The Shield

oin us as Jasmine Gilbert tells us about the work she does with local students and the implementation of prevention efforts in Birmingham.  Jasmine, a  Birmingham native and an alumna of Birmingham City Schools, discusses her love for the City of Birmingham and her determination of to enrich the lives of Birmingham residents. Jasmine is currently the Program Director for APC’s SAMHSA grant, Strate...

Join us as Candace Rachel, the Rapid Response Coordinator for the Jefferson County Department of Health’s Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) initiative, tells us about the work that is being done to combat opioid overdoses in Alabama.  Candace, who is jokingly known as “Narcan Nancy” by many people she has trained on how to administer Naloxone, discusses how she became interested in working with peopl...

Join us as Adam Schniper and Janae Pinson from Compact tell us about Compact's substance use prevention initiatives in Shelby County, Alabama, and how Compact has become a trusted, vital community resource.  In 2016, Compact was established by the Shelby County District Attorney with the goal of reducing the rate of substance use in Shelby County. Since its inception, Compact has served as a...

Join us as Bronwyn McInturff, an APC board member and a social worker with nearly 25 years of experience working in the substance use field, discusses stigma, the evolution of substance use treatment, and treatment limitations due to funding.  Bronwyn also tells us about how she was introduced to the mental health field by her mother, who is also a helping professional. She discusses what it was l...

Join us for a conversation with Emily Herring, LICSW, as she discusses the work of Fairfield High School’s INFOCUS chapter and the positive impact she is having on the lives of her students!    Since 2020, Emily Herring, or Ms. Emily as she is commonly known by her students and APC staff, has worked with Fairfield City Schools to improve the mental health and wellbeing of her students. Ms. Emily i...

Join us as Dave Urech tells us about what it is like being a parent of a child with a substance use disorder and his passion for working with families with a similar experience.  Dave Urech, a Michigan native, moved to Alabama about a decade ago, and he and his wife, Laura, became engaged in a local support group for parents of a child with a substance use disorder. Both Dave and his wife had been...

Join us as Dr. John Dantzler discusses how he started his career in educational research and program evaluation, but found his way into the field of substance use. Dr. Dantzler discusses the importance of affordable and effective substance use treatment options for everyone .  Dr. John Dantzler is a professor within UAB’s Department of Psychiatry, the Vice Chair of Substance Abuse Programs at UAB,...

Join us as Liz Read discusses finding out about her loved one’s substance use disorder, and how this discovery and led to her creating Clearlee, an app that provides dignified drug testing.  Liz Read, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, had her world turned upside down when she discovered that a loved one was suffering from a substance use disorder. This discovery impacted her whole family.  During t...

Join us as Taylin McCarver discusses what it was like to lose a sibling to a substance use disorder, and how Taylin and her family have used that experience to advocate for people with substance use disorders.  In this episode, Taylin discusses the years leading up to her brother’s death due to substance use. Taylin discusses what it was like observe her brother throughout his battle with a substa...

Join us as Jared Murray, a person in long-term recovery and an Admissions Specialist for Momentum Recovery, tells us his story about using substances as a young adult and his pathway to recovery.  Jared Murray discusses how he first experimented with alcohol and marijuana before starting the 8th grade. While in high school, he eventually started using opioids, benzodiazepines, and cocaine. Despite...

Join us as Morgan Grace, the Resource Coordinator for APC, tells us about how she got involved with APC and her interest in prevention and harm reduction.  In 2021, Morgan Grace started at APC as an intern. She ended up at APC after her plan of studying and interning abroad was halted by the pandemic.  Morgan quickly discovered her interest in harm reduction and prevention.  Morgan discusses how g...

Join us as Shawn Windham, a Prevention Specialist with APC, tells us about what brought him to Alabama, his background in law enforcement, and his passion for prevention.  Shawn Windham is retired police officer from Vaccaville, California, who moved to Alabama and started working on prevention efforts in rural areas, Blount County and St. Clair County, Alabama.  Shawn discusses his prevention wor...

