Keegan Wicks brings both lived experience and professional expertise to his role as National Advocacy and Outreach Manager for Faces & Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) In his annual September visit to the podcast, Keegan talks about what is happening on a federal level in the area of recovery, opportunities to get invoved in the upcoming International Recovery Day, and why highlighting successful long-term recovery is important.

Alex De Marco is no stranger to financial distress. Childhood experiences and ill-advised business ventures convinced him that financial education, as boring as that might sound, was a key component for a healthy relationship with money. Eventually he combined his computer software skills with a desire to help those who had run into difficulties with debt--including those caused by compulsive gambling.

The result was the GamFin platform, a no-cost financial counseling service that focuses on solutions to problems caused by compulsive gambling. Alex is now eager to grow the platform and connect with more mental health providers in order to treat the individuals involved in a comprehensive way.

In this podcast, Alex shares his vision of a recovery ecosystem where therapists and financial counselors work together to benefit both individuals and families, and how SMART Recovery fits right in.

Resources

National Council on Problem Gambling

Mayo Clinic Overview of Compulsive Gambling

Gambling Addiction Books

Maureen Greeley's journey to the head of the nationally recognized Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling (ECPG) included stops at the San Diego Zoo, a sanctuary for wolves, and communications work for the Washington State Lottery. This broad range of experience has informed her approach and deepened her ability to relate to a variety of individuals and communities.

In 2018, Greeley received the National Council on Problem Gambling's Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy for her dedication to improving the lives of individuals impacted by problem gambling and their families.

Under her leadership, in 2009 ECPG launched the annual Four Directions Conference that brings together representatives of Tribal Nations in the Pacific Northwest and many other communities each fall to focus on holistic health, wellness, and recovery support.

In this podcast Maureen talks about her personal and professional journey, how problem gambling is growing, what building supportive communities can do to address all facets of recovery, and what participants can expect at this September's Four Directions Conference.

Christopher Toomey is a SMART Facilitator in Gulfport Mississippi. After years spent in active addiction, he realized he needed to make changes. As a Navy Veteran, he decided to go to inpatient treatment at the VA, which is where he learned about some SMART tools.

In this podcast Christopher talks about his journey to becoming a trained facilitator, the support he received from other participants, and the value he finds in SMART.

Jody Bechtold is the CEO of The Better Institute and an Internationally Certified Gambling Counselor. She is co-author of the Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals, and she presents both nationally and internationally about education and treatment for problem gambling.

In this podcast Jody points out that suicide and problem gambling are strongly linked, and with the rise in legalized sports betting the stakes have never been higher. Fortunately, more clinicians are focusing on helping those struggling with problem gambling, and there are practical tools that can help.

David Nooks is a Peer Recovery Support Specialist at the Foundation for Recovery in Las Vegas. He is also a musician who believes in the healing power of rock & roll. After many years spent misusing substances and seeking escape David decided to embrace recovery.

In this podcast David talks about his journey to recovery and how he became interested in helping others find their own pathway to a different kind of life. He tells the story of the founding of Recovery Band Camp and how it has grown and developed into a safe space that celebrates the joy of music and the power of mutual support.

The term "wellness" is thrown around in the context of many different things, including in the world of recovey from substance and behavioral disorders. It's meaning can be fuzzy and border on cliche. But when Randy Williams uses the word wellness he keeps it real.

Williams is Founder of Willmore Wellness, and his lived experience with addiction and belief in the interconnectedness between body, mind, and spirit combine to inform an approach to healthy living that takes the entire person into account. Together with his wife Wray, Randy offers strategies to obtain physical, social, and emotional health that includes living life to its fullest.

In this podcast Randy talks about how SMART Recovery took his life to another level, his decision to pursue a degree in professional counseling, and how each of us needs to locate our own personal resilience and grit.

DeeAnna Nichols is a Certified Peer Support Specialist at ChangePoint Behavioral Health in Lewiston Idaho. Her recovery journey changed significantly when she discovered SMART in 2015. After trying to attend a SMART meeting and finding no one there that day, DeeAnna decided to take the training to become a facilitator. In effect, she took charge of her own recovery by taking action and hasn't looked back since.

DeeAnna now provides support and shares her lived experience with others seeking help. After a lifetime of challenging circumstances and trauma of all kinds, DeeAnna has embraced the fact that by changing her thinking, she can change her behavior.

Michael Marcum is a licensed professional counselor at the VA, and a former Army sniper. By his own admission he changed "countries, continents, and careers" to try and escape the reality of his substance misuse which plagued him for decades. After multiple stints in rehab and other pathways to recovery, he found SMART and it transformed his life.

In this podcast Michael shares his recovery journey and explains why the practical tools and future orientation of SMART finally allowed him to choose a different kind of life.

The Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) is a statewide nonprofit agency that focuses on connection between people in recovery and the wider world. By sharing their lived experience, USARA staff educates, advocates, and inspires individuals and communities to live more hopeful lives.

In this podcast, USARA's Executive Director Mary Jo McMillen and Associate Director Evan Done talk about the agency's growth and development over time, their personal recovery journeys, and why Utah is a great place to recover.