Radio Catskill - The Kingfisher Project

Bob Lindsey. Bob is a life-long Recovery Advocate who has worked and volunteered on addiction prevention, treatment and recovery issues since college.  Bob’s passionate commitment to recovery is connected to the fact that he has 12 family members in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs.  As a result of his personal family history and professional understanding of addiction, he has not used alcohol or other drugs since 1976.

Prior to his most recent retirement, Bob served as the first non-physician, Executive Director of International Doctors in Alcoholics Anonymous (IDAA), which was founded in 1949. During his tenure with IDAA he helped lead a major transition in the management, operations and governance of IDAA.

Before his time at IDAA, Bob served as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Friends of Recovery New York (FOR-NY) from 2015 to 2017, helping to secure state funding, opened the office and hired the first full-time staff leading to remarkable growth and development of a statewide network of local Recovery Community Organizations (RCO’s), Recovery Community and Outreach Centers (RCOC’s) and an expanding network of recovery advocates for individuals and families impacted by addiction.

Before coming to FOR-NY, Bob was President/CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) in NYC from 2006 – 2013.  NCADD recently merged with Facing Addiction.  During Bob’s tenure, each year, more than 700,000 people contacted NCADD and it’s National Network of Affiliates seeking help and the NCADD website averaged over 2 million visitors.

Prior to NCADD Bob was Director of Community Relations for the Betty Ford Center; served as the Executive Director of the New York State Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Addictions, Inc. (NYSCADA) from 1982-1990; a Unit Manger/Therapist at Spofford Hall in Spofford, NH from 1980-1982 and served as Executive Director of the Allegany County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (ACCASA) in Wellsville, NY from 1975-1980. During his tenure at ACCASA Bob was elected as President of the New York Federation of Alcoholism Counselors (NYFAC), the organization that created the oral and written examination for alcoholism counselors, currently known as CASAC (Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors).

You may remember Rob as a Kingfisher guest in April of 2023.  At the time he was the General Counsel with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the executive office of the President. In that role Rob provided overall legal support to all components of ONDCP. 

More recently Rob has moved on to become the founder and president of Kent Strategic Advisors, a healthcare strategic policy advisor focused on helping clients maximize their opportunities to serve those in need of help

For a number of years Rob served as the General Counsel for the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). In this role, Robert provided overall legal support, policy guidance, and direction to the OASAS Executive Office and all divisions of the agency. Rob led the OASAS efforts to implement New York State’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force recommendations, including the Combat Addiction/Heroin Campaign, the Federal Opioid Targeted Grant program, and Medicaid Redesign Team initiatives including implementation of historic legislation to increase access to treatment, including harm reduction services. Robert has co-authored articles on patient confidentiality and sober homes and has presented nationally and throughout New York State on the addiction system of care. 

In 2011, Robert was recognized by the Caron Foundation with their Legal Professional Public Service Award. In 2013, Robert was recognized by the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies with their Leadership Award. In 2016, Robert was recognized by the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence with their Nyswander/Dole “Marie” award; the Long Island Recovery Association Friend of Recovery Award; and the Northern Tier Providers Coalition Public Service Award. In 2018, Robert was honored by the Friends of Recovery New York with the Charles Devlin Recovery Advocate Award and by Christopher’s Reason with the Outstanding Leader in the Recovery Community Award. 

In 2019, Robert was honored by NYAPRS with its Public Policy Leadership Award and by the MHANYS with their CEO Award. In 2020, Robert was honored by the NYS Justice Center with their Champion Award. 

Mr. Kent is a graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law.

Marcia Lee Taylor is the Founder of MLT Strategies, LLC, a behavioral health consulting firm. She is the former President and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, with 30 years of experience in the addiction field. At the Partnership, Marcia managed government and stakeholder relationships, fundraising, and served as a media spokesperson. She partnered with major corporations and led the Medicine Abuse Project, a campaign to reduce teen prescription medication misuse.

Previously, Marcia was a Senior Advisor for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs and the Democratic Staff Director of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, working on drug policy bills with then-Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. She also worked for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and served as a community organizer in Baltimore with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

Marcia holds a degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University, where she has been an Adjunct Professor. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and completed nine years on the Board of the United States Anti-Doping Agency. She and her husband Jeff have two teenage daughters.

James L. Baker, MD, Dr. Baker is a physician—but also a father who lost a child to opioid addiction and overdose. Following his son Macky's journey through addiction, recovery, relapse, and death from overdose, Dr. Baker has dedicated himself to helping others recover from substance use disorder and stopping the devastation that addiction brings to families throughout the United States. Tomorrow, May 7th, marks the publication date of his new book, *This Monstrous Obsession – Hard Lessons Learned About Addiction*. There is much to be learned from his experience.

On The Kingfisher Project is Spencer Norris. Spencer is a reporter for New York Focus investigating drug policy with a focus on the state’s addiction treatment facilities. His latest piece, “In These State Prisons, Addiction Treatment is Out of Reach” examines the stark disparities in access to life-saving medication for addiction that persist between facilities – and racial groups.

The Kingfisher Project is Sheila P. Vakharia, Ph.D.  Dr. Vakharia received her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from Florida International University, a Master’s in Social Work from Binghamton University, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Addictions from New York University. 

She is a nationally recognized harm reduction expert with over 15 years of combined experience in addiction treatment, harm reduction, higher education, research, and drug policy reform.  She currently works at the Drug Policy Alliance, a national advocacy organization fighting to end the war on drugs.  

At the DPA Sheila is the Deputy Director of Research and Academic Engagement. In this role, she helps DPA staff and others understand a range of drug policy issues. Dr. Vakharia builds relationships with drug researchers and helps to advance policy-relevant research. She also mobilizes researchers in support of DPA policy campaigns and organizes conferences on key issues in drug policy. She is also the author of the newly released book The Harm Reduction Gap – Helping Individuals Left Behind by Conventional Drug Prevention and Abstinence-only Addiction Treatment.

In this episode, we're joined by Carol McDaid, former Principal at Capitol Decisions, Inc., a powerhouse in the realm of policy consulting. With decades of experience and a special expertise in addiction and mental health policy, Carol shares her insights, experiences, and the critical role Capitol Decisions played in shaping policies that impact millions.