CommQuest Hope Discovered

The guest on this episode of the Hope Discovered Podcast is Tom Jones, who is a counselor at the Alliance location of CommQuest Services. Tom is on the program to discuss the growing problem of gambling addiction.
As the availability of different forms of gambling has risen, such as casinos and more recently with legalized sports betting, so have the occurrences of gambling addiction. Gambling addiction is an affliction that many people do not readily recognize because it is not in the form of a drug. However, gambling can stimulate sections of the brain in the same way drugs and alcohol produce a neurological pattern that leads to addiction.
As with alcohol usage, many people can recreationally gamble. However, for others it can lead to a dangerous and destructive addiction. What are the warning signs that someone’s desire to gamble is escalating beyond a fun pastime? How does a person who is struggling with gambling addiction reach out for help? These are among the topics discussed during this episode of the Hope Discovered Podcast by CommQuest.
For more information visit https://www.commquest.org/

Our guest on this episode is Thomas (T.J.) Horwood (he/him/his) who is the chair and founder of the Stark Pride Festival Committee.
The Stark Pride Festival Committee is a group of volunteer community members and stakeholders working together to plan an annual festival for the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and everyone else who identifies with the community) and ally communities in Stark and surrounding counties.
He has led this committee since 2021 to successfully plan and implement two Stark Pride Festivals in Canton in June 2022 and 2023.
During this episode, T.J. reflects on some of the accomplishments and milestones the LGBTQ+ community has had in recent years and shares his message of hope for the future. We also discuss opportunities for advocacy, support, and collaboration with the LGBTQ+ community, especially in the Stark County area.
You can listen to the Hope Discovered Podcast by CommQuest on your favorite podcasting platform.

Our guest today is Dr. Ashlie Martin, the Medical Director of Addiction Medicine and Withdrawal Management/MAT at CommQuest.
To start the episode, Dr. Martin shares how her personal journey brought her into the field of addiction recovery, and ultimately, to CommQuest.
We then discuss CommQuest's Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program. When used in combination with counseling services, MAT has proven highly effective in assisting individuals in their recovery from specific types of addiction.
Dr. Martin explains the basic strategy of MAT and why it is so effective in many cases of addiction treatment. She also addresses the stigma and many of the misconceptions about MAT and stresses this treatment is “medically assisted” and is not a substitute for a comprehensive approach to addiction treatment and the causes of addiction.
You can find out more about our MAT program and CommQuest at CommQuest.org

On this episode of Hope Discovered we are talking about School Based Mental Health with Drew Prendergast, who is a School-Based Prevention & CPST Provider for CommQuest Services. The theme of this discussion is “Backing this Generation,” which is often maligned as entitled and fragile.
The conversation covers topics such as the unique challenges this young generation is facing, the unfair labels that have been placed upon it, and the good qualities and attributes that we should be fostering in today’s up and coming youth.

Jeff Dafler is a recovering alcoholic and AA member, participating in weekly meetings and speaking regularly to patients at a detox facility near his home in Ohio. Jeff is on the board at CommQuest Services, Inc. and active in his UCC congregation. He is the founder of The Dafler Company, a strategy, public policy, and communication consulting firm, and an adjunct professor of communication at Walsh University.
Jeff is also the author of a new book, “Psobriety - A Journey of Recovery through the Psalms.”
Jeff is our guest on this episode sharing his journey of recovery to provide hope and inspiration.
You can find Jeff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffdafler?lang=en
Jeff's website is here: https://jeffdafler.com/