Beyond the Bars

Dawn Westmoreland:  The Empowered Whistleblower : Getting over victimhood

Dawn Marie Westmoreland has always found her joy in inspiring, supporting, and empowering those who need it most. That joy has been reflected in her career and continues to be her driving force to this day. Dawn has also experienced workplace bullying and discrimination first-hand.  In 2012, Dawn reported her former government agency to the Office of Special Counsel and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for prohibited personnel practices and retaliation. As a result, her managers and co-workers turned on her, and she was subjected to two years of horrific workplace bullying and discrimination.  These years wreaked havoc on Dawn’s mental and physical health, but she persevered. Holding her workplace bullies accountable, Dawn settled with her employer outside of court. Because of her knowledge of HR and leadership skills, she has no gag order to prevent her from sharing her story to empower others who look to her for help. This experience, as well as overcoming her personal history of abuse, has strengthened Dawn’s personal mission to educate and inspire those who are or have suffered from workplace bullying and discrimination.

Dawn is on the Board of Directors with Fifty Shades of Purple Against Bullying as a subject matter expert on workplace bullying and discrimination.  http://www.workplacebullyingsupport.com/

Rob Lohman  www.TheAddictionRecoveryHub.com

970-331-4469

Mo Michael BS, BHT – Program Director

Maureen “Mo” started working in the treatment field in 2008 where she first started as a residential house manager. Mo comes to Compass with a wide variety of skills in both the administrative and clinical side of treatment. She is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling at Grand Canyon University. Mo began her own journey in recovery in 2007 and believes that working with others recover from addiction is what she is meant to be doing. Mo loves the outdoors, playing softball, cooking, and spending time with her husband, kids and grandkids. Mo believes the key to life is having “An attitude of Gratitude”.

Tim Michael BHT – Director of Operations

Tim is the owner and Director of Operations at Compass Recovery Center. Tim believes wholeheartedly in the 12 step program and feels that if all people, not just these with addictions followed the 12 steps, our world would be a much better place. Tim’s passion is people and he makes a point of speaking with each and every client who chooses Compass Recovery Center and knowing their story and what, exactly, they wish to accomplish at Compass. Tim teaches a Cognitive Mnemonic Thinking class at Compass that focuses on repairing the brain, using Dr. Daniel Amen’s “Change Your Brain, Change your life” information. Along with his administrative duties, he is a Behavioral Health technician, a Father, Grandfather and husband. All of which he is extremely proud. Tim is familiar with the statistics of the business he is a part of and wants these to change for the positive. There is not a person that passes through Compass Recovery Center that has not been told by Tim, “My door is always open, I want to see you succeed.”

https://compassrecoverycenters.com/

800-216-1840

Grant Hanson : Recovery Unplugged :  Homeless, Prison, Divine Interventions

Born and raised on the east side of Houston. Lived a normal childhood and then my addiction spiraled out of control until I ended up recovering in the Texas Hill Country. I now live in Austin, TX, my daughter is 2 and half and my best friend. I do outreach for Recovery Unplugged, the best treatment facility on the planet, and I also run a fitness and nutrition business and am very dedicated to overall wellness. Helping people not only get sober but to become amazing members of society and pursue their passions is what I love to do most.

https://www.recoveryunplugged.com/

https://fitwithgrant.com/interest2

Casey Lucarelli,  Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LSW

My private practice focuses on the emotional well-being of adolescents and adults. I specialize in working with individuals who struggle with addiction/substance abuse and an array of issues specific to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. It takes a lot of courage to face some undesirable truths about oneself and inviting a therapist on this journey can be overwhelming. I hold a safe and non-judgemental space for my clients and practice from a place of compassion and acceptance. My hope is for you to gain insight and thrive throughout your life rather than just survive.

http://www.caseylucarelli.com/

Casey Lucarelli

4140 Tejon St

Suite 204

Denver, Colorado 80211
(203) 717-4395

This is a power packed podcast.  Make sure to listen all the way through to hear Aaron's incredibly powerful testimony about unconditional love saving his life....

Aaron Huey, Co-Founder, President

Aaron has been working with children, teens, and parents for over 18 years. After ten years directing camps and empowerment programs around the world, Aaron opened Fire Mountain because he wanted to work with kids and families on a deeper level. Over the first few years of running programs like Teen Rites of PassageThe Warrior Phoenix Challenge, and numerous cries for help from parents, Aaron realized the need to turn his efforts towards teens struggling with drugs, alcohol and the behaviors and issues related to addiction. An addict in recovery since 2000, he felt a calling to put together an expert team and open Fire Mountain. His mission is to awaken confidence and leadership. “It‘s not about being better, it‘s about giving up the struggle to be different from who you are.”

