lifetime decision, which means people need to approach it carefully and strategically.


Segment 2: Personal Story Summary
In the second half of the episode, Jodi Miller shifts into the show’s narrative format, guiding listeners through the story of Charmin Gabbard with reflective narration woven together with clips from Charmin’s interview. Charmin shares a childhood marked by violence, neglect, poverty, and abuse, followed by years of substance use, repeated incarceration, and a criminal record that severely limited her future. Her story makes clear that addiction did not begin in isolation. It grew out of trauma, instability, and survival.



Episode Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance #IndianaRecovery #ExpungementIndiana #IndianaExpungement #RecoveryIsPossible #AddictionRecovery #SubstanceUseRecovery #ReentrySupport #SecondChances #IndianaLegalServices #ConnectionCafe #IndianapolisRecovery #MarionCountyRecovery #CriminalRecordExpungement #RecoveryCommunity #HousingBarriers #EmploymentBarriers #JodiMiller #DeanBabcock #ShawnPNeal

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

In this episode of Beyond Substance, hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller explore the complex and often confusing conversation surrounding marijuana use.

Joined first by psychiatrist and geriatric specialist Dr. John Wernert, the discussion examines the history of cannabis regulation, what current research tells us about safety and brain development, and why age and frequency of use matter.

The episode then shifts to two lived-experience stories. "Miles" reflects on starting marijuana use in high school, moving to Colorado where it was legal, and later working in the cannabis industry before stepping away. "David," now substance-free for nearly sixteen years, shares how marijuana and alcohol functioned as self-medication and why recovery ultimately meant choosing clarity over intoxication.

Together, these perspectives offer a balanced and thoughtful look at marijuana’s risks, realities, and impact across a lifetime.

Segment 1: Professional Interview Summary
Dean speaks with Dr. John Wernert, a psychiatrist and geriatrician with more than four decades of experience in clinical care and behavioral health integration. Dr. Wernert explains how cannabis has evolved from a historically criminalized substance to one that is now legal for medical or recreational use in many states, while still remaining federally classified as a Schedule I substance. The conversation addresses common misconceptions about marijuana safety, the differences between THC and CBD, and the importance of understanding the developing brain. Dr. Wernert highlights research showing that younger individuals may be more vulnerable to cognitive and psychiatric risks, particularly with frequent or high-potency use. He also discusses the growing use of cannabis among older adults seeking relief from chronic pain, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and mood symptoms, emphasizing the need for medical supervision, accurate labeling, and responsible use. 

Segment 2: Personal Story Summary
Jodi interviews two guests who bring lived experience to the conversation. "Miles" shares how marijuana became part of his life in high school as a way to fit in and connect socially. After moving to Colorado for college, he experienced the cultural shift of legalization and eventually worked in the recreational cannabis industry. While he observed customers seeking both recreational and symptom relief benefits, he later recognized that habitual use had affected his motivation and stress response. In recovery, he reflects on the importance of moderation, brain development, and understanding why we use substances in the first place. "David" offers the perspective of long-term recovery. Beginning marijuana and alcohol use at a young age, he describes how both became tools for self-medication, particularly for anxiety and fear. He used daily for decades before eventually achieving sobriety. Now nearly sixteen years substance-free, David speaks candidly about motivation loss, lingering cognitive effects, and the clarity that came with recovery. He also addresses the concept of “California sober,” explaining why abstinence from all mood-altering substances is necessary for his own recovery.



Episode Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance #ShawnPNeal #MarijuanaConversation #CannabisEducation #SubstanceUseAwareness #RecoveryJourney #BrainHealth #YouthPrevention #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthMatters #CBDandTHC #SubstanceFree #ClarityInRecovery #PublicHealthConversation #ResponsibleUse #IntegratedCare

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

In this episode of Beyond Substance, hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller focus on adolescence, substance use, and the role treatment and medications can play when young people struggle. Dean speaks with Dr. Alexander Thomas, an addiction psychiatrist and program director, about when medication should be considered for adolescents, why opioid use requires earlier medical intervention, and why integrated treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions matters. Jodi interviews Spencer Medcalf, a person in long-term recovery who began using substances as a teenager, about early warning signs, and what helped him move from despair to a life he values. Together, these conversations offer clear guidance for families, clinicians, and communities, with compassion for what young people and caregivers carry.

Segment 1: Professional Interview Summary (Dean + Dr. Alexander Thomas)
Dean’s conversation with Dr. Alexander Thomas centers on the realities of treating adolescent substance use disorders with clinical precision and caution. Dr. Thomas explains that substance use often begins in the teen years, yet research, treatment systems, and public dialogue frequently focus on adults. He emphasizes that medication decisions depend first on the substance involved. For adolescents using opioids, he recommends bringing medication into treatment early because of overdose risk and the strength of evidence supporting medication for opioid use disorder. Dr. 

