SMART Recovery® Podcast

Dr. Mark Fleming is Vice President-Clinical Operations for Lifepoint 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. 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.

Cherene Caraco is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Global Strategist of Promise Resource Network, 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 Recovery's Director of Outreach, Jasmine Hilbert, recently appeared on an Ohio-based podcast to share her recovery journey. In this special collaboration with the Rooted in Hope Podcast and Producer Kurt Kleidon, we proudly offer this episode here on our platform. About this podcast: Rooted in Hope is a podcast that shares the real tales of those who are impacted by substance use disorder or mental illness with the intention of breaking the stigma. We are rooted in Ohio and driven to make a difference in and around our state. Thanks to our allies at Rooted in Hope for permission to share this compelling story of a woman who had reached a point in her life where she didn't want this to be her narrative, so she rewrote her story.

Public policy work can sometimes be seen as too theoretical and detached from the real world of concerns about things like addictive behaviors and the consequences. In this conversation with Amber Lashbaugh we find out that practical application of public policy work amounts to more than just ideas. It can result in making resources more accessible and people able to work toward greater health of mind, body, and spirit. Amber is co-president of the college based initiative Hoyas for Recovery, a SMART facilitator, community outreach worker, and is pursuing her master's degree in addiction policy and practice at Georgetown University. She combines lived experience with policy application with great success. In this podcast we talk about her interest in political science, her personal recovery journey, working in the addiction field, and her involvement with SMART. We also touch on the concept of "decriminalizing survival," a more nuanced way of looking at how society treats woment who have substance use disorders. Helpful links: Hoyas for Recovery Amber's article in Ms. Magazine Amber Lashbaugh LinkedIn

As theory and practice evolve in both the addiction recovery and mental health fields there is a growing recognition of the intersection between treatment in both areas. One organization that has recognized this for quite some time is A Positive Alternative in Seattle. They are all about empowerment and choice for their clients and definitely subscribe to the view that recovery is not one size fits all. In this episode we talk with their clinical director Kaitlyn Braile. She is a licensed mental health and substance use disorder counselor who received her training at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, developing a psychodynamic perspective that also incorporates her experience in community mental health settings. One fascination of Kaitlyn's is the area of motivation--how people both gain and lose it in the flow of making life changes.

Great question! In a nutshell, Volunteer Support Coordinators (VSCs) are experienced SMART Recovery volunteers dedicated to mentoring and supporting meeting facilitators. VSCs foster a welcoming and accessible environment for local volunteers to build connections and thrive. On this podcast we are joined by three VSCs, each representing a different state: Kenzie Smith (North Carolina), Tammy Ginader (Florida), and Chris Gatewood (Virginia). Each of them shares their discovery of SMART, what lit their fire about it, and why they decided to give back by taking on the role of a Volunteer Support Coordinator. Helpful links: More information about VSCs Nationwide Roster of VSCs

When college student April Lombard first considered checking out a SMART Recovery meeting on her LSU campus, she worried that it would be both cringey and lame. Turns out it was neither. In fact, based on the value April found in the science-based approach, she decided to take the facilitator training and get even more involved. In this podcast April shares some of her personal recovery journey, her perspective as a young person in recovery, and why having multiple pathways available to students just makes sense.

There is a well documented connection between problematic substance use and mental health conditions. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked SMART facilitator Kelly Scullin to join us in a conversation about mental health and recovery. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and has deep experience in the human resources field. Kelly brings a unique perspective to her work based on her personal journey with substance use, her status as a "self-proclaimed recovering type A," and the coaching skills involved with facilitating group meetings and helping people make the best decisions for themselves. As a person who stays curious and explores the world around her, Kelly is a positive force in the continued growth and development of SMART. Further resources: SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Month Mental Health and substance Use Co-Occuring Disorders National Alliance on Mental Illness