The TPAS Drop: Alumni Insights On the Go

You're doing the work. But is your leadership seeing the value? In this episode, Colton Morgan, Founder and CEO of Team Recovery , and Gary Garth, Founder and CEO of elev8 , break down the business case for alumni programming — with the data, the math, and the language you need to make it land with your CEO. The conversation covers: How to define and qualify alumni engagement — and what a healthy...

Clarity is kindness. That's the idea at the heart of this conversation — and once you hear it framed this way, it's hard to unsee. In this episode, Gina sits down with Michael Maassel to talk about Radical Candor, the framework developed by Kim Scott that challenges all of us to lead and love the people around us by telling the truth — with care, with compassion, and without flinching. For...

Virtual alumni engagement isn't a consolation prize for programs that can't meet in person. Done well, it's one of the most powerful tools you have for keeping alumni connected, supported, and coming back. In this episode, Mickenzie Vought and Whitney Sylvia share what they've learned building virtual alumni communities from the ground up — including what finally moved the needle a...

How does a personal blog become a global movement of 300,000 people? In this episode, Gina sits down with Dawn Nickel, CEO and Co-Founder of She Recovers, to explore how an accidental idea born out of one woman's struggle with workaholism grew into one of the most expansive recovery communities in the world. She Recovers supports women and non-binary individuals recovering from substances, men...

There's something that happens at the TPAS Collaborative that's hard to describe until you've been in the room. This episode is the closest thing to being there. In this episode, we're bringing you directly onto the Collaborative floor — where alumni professionals from across the country gather not just to learn, but to challenge each other, tell the truth, and leave with something...

Today on the TPAS Drop, we're bringing you another powerful excerpt from one of our monthly workshops. Join Lori Obenauer, co-founder of TPAS, alumni professional and coach, as she walks us through the 5A's framework for facilitation. It's a simple, repeatable method for planning any group from choosing your anchor to creating follow-up actions that stick. Whether you've been runni...

The language we use in recovery matters — but does it work for everyone? In this episode, SMART Recovery Executive Director Pete Rubinas challenges alumni professionals to examine the dominant narratives in our field and consider how offering multiple pathways of support can transform outcomes for the alumni we serve. The conversation covers: How recovery language and labels can empower some and a...

Ethics is the foundation of everything we do in alumni work — but how often do we actually stop to examine it? In this episode, TPAS Board Co-Chair Nikki Soda leads a candid, practical conversation on what ethical alumni engagement really looks like in practice. The conversation covers: The difference between ethics, morals, and values — and why it matters Patient brokering — what it is, who's...

We sat down with a CEO who gets it. Not just the business of treatment — but the people who carry recovery forward long after discharge. In this episode, Kelly Scruggs, President & CEO of Fellowship Hall, shares why alumni programming can’t live on the margins of an organization. From staff buy-in to leadership alignment, Kelly speaks candidly about what it takes to build a culture where alumn...

In this episode, former TPAS board member and co-chair Michael Maassel shares a powerful framework for gaining true company-wide buy-in for alumni programming—and why every department plays a role in long-term recovery outcomes. From admissions and clinical teams to housekeeping, outreach, and leadership, Michael makes the case that alumni experiences are shaped by every interaction on campus. Whe...

In this special anniversary episode of The TPAS Drop , we celebrate 15 years of Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services (TPAS) and reflect on the values that shaped—and continue to sustain—the alumni services movement. Executive Director Gina Thorne is joined by Lori Obenauer and Leonard Bade , co-founders of TPAS, for an honest and heartfelt conversation about how TPAS began, why it took the s...

Boundaries aren’t about being rigid; they’re about being reliable. In this episode of The TPAS Drop , we break down the alumni coordinator role (alumni services ≠ therapy) and walk through practical, real-world scenarios—then offer exact phrases you can use to redirect without abandoning support. This bite-sized episode was taken from a recent Monthly Workshop with LB Burkhalter, TPAS Board Member...

Let's end one year well and plan for success in the next! In this excerpt from a TPAS Member Monthly Workshop, Michael and Kevin break down how to approach annual strategic planning for your alumni program. They walk through practical ways to set goals, choose a theme for the year, partner with other departments, and measure success—without needing an MBA or a 40-page deck. If you’re ready to...

In this episode of The TPAS Drop, we share an excerpt from arecent TPAS Monthly Member Workshop featuring Sherry Gaugler-Stewart, Directorof Family & Spiritual Services at The Retreat in Minnesota.  Sherry has spent more than 18 years walking alongsidefamilies impacted by a loved one’s addiction, and in this workshop she offers apowerful reframing that resonated deeply with our members:  If ad...

The holiday season brings connection, celebration — and for alumni professionals, a rise in tough conversations. In this episode of The TPAS Drop , we share an excerpt from our recent TPAS Member Monthly Workshop , facilitated by TPAS Executive Director Gina Thorne, on how to navigate crisis calls with calm, clarity, and compassion. You’ll learn the simple 4-step Recognize, Respond, Refer, and Deb...

In this episode of The TPAS Drop , we share an excerpt from a recent TPAS workshop featuring Doug Smith , developer of the Emotional Attachment Behavioral Therapy (EABT) model. With more than 21 years of experience in behavioral health, Doug explains how attachment and connection are at the heart of recovery—and why alumni programs are so powerful when they serve as a “secure base” for people rebu...

In this episode of The TPAS Drop , we’re tackling one of the most important and often overlooked issues in alumni services: burnout and compassion fatigue . This conversation comes from our recent TPAS Virtual Collaborative , where Maeve O’Neill — Executive VP of Compliance and Quality at Circa Behavioral Healthcare Solutions — led an honest and heartfelt discussion on how alumni coordinators and...

In this episode of the TPAS Drop , we’re bringing you highlights from our monthly professional development workshop , led by Alex Weber — TPAS member, Co-Chair of the Southern California TPAS Chapter, and Head of Partnerships at OpenRecovery . As Alumni Professionals, we juggle countless priorities every day: discharges, alumni in crisis, follow-up calls, program planning, and self-care. It’s easy...

This week on the TPAS Drop, we’re bringing you an excerpt from a recent TPAS monthly workshop with Stacy Carpentier, A Beginner’s Guide to Recovery Coaching. Stacy is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR). In this informative training, Stacy laid out the foundations of recovery coaching and how Alumni Professionals can spark conversations that help our c...

In this episode of The TPAS Drop , host Gina Thorne welcomes Mickenzie Vought, Senior Director of Alumni and Community Relations at Onsite , to share how TPAS helped her reimagine and reinvigorate their alumni programming. Mickenzie opens up about how the mentorship, tools, and community she found through TPAS gave her the confidence and clarity to build an alumni experience that truly matters—one...

We’re back with another powerful episode of The TPAS Drop ! After hearing from our members through recent focus groups, one topic rose to the top: sober living—how to understand it, how to evaluate it, and how to find your alumni the right fit. This week, we sit down with Terin Devoto Noonan , founder and executive director of Purpose House Sober Living in Northern Colorado. Tarin's journey from c...

When the alumni program at Sandstone Care first began, it was little more than a concept without structure or direction. With no established framework or dedicated resources, the program consisted of a list of former clients from the past two years—and the challenge to transform it into something meaningful. It was a starting point filled with uncertainty and the need for guidance. TPAS Executive...

Welcome to the TPAS Drop, the exclusive podcast for TPAS members. Each episode is designed to fit your busy day and fuel your work, featuring real-world case studies, candid conversations with alumni experts, and highlights from our monthly training workshops — all on the go. Hit subscribe, tell your team, and get ready for smart tips, real talk, and maybe even a little pep talk now and then. Than...