Recovery Talk is a monthly, educational podcast from the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence (PR CoE) hosted by Shannon Roberts, one of our program managers. Each month, our host talks with experts in the field about their lived experience, discussing substance use challenges, resources to assist those with substance use challenges and/or their families, and best practices for the delivery of peer recovery support services. Our goal in sharing stories and information is to provide hope and resources to the field of peer recovery. To listen on your favorite podcast platform and subscribe, click here.
For more information about the podcast, please contact Shannon Roberts at slroberts@umkc.edu.
We'll be launching a new podcast series this summer and want your nominations for guest speakers! The Amplifying Diverse Voices series will be bringing together guests from different backgrounds within the recovery movement. We'll be engaging in dynamic conversations about personal journeys and great work happening within our communities.
Complete this form by May 17th, 2024 to nominate a speaker!
In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.
In this fifth episode of the series, Tim speaks with Mx. Yaffa about developing advocacy skills. They are an award-winning disabled, mad, trans, queer, Muslim, indigenous Palestinian. Mx. Yaffa conducts transformative work around displacement, decolonization, equity, and centering lived experiences of individuals most impacted by injustice. Mx. Yaffa is a storyteller and an equity and transformation consultant, having shared their story with over 100,000 audience members at speaking events globally. Mx. Yaffa has worked in over two dozen countries, and specializes in global and community vision building.
In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.
In this fourth episode of the series, Tim speaks with Shandelle Friedman exploring multiple pathways to recovery. Shandelle is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with 2 years of experience working in the field. Working with members of her local Sober Squad Chapter, she developed a desire to help others navigate the challenges faced by those recovering from substance use challenges. She now works as an ADC-T for her organization and finds peer support to be a vital part of the recovery process.
In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.
In this second episode of the series, Tim talks with Nze Okoronta about supporting people navigating “crisis.” Nze is the Peer Services Manager for Solstice House, a peer-run respite and warmline operated by SOAR Case Management, a small nonprofit organization in Madison, WI with the mission of serving individuals who have experienced mental health and/or substance use challenges. Nze is passionate about peer support in Wisconsin and views peer support work as a fundamentally restorative practice. She believes peer work has the power to reduce and prevent systemic harm, support marginalized communities in a more complete way, and bring radical acceptance to the forefront of mental health and substance use care.
In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.
In this first episode of the series, I talk with Tim about his presentation on ethics within the provision of peer recovery support services. In addition to leading our workforce development team, Tim is a person with lived experience with both mental health and substance use challenges who got his start as a Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialist in 2016, and has worked in direct support and supervisory roles. Tim has no formal education beyond his high school diploma and Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialist Certification. He believes strongly in the value of his lived experiences and learned skills, and advocates for greater recognition and compensation of those without higher education across the field of behavioral health.
This month, Kris Kelly, who leads our RCO capacity building team here at the PR CoE, hosts a conversation with Durga Leela, founder of Yoga of Recovery. In this episode, you’ll get to hear about Durga’s recovery journey embracing Ayurveda and how one of the oldest traditional systems of medicine helps her live a life of abundance.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
In this episode, our host spoke with Brandy Anderson-Willis of Indiana Association of Peer Recovery Support Services, Bailey Helgeson of the Roanoke Valley Collective Response, and Mike Durschlag of the Association of Recovery Schools. Tune in now to hear stories and anecdotes from the field!
This month, we spoke with Kim Gannon and Emily Pasman, authors of a recent article in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment entitled, "Knowing or not knowing: Living as harm reductionists in Twelve Step Recovery." With us, they shared their experiences navigating recovery through Twelve Step programs, their embrace of harm reduction values, their professional research, and the ongoing journey of reconciling these concepts and experiences for themselves.
Click here to read the article.
In this episode, our host spoke with Tim Saubers and Haner Hernandez, both PR CoE team members. Tim and Haner discussed their experiences with cultural identity and how that affected their recovery and healing journeys.
In this episode, our host spoke with China Darrington of Summit Recovery Hub and Ken Vick of Benilde Hall about the work they are doing through their organizations. Tune in now to hear stories and anecdotes from the field!
In this episode, our host spoke with one of our previously featured organizational stakeholders of the month about the work they are doing through their organization. Tune in now to hear stories and anecdotes from the field with Pete Nielsen of the California Consortium of Addiction Programs & Professionals!
Funding for this initiative was made possible by grant no. 1H79TI083022 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
