Radio Catskill - The Kingfisher Project

Robyn Oster, Director of Policy at The Partnership to End Addiction, returned to The Kingfisher Project to discuss the rise of kratom and why public health experts are paying closer attention to it. Kratom is derived from a Southeast Asian plant and is now commonly sold in powders, capsules, tablets, gummies and liquid shots. Oster said the products are often found in gas stations, convenience sto...

Bill Williams Discusses “The Brief History of Time” Event on Radio Chatskill 

On this episode of The Kingfisher Project , host Bill Williams speaks with Alexis Pleus, founder of Truth Pharm, a Binghamton-based organization working to reduce stigma, raise awareness, and advocate for change around substance use and overdose prevention. Pleus shares the story of losing her son Jeff to a heroin overdose, the founding of Truth Pharm, and the organization’s work with directly imp...

Steven D’Agata and Cathy Kennedy on Hope Not Handcuffs in the Hudson Valley

Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Mark Ehrenkranz joins us for a conversation about addiction recovery, peer support, and the power of lived experience in helping people heal. Sober since 1985, Ehrenkranz has spent decades supporting individuals struggling with substance and alcohol use disorders. Today, he works alongside doctors and addiction specialists in hospital settings, helping patients n...

 On this episode of the Kingfisher Project, Radio Catskill’s Bill Williams speaks with Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former White House drug policy advisor, about the ongoing debate over marijuana legalization and its impact on public health and communities.  Sabet discusses concerns around youth access, mental health risks, and the growing influence of the cannabis...

Lisa Ann Poggi is an actress, producer, and advocate using storytelling to shine a light on one of the most urgent issues facing families today — addiction and recovery. With a career spanning film and television, Lisa has worked both in front of and behind the camera, but in recent years her focus has shifted toward purpose-driven projects that center healing, hope, and real-world impact. Through...

On The Kingfisher Project, we dive into a powerful conversation about addiction, enforcement, and education. I’m joined by Bridget Brennan, the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York. Senior Trial Counsel Chris Edel and Chief of Investigations Bernice Ordonez also join the discussion. Chris and Bernice lead the office’s Educational Outreach Committee, and together they break down th...

Tonight, we speak with Dr. Melody Glenn , an emergency and addiction medicine physician, associate professor at the University of Arizona, and author of the new book Mother of Methadone from Beacon Press — a hybrid memoir weaving her own story with that of Dr. Marie Nyswander, the radical pioneer of methadone treatment. In this episode, Dr. Glenn shares how stigma and misunderstanding around addic...

My guest is Prof. Thomas Van Nortwick, an emeritus professor of Classics at Oberlin and someone I’ve known since the fall of 1960. Together, we’ll reflect on what it was like to grow up in a home shaped by substance use and how those early experiences stay with us.  We’ll also explore Rebecca Pisall’s story, viewing it through Tom’s Classicist perspective—bringing ancient insights to a very modern...

Dr. Arthur Robin Williams, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University and Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.  Dr. Williams, a leading voice in the field of substance use disorders, will discuss his work and research with a special focus on Ophelia—a platform that expands access to evidence-based telehealth treatment for opioid use disorder. We’ll...

 In this episode, my guests are Jody D’Agostini (Founder and Board Chair, right) and Andi Williams (Executive Director, left) of Community in Crisis. Based in the Somerset Hills of New Jersey, Community in Crisis works to reduce substance use and its impacts by uniting communities through education, prevention, and holistic recovery support—free from stigma. 

Dr. Stephen Loyd is a nationally recognized expert in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine, currently serving as Director of West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy and Chief Medical Officer at Cedar Recovery in Tennessee. Formerly Tennessee’s Assistant Commissioner for Substance Abuse Services, Dr. Loyd has been a pivotal voice in shaping statewide pain treatment guidelines—especially f...

On this week’s episode of The Kingfisher Project, we are honored to welcome Alexander Y. Walley, M.D., M.Sc., a nationally recognized expert in addiction medicine and overdose prevention. Dr. Walley is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and the Director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Boston Medical Center. With deep expertise in the intersection of...

Kevin Hyer is a management-side labor and employment attorney in long-term recovery from Methamphetamine Use Disorder. He is the CEO of The Hyer Calling Foundation (THCF), a Philadelphia-based nonprofit with a satellite office near Richmond, VA.   THCF helps individuals in recovery secure second-chance careers through free, personalized support services not covered by insurance. It also educates e...

On the Kingfisher Project , Tuesday, February 4th, at 6:00 PM EDT on Local Edition, Radio Catskill Guests, Lindsey Vuolo and Robyn Oster from the Partnership to End Addiction , are experts in health law and policy. Lindsey, the Vice President of Health Law and Policy , and Robyn, the Associate Director of Health Law and Policy , work to shape federal and state policies that improve addiction preve...

Dr. Fred Muench is a clinical psychologist and digital health expert, formerly president of the Partnership to End Addiction and now a professor at Hofstra University. He’s known for pioneering digital interventions, like AI and text-based tools, to address adolescent substance use, especially around cannabis.  Dr. Muench continues to lead innovation in behavioral health through The Unregret Found...

Jessica Hoppe, author of the newly released memoir FIRST IN THE FAMILY – A Story of Survival, Recovery, and The American Dream. Jessica is a Honduran Ecuadorian writer based in New York City.  She has been featured on ABC News and HBOMax Pa’lante! and her work has appeared in the Latino Book Review, The New York Times, Vogue, Paper Magazine, and elsewhere.  Jessica is a board member of Time of But...

Bob Lindsey. Bob is a life-long Recovery Advocate who has worked and volunteered on addiction prevention, treatment and recovery issues since college.  Bob’s passionate commitment to recovery is connected to the fact that he has 12 family members in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs.  As a result of his personal family history and professional understanding of addiction, he has no...

You may remember Rob as a Kingfisher guest in April of 2023.  At the time he was the General Counsel with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the executive office of the President. In that role Rob provided overall legal support to all components of ONDCP.  More recently Rob has moved on to become the founder and president of Kent Strategic Advisors, a healthcare strategic policy...

Marcia Lee Taylor is the Founder of MLT Strategies, LLC, a behavioral health consulting firm. She is the former President and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, with 30 years of experience in the addiction field. At the Partnership, Marcia managed government and stakeholder relationships, fundraising, and served as a media spokesperson. She partnered with major corporations and led the Med...

James L. Baker, MD, Dr. Baker is a physician—but also a father who lost a child to opioid addiction and overdose. Following his son Macky's journey through addiction, recovery, relapse, and death from overdose, Dr. Baker has dedicated himself to helping others recover from substance use disorder and stopping the devastation that addiction brings to families throughout the United States. Tomorrow,...

On The Kingfisher Project is Spencer Norris. Spencer is a reporter for New York Focus investigating drug policy with a focus on the state’s addiction treatment facilities. His latest piece, “In These State Prisons, Addiction Treatment is Out of Reach” examines the stark disparities in access to life-saving medication for addiction that persist between facilities – and racial groups.

The Kingfisher Project is Sheila P. Vakharia, Ph. D.  Dr. Vakharia received her Ph. D. in Social Welfare from Florida International University, a Master’s in Social Work from Binghamton University, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Addictions from New York University.  She is a nationally recognized harm reduction expert with over 15 years of combined experience in addiction treatment, harm reduc...