Segment 2: Personal Story Summary
Jodi’s interview with Spencer Medcalf reveals what adolescent substance use can look like from the inside, long before a young person has the language to describe what they are feeling. Spencer describes a childhood with an early sense of stability, followed by a sudden rupture when he discovered his mother intoxicated and later learned it was the day she filed for divorce. That moment marked a shift in his foundation, and by his mid-teens, he began using alcohol and marijuana, then escalated quickly into opioids and benzodiazepines.


Episode Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance #RecoveryIsPossible #AdolescentSubstanceUse #TeenMentalHealth #YouthRecovery #SubstanceUseDisorder #AddictionRecovery #MedicationAssistedTreatment #OpioidUseDisorder #Naltrexone #Buprenorphine #Methadone #CoOccurringDisorders #IntegratedCare #FamilySupport #TraumaInformedCare #SuicidePrevention #ShawnPNeal

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

Hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller explore the human side of public safety in this moving episode of Beyond Substance. Brandon Dreiman, a retired Indianapolis firefighter and wellness coach, shares how peer support and employee assistance programs are breaking barriers to care for first responders. Jerry Richard, a veteran firefighter, opens up about his decades-long struggle with alcohol use, the toll it took on his life, and how recovery helped him reclaim purpose and connection. Together, their stories illuminate the vital role of lived experience, trauma-informed care, and trust-based support systems in healing public servants on the front lines.

Segment 1: Professional Interview Summary
Dean speaks with Brandon Dreiman, a 23-year veteran of the Indianapolis Fire Department and former wellness coordinator, now a recovery coach at Pro Team Wellness. Brandon outlines how peer support systems and employee assistance programs (EAPs) work—especially those tailored to public safety. He emphasizes the unique challenges first responders face, including elevated rates of PTSD and alcohol use disorder. Brandon shares data showing one in three firefighters may have diagnosable AUD, yet things such as job culture still keep many from seeking help. Through first-hand insights, Brandon breaks down how trust, confidentiality, and peer-led connections can help bridge the gap between suffering and recovery.

Segment 2: Personal Story Summary
Jodi introduces Jerry Richard, a firefighter whose passion for service masked a private battle with addiction. From early marijuana use to years of secretive alcohol dependency, Jerry reflects on the personal and professional consequences of his substance use—and the moment when he finally asked for help. With honesty and humility, he shares the losses that pushed him back into substance use after a period of sobriety, and how peer support and breathwork therapy helped him begin again. Today, Jerry leads with compassion, offering others the same safe space and support that saved his own life.


Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance #RecoveryIsPossible #FirstResponderWellness #PeerSupportWorks #EmployeeAssistance #PublicSafetyMentalHealth #TraumaInformedCare #AlcoholUseDisorder #SubstanceUseRecovery #FirefighterMentalHealth #JodiMiller #DeanBabcock #ShawnPNeal  #AddictionRecovery #EAPSupport #PTSDRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation

In this episode, hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller explore how schools play a critical role in shaping youth experiences with substance use, prevention, and recovery. John Ferguson, a licensed marriage and family therapist with decades of experience, shares how supportive school policies and family engagement can prevent escalation and foster resilience. Ted, a parent in recovery, offers a deeply personal look at how he and his family navigated his son’s high school substance use challenges—finding hope through compassionate educators, recovery resources, and open communication. Together, these conversations reveal how recovery for young people begins not with punishment, but with presence, understanding, and connection.

Segment 1: Professional Interview – John Ferguson
Dean speaks with John Ferguson, a licensed marriage and family therapist and manager of the Ascension St. Vincent School-Based Mental Health Program, about how school systems address substance use among students. Drawing from two decades of experience in both youth and adult treatment settings, John discusses the evolving landscape of school-based interventions—from traditional prevention and education to trauma-informed and family-integrated approaches.


Segment 2: Personal Story – Ted’s Family Journey
In a candid and heartfelt conversation, Ted shares how his own recovery journey became intertwined with his son’s struggle with substance use during high school. When his son began experimenting with marijuana and vaping, Ted and his wife faced a difficult path—navigating school policies and family emotions. What they found, however, was compassion and partnership from school counselors, coaches, and eventually, an alternative recovery school, Hope Academy, that helped their son rediscover purpose and stability.


Episode Hashtags
#BeyondSubstance #AdvoCast #ShawnPNeal #DeanBabcock #JodiMiller #HopeAcademy #YouthRecovery #SubstanceUsePrevention #SchoolCounseling #TraumaInformedCare #MentalHealthMatters #FamilyRecovery #AddictionAwareness #RecoveryIsPossible #CommunityHealing #ParentingInRecovery #VapingAwareness #ZeroToleranceReform 

Podcast Information:

• Hosted by: Dean Babcock & Jodi Miller
• "A Look at the Numbers" Host: Allie Martin
• Executive Producer: Shawn P Neal
• Produced and Mixed at AdvoCast Leadership Advisory's Studio236

Beyond Substance explores substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, public health, and the people working to build healthier communities through informed conversations and evidence-based perspectives.

Topics:
Substance Use, Recovery, Prevention, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Healthcare, Education

Hashtags:
#BeyondSubstance #SubstanceUse #Recovery #RecoveryMatters #Prevention #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #CommunityHealth #Healthcare #HealthEducation