Join us as Roger Patteson, an Interventionist with Clear Path Interventions, and a person in long term recovery, shares his story with us. Roger also discusses what it is like to work with and support families with a loved one with a substance use disorder.  Roger discusses how a lack of stability impacted his early childhood development, world view, and how he handled challenges. Roger started dr...

Join us as Dr. Mark Wilson, the immediate past Health Officer of the Jefferson County Department of Health, discusses the formation of the Recovery Resource Center, the loss of his daughter, and what life will look like after retiring from the Jefferson County Department of Health.  Dr. Wilson discusses collaborating with the Addiction Prevention Coalition and other organizations to identify needs...

Dr. Joel Bennett is the President of Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS), an organization that focuses on promoting organizational health and employee wellness in the workplace.  Dr. Joel Bennett discusses what it was like to grow up in a home with a parent with an alcohol use disorder, and another parent with a process addiction. He also discusses how seeing a relationship go awry...

Join us for a conversation with Tim Cross, APC Board Member and the Co-Founder and CEO of Expedited Transport Agency, a business that is at the forefront of recovery friendly workplaces. In this episode, Tim will discuss how his life was impacted by his substance use and how he found recovery. Tim also discusses how Expedited Transport Agency (ETA) has become a model organization when it comes to...

 Join us as Suzanne Muir, the Associate Director for UAB Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, discusses how she became interested in working with people with substance use disorders and her work with the Comprehensive Addiction in Pregnancy Program.   UAB Medicine’s Comprehensive Addiction in Pregnancy Program (CAPP) aims to connect women to treatment and the recovery community th...

Join us as Patty Sykstus, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Not One More Alabama, shares her experience as a mom of a child with a substance use disorder, and discusses the great work Not One More Alabama is great doing in North Alabama. Patty discusses her experience with having a son with a substance use disorder, how his substance use disorder impacted their entire family, and how v...

Join us as Colin Harris, the Founder and Managing Director of the Birmingham Recovery Center, discusses his journey through recovery and how he was inspired to open a substance use treatment center, which provides an individualized, holistic approach to each client to prepare them for a successful recovery.   Colin Harris is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and like many, he started using substanc...

Join us as Ashley Loftis discusses working at APC on Project LEAP, and how growing up in a small town that was impacted by substance use ignited her passion for working with people with substance use disorders.  Ashley is the Prevention Navigator for Project LEAP, a five-year SAMHSA grant that works with adolescents at risk of contracting HIV through their substance use. She also coordinates the c...

Join us as Dr. Rebekah Savage discusses treating adolescents with  substance use disorders, and how she became interested in treating substance use disorders.  Dr. Rebekah Savage is a board-certified pediatrician who specializes in treating adolescents with substance use disorders and eating disorders. She also works with adolescents who are currently incarcerated.  Dr. Savage walks us through how...

Join us as Randy Hall, the President of Recovery Dharma Global, discusses how Buddhist practices and principles helped him reconnect with himself and others after more than two decades of suffering from the isolation of addiction.  Randy talks about how his substance use disorder developed while he was a high-achieving student and high-functioning professional. He discusses how he was diagnosed wi...

Join us as Kyle Berman shares with us his idea for a device that would notify someone of a suspected overdose, and how his experience of losing many friends to overdoses has impacted his passion to save lives.  Kyle Berman, a person in long-term recovery, tells us about the development of an idea that was inspired after the death of one of his friends. Kyle talks about how losing his younger siste...

Join us as Anne Markham Bailey discusses how being connected to your mind and body can be life changing .  Anne also discusses awareness and mindfulness activities, such as, Forest Bathing, medication, yoga. Anne Markham Bailey is a writer, poet, and an awareness educator. She is also certified yoga instructor. She studied East Asian Studies, and studied abroad in China, which changed her perspect...

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Stephen Taylor. Dr. Taylor shares with us his experience growing up in Brooklyn, New York, and how growing up there impacted his decision to become a doctor.  Dr. Taylor is the Medical Director of the Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program for the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association. He is also the Chief Medical Offic...