Interviews on Addiction

7/5/17 - Brian Costello has worked for Lakeshore Behavioral Health as a chemical dependency counselor and, most recently, as the outreach and volunteer coordinator for a new recovery center. In this podcast, he shares how he came to work in the field of addictions, as well as the meaning and hope he finds in the process of recovery. Brian tells the audience about a new peer-to-peer recovery center (in Buffalo, NY), that takes a holistic approach to supporting individuals in recovery, as well as their families. He also reflects on the importance of trauma-informed care, an approach intentionally adopted and implemented at Lakeshore. In the face of rules, stigma and potential retraumatization, Brian reflects on the power of the five TIC principles to foment resilience, hope and knowledge among both staff and clients.    

Keywords: CASAC; chemical dependency counseling; recovery support; resiliency; trauma-informed care training

5/10/17 - In this podcast, Liza discusses her story of addiction, HIV, the prison system and recovery.  She intimately opens up about her family's struggle with addiction, her own 15 years of drug use, being homeless and slowly re-learning how to care for herself physically, emotionally and mentally. She recounts returning to school, attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings and re-connecting with her children and family. Liza has been in recovery for 18 years and currently works at Evergreen Health Services as a peer. She is a certified peer and mentor for people living with HIV in New York; she's also a model for the HIV Stops With Me campaign (see link below). Liza connects her experience of trauma-informed care with her interactions in the prison system, healthcare system and her treatment. You can watch a short film of Liza on the HIV Stops With Me website.

Keywords: addiction; drug use; halfway house; HIV; homelessness; Narcotics Anonymous peer; prison; rehab