Behind the Citgo

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh sits down with Eric Machado, Assistant Director of the men’s program and a proud graduate of Christian Recovery Centers, Inc., for a powerful conversation about recovery, honesty, accountability, and the life-changing work of Step Four. Titled “A Fearless Inventory,” this episode explores what it really means to make a searching and fearless moral inventor...

In BTC EP #25: The Shepherd and the Streets - Pastor Caleb McCall’s Call to Recovery, Josh Torbich sits down with Pastor Caleb McCall for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, faith, family, ministry, and the call to reach people in the trenches. Pastor Caleb McCall shares his testimony of growing up in a Christian home, being introduced to drugs and alcohol at a young age, years of ad...

In BTC EP #24: From Lived Experience to National Impact, Behind the Citgo sits down with Dr. Monty Burks for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, faith-based transformation, rural recovery systems, workforce redevelopment, and the national impact of lived experience. This episode explores what happens when people who have walked through addiction, recovery, criminal justice involvemen...

In BTC EP #23: When Harm Reduction Causes More Harm, Behind the Citgo host Josh Torbich sits down with Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz for a direct conversation about harm reduction, addiction recovery, fentanyl, opioid addiction, overdose prevention, and substance use disorder treatment. Dr. McCance-Katz explains what harm reduction means today and discusses current approaches such as syringe distributi...

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh sits down with Emma Long, Director of the ARROW Program — Addiction Response and Rediscovering One’s Worth — to discuss addiction recovery inside the jail system, Moral Reconation Therapy, reentry planning, and the life-changing power of second chances. Emma shares how the ARROW Program helps individuals in the detention center take responsibility, rebuild...

In this powerful episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh Torbich sits down with Nick and Tiffany to share a deeply honest story of addiction, recovery, marriage, faith, forgiveness, and transformation through Jesus Christ. Nick came to Brunswick Christian Recovery Center in 2016 after multiple failed attempts at getting sober. He arrived with little hope, believing he could not become the husband, fathe...

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, we sit down with Christy Spivey, Chief Nursing Officer at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, for a powerful conversation about breaking the revolving door of ER visits, improving community health, and building real partnerships around substance use disorder, mental health, and whole‑person care. Christy shares her journey from bedside nurse to CNO, the rea...

Fourteen and Locked Up — The Story of Isaiah   At just 14 years old, Isaiah overdosed in a parking lot, ran from police, and experienced what he describes as a divine intervention that pushed him back into consciousness. That moment began a long cycle of juvenile detention, addiction, fatherlessness, instability, and eventually prison — all before the age of 20.   In this episode of Behind the Cit...

What actually changes a community? In this episode, Commissioners Mike Forte and Marty Cooke sit down to talk about the power of citizen‑led solutions and why government works best as a guardrail, not the driver. Both commissioners share openly about addiction, recovery, personal responsibility, and second chances, including Forte’s 40 years of sobriety and Cooke's decades of public service. Toget...

Josh sits down with Jeremy Gunn — business owner, community leader, and a powerful advocate for second‑chance hiring — for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on Behind the Citgo. Jeremy opens up about his six‑and‑a‑half‑year sobriety journey, the moment of clarity that changed everything, and how that transformation reshaped the way he leads his company today. This episode digs into wh...

What does real change look like when justice, accountability, and recovery collide? In Episode 16, we sit down with Raymond Wood, Senior Chaplain of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and Director of the Brunswick County DWI Drug Court Program — a leader who has been serving this community long before most people knew what “recovery work” really meant. This conversation dives into the heart of...

Four people in recovery sit down for a raw, honest conversation about what relapse really looks like — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. They break down the subtle warning signs, the isolation, the ego, and the internal battles that start long before the first use. You’ll hear real stories of mental relapse, dangerous self‑talk, fantasizing the “first blast,” and the moments when community s...

Three seasoned leaders in Christian recovery sit down for one of the most honest conversations you’ll hear about the real cost of helping people rebuild their lives. From setting healthy boundaries to navigating betrayal, burnout, spiritual warfare, and the emotional weight of leadership, this episode goes straight to the heart of what it means to serve on the front lines. Wes, Jim, and Josh share...

In this powerful conversation, Josh sits down with Dr. Gary Nelson to explore self governance as a pathway to freedom — in families, communities, and in personal recovery. Drawing from decades of global work in community systems, Dr. Nelson breaks down why true self governance begins not with self‑interest, but with serving the aspirations of others. As he says in the episode, “Self governance rig...

🎙️ Episode 12: Honorably Discharged Into Addiction — with Jason Gaver Behind the Citgo Podcast In this powerful episode, we sit down with Navy veteran Jason Gaver for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what so many service members silently battle after coming home. Jason opens up about the emotional crash that follows honorable service — the loss of identity, the overwhelming shift from military...

Discover how communities are being reshaped, families strengthened, and individuals empowered at every stage of life. In this inspiring episode, human services leader Karen Calhoun—with more than 30 years of experience—shares how ASPIRE evolved into a breakthrough intervention for social services, marginalized youth, and people in recovery. From reducing foster care placements to helping young adu...

Mike Guzman breaks down the truth behind the “Club Fed” myth and opens up about the spiritual, moral, and psychological unraveling that led him into the federal justice system. In this raw and revealing conversation, Mike shares how prison—despite the pain it caused his family—became the adversity he needed to reset his life, return to his Christian foundations, and confront what he calls a deep “...

A night of partying. A traffic stop. An arrest that changed everything. In Episode 008 of Behind the Citgo, Jes White shares the powerful, unfiltered testimony of how hitting rock bottom became the doorway to recovery, faith, and a completely transformed life. When her mother made the heartbreaking decision to let police take her in, Jes had no idea that moment would lead her to the Anchor Initiat...

A First Responder’s Truth: Steve Barger on Trauma, Addiction, and the Alarming Shift in Our Schools Steve Barger has spent his life serving others—commanding first responders, answering crisis calls, and carrying the weight of moments most people never witness. In this deeply personal interview, Steve shares the story behind the uniform: years of trauma, a battle with alcoholism, and the struggle...

Host Josh Torbich sits down with Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Chism for a powerful, eye‑opening conversation about the real limits of handcuffs—both as a law‑enforcement tool and as a symbol of the deeper restraints people face in addiction, trauma, and recovery. From the front lines of policing to the human stories behind every call, this episode explores: The realities officers face when respo...

Episode 006 of Behind the Citgo takes a powerful look at one of the most important—and often most challenging—parts of the recovery journey: rebuilding family relationships. Joined by the insightful and compassionate Dwane Richardson, we explore how trust can be restored, how communication evolves, and how families can heal together after addiction has created distance or pain. This episode is for...

Anthony Grimaldi of Southeastern Integrated Care joins Josh Torbich and the Behind the Citgo podcast crew for Episode 005: MOUD - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Heath Cadell from Reach Community Church in Leland, NC joins Josh Torbich and the Behind the Citgo podcast team to discuss "The Church's Role in Recovery (Part 2)"

Jeremey Seamon of Coastal Horizons joins Josh Torbich and the Behind the Citgo crew to discuss "Therapy - Is It Working?  When Does it Stop?      

Lucas Grainger from Coastal Church in Shallotte, NC joins Josh Torbich and the Behind the Citgo crew for Episode 003: The Church's Role in Recovery (Part 1)   Reels Daily! Episodes Weekly!! Subscribe Now!!!