Aaron’s formal educational background is in acting. He graduated from the top acting school in the US, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1990. His skills in comedy and drama make him an influential speaker and presenter, and a favorite among the kids. His confidence, compassion, and humor set the tone for deep healing, and fun.

https://www.firemountainprograms.com/

www.mentalhealthnewsradionetwork.com/our-shows/beyond-risk-and-back/

 

John Ferris : Anchored Recovery Community ....  Helping addicts find hope

John has been in recovery for years and has incredible insight into helping people move from addiction to recovery.  John's story is a powerful one....tune in and enjoy.

https://www.anchoredrc.com

Author, The addiction nobody will talk about

How My ography Addiction Hurt People and Destroyed Relationships

Joshua Shea seemingly had it all. A loving wife, two children, and a supportive extended family. In 2010, he launched a lifestyle magazine in his hometown. Within a year, he was one of the founders of Central Maine's largest film festival and had won a seat on his City Council. Accolades, including receiving the Key to the City and being called one of the "Next 10 People Shaping Maine's Economy" by a state newspaper followed.

While the public got one picture of Shea, behind closed doors, his longtime mental health and addiction issues were festering. A workaholic by nature, he actively ignored the red flags surrounding his long-existing ography and alcohol problems. Finding it easier to lose himself in a bottle of tequila and adult websites, Shea's relationships with his family, colleagues, and friends grew distant. His business ventures began to collapse.

Life as he knew it came to a screeching halt when he was arrested on a charge of underage ography possession in 2014. Shea was convicted and served six months in jail in early 2016. Following his arrest, he sought help and treatment through intense one-on-one therapy, group therapy, and at inpatient rehab facilities. He has been sober almost four years.

Bothered at the lack of quality resources and open discussion around the topic of ography addiction, Shea is now sharing with the public his experience with the addiction in the hope he can help people to not head down the same road that he did.

Shea recounts the last several years of his life leading up to his legal trouble and how his poor judgment and bad decision making led to a life he never thought was possible

www.RecoveringAddict.com

Highly Functional: Addiction, Recovery, Prison Fellowship with Craig Deroche

CRAIG DEROCHE

Senior Vice President, Advocacy & Public Policy

Craig DeRoche joined Prison Fellowship several years ago as the director of external affairs for the organization’s advocacy arm, Justice Fellowship. Today, DeRoche leads Prison Fellowship’s criminal justice reform efforts.

DeRoche was first introduced to Prison Fellowship while speaking at a national forum on addiction in 2011. He was the youngest statewide Republican leader in the country and was elected Michigan Speaker of the House, but in 2010, after serving a full tenure in the state legislature, DeRoche made national headlines with two alcohol-related arrests. It was only after his arrests, rehabilitation, and a renewed focus on his Christian faith that DeRoche escaped from his life-long struggle with alcoholism. He has been sober since 2010.

DeRoche’s first book,Highly Functional, released in May 2015, is a memoir of his life transitioning from addiction to recovery. DeRoche frequently pens op-eds for publications such asThe New York Times, The Washington Times, and The Christian Post.

https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/justice-reform-resources/

http://craigderoche.com/media-kit/

Chuck Robinson grew up in Oklahoma City, attending the University of Central Oklahoma, where he graduated with a Business Management degree in 1988 and a Masters of Arts in Substance Abuse Studies in 2012.  Having made a significate change in his life in 1982, Robinson found himself raising four sons, coaching sports, active in the business world, and a volunteer in his local church.  He felt a calling on his life to serve Jesus Christ in 1988.  Robinson continued his “tent making” as a local oil and gas business owner, while volunteering in the church by leading various missions groups, youth groups and Sunday school.  While attending Henderson Hills Baptist Church, located in Edmond, Oklahoma, he served on staff for eight (8) years as its first pastor of recovery.  Robinson is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, a Licensed Minister and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist.  Today he works with Elements Behavioral Health, serving as the National Director of Christian Programing and Outreach, taking what has successfully been accomplished locally to the national level.  Robinson wrote his first book, published last year (2016) called ‘Loving the Addict in Your Pew, a roadmap for building a church-based recovery ministry.’  In April of this last year, the Robinson’s happily celebrated thirty four years of marriage.  Chuck and Vicky have four sons, Chad, Colby, Conner, and Teyon, and four beautiful grandchildren.     

https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/treatment/christian-drug-rehab/

 

 

 

 

John Byrne is the Director of Curriculum Development and Implementation for Prison Fellowship Ministries. He has 25 years of experience working in the area of in-prison programming and prison reentry. For 14 years, he was the Director of Prison Fellowship's InnerChange Freedom Initiative programs in Kansas and Minnesota. He is a graduate of Fuller Seminary and is currently completing his doctoral work at Denver Seminary in the area of developing and measuring Christian prison programming and the potential impact of faith-based programming on recidivism and antisocial thinking and behavior. 

Enjoy the show! 

Learn more about Prison Fellowship at https://www.prisonfellowship.org/ 

Check out resources in your area at https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/justice-reform-resources/?