Recovery Stories Have Power

Hello and welcome to Recovery Stories Have Power, my name is Oliver Books. On today's episode I had the privilege of speaking with former US Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams.
Dr. Jerome Adams is a Presidential Fellow and the Executive Director of Purdue’s Health Equity Initiatives as of October 1, 2021. He is also a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Public Health.

As the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and a prior member of the President’s Coronavirus task force, Dr. Adams has been at the forefront of America’s most pressing health challenges. A regular communicator via tv, radio, and in print, Dr. Adams is an expert not just in the science, but also in communicating the science to the lay public, and making it relevant to various audiences.

Dr. Adams is a licensed anesthesiologist with a master’s degree in public health, and ran the Indiana State Department of Health prior to becoming Surgeon General. In the State Health Commissioner role he managed a $350 million dollar budget and over 1000 employees, and led Indiana’s response to Ebola, Zika, and HIV crises. Notably, Dr. Adams helped convince the Governor and State Legislature to legalize syringe service programs in the state, and to prioritize $13 million in funding to combat infant mortality. As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams was the operational head of the 6000 person Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and oversaw responses to 3 back to back category 5 hurricanes, and to a once in a century pandemic.

In addition to his recent COVID19 work, Dr. Adams has partnered with and assisted organizations as they navigate the opioid epidemic, maternal health, rising rates of chronic disease, the impacts of rising suicide rates in our Nation, and how businesses can become better stewards and stakeholders in promoting community health.

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Find more episodes of Recovery Stories Have Power at facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/podcast.

Welcome to Recovery Stories Have Power, a Faces & Voices of Recovery Podcast. My name is Oliver Books. Throughout the rest of 2023, we’ll be releasing bonus episodes of our podcast. In today’s episode I had the opportunity to speak with Chris Tait, a rock musician with the band Electric Six, and Director of a musician-focused RCO in Detroit, MI called Passenger Recovery. Passenger Recovery aims to provide recovery connection and access to touring musicians who might otherwise have a difficult time finding recovery communities in new unfamiliar locations. Passenger also coordinates community building events because, in their words, “much like music, recovery can be a great connector, bringing people together to find common ground.”

If the name sounds familiar, it might just be because the music during the intro and outro of each episode is courtesy of Chris. Without further ado, my conversation with Chris Tait.

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Find more episodes of Recovery Stories Have Power at facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/podcast.

Hello and welcome to Recovery Stories Have Power, my name is Oliver Books.

Today, I’m talking with Danny O’Connor—a former U.S. Olympic boxing team member and world title contender. But his biggest fight wasn’t in the ring. Danny battled anxiety, substance use, and personal struggles that nearly took everything from him.

Now, he’s using his experience to help others through DO Boxing Academy, a program that combines boxing, fitness, and mindfulness to support young people.

You can follow Danny on Instagram @therealdannyoconnor and learn more about his program at doboxingacademy.com.

This is a story about resilience, recovery, and finding purpose.
Please note: this episode contains explicit content.

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Find more episodes of Recovery Stories Have Power at facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/podcast.

Hello and welcome to Recovery Stories Have Power, my name is Oliver Books. Today's episode features Bill Sweeney, founder of The Livability Initiative. Bill is a person in recovery, a T4 paraplegic, and a fierce advocate for accessibility. In our conversation, Bill and I chat about Bill's outlook on life and how that informs his work.
Visit The Livability initiative online at https://teamlivability.org

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Find more episodes of Recovery Stories Have Power at facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/podcast.

Hello and welcome to Recovery Stories Have Power, My name is Oliver Books. This is the final episode in our series of video podcasts filmed at Faces & Voices of Recovery’s annual Recovery Leadership Summit in Denver, CO.
On today's Episode I am joined by Patrick J. Kennedy. During his time in Congress, Patrick J. Kennedy was the lead author of the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Federal Parity Law), which requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than treatment for illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer. In 2013, he founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that unites advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction. In 2015, Kennedy co-authored the New York Times Bestseller, “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction,” which details a bold plan for the future of mental health care in America. In 2023, The Kennedy Forum launched the Alignment for Progress, a movement to align leaders from across industry and across the aisle to achieve 90/90/90 by 2033: 90% of all individuals will be screened for mental health and substance use disorders; 90% of those screened will be able to receive evidence-based treatment; 90% of those receiving treatment will be able to manage their symptoms in recovery. Kennedy’s second co-authored book “Profiles in Mental Health Courage” available April 2024 will delve into the compelling stories of a diverse group of Americans who have struggled with their mental health – many of whom are sharing their stories for the first time.

Kennedy is also the founder of DontDenyMe.org, an educational campaign that empowers consumers and providers to understand parity rights and connects them to essential appeals guidance and resources; co-founder of One Mind, an organization that pushes for greater global investment in brain research; co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19 (National Response); and co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Behavioral Health Integration Task Force.

Social Media Handles
@PJK4brainhealth on Twitter
Patrick J. Kennedy on Facebook and LinkedIn
@KennedyForum on Twitter
The Kennedy Forum on Facebook and LinkedIn

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Find more episodes of Recovery Stories Have Power at facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/podcast.