What if the biggest challenges in behavioral health aren’t due to lack of effort—but how systems are designed?

In this episode, we sit down with Isamu Pant, author of The Behavioral Health Fix, to explore a practical and refreshingly honest approach to improving care, staff satisfaction, and operations—without waiting for more resources.

Drawing from experience in community behavioral health and scaling systems in high-performance environments, Isamu introduces the Find-Fix-Serve framework—a simple but powerful method to help organizations move from reactive problem-solving to intentional, sustainable change.

This conversation challenges a typical reaction of “checking boxes” and instead invites leaders, clinicians, and teams to ask a more powerful question: Where do we actually want to be—and what’s the smallest step to get there?

We also explore:

• Why behavioral health systems stay stuck in the same problems
• How to identify high-impact “levers” for change
• The role of human connection in an AI-driven future
• And how reframing challenges can restore agency across all levels of care

Whether you’re on the frontlines or in leadership, this episode offers a clear path forward—grounded in reality and built for action.

About the Guest:

Isamu Pant is the founder of Behavioral Health Fix and author of The Behavioral Health Fix: A Leader’s Guide to Better Care, Happier Staff, and Smoother Operations. He works directly with behavioral health and IDD executives to fix long‑standing operational problems and grow without burning out staff or putting care at risk, often in focused 30‑day sprints.

Before launching Behavioral Health Fix, Isamu built the first analytics department and led organization-wide strategic initiatives in a 500‑person community behavioral health center, and later helped Amazon Web Services stand up and scale a new cybersecurity and early AI services organization. He now brings that combination back to the field to help leaders build the operational foundations, governance, and workflows that support better care and staff well‑being – and to layer AI on top of those foundations in ways that actually help, rather than chase tools for their own sake.

Recent appearances include the opening keynote at the Behavioral Health AI Summit and the Behavioral Health Business “Perspectives” podcast on the field’s first AI‑related labor action.

Links:

• Contact: media@behavioralhealthfix.com
• Amazon link: https://a.co/d/0gtbUpmi
• Website: https://www.behavioralhealthfix.com/

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

What role can movies play in addiction recovery?

In this episode, Ted Perkins—author of Addicted in Film: Movies We Love About Habits We Hate and creator of Recovery Movie Meetups—joins the podcast to discuss how film can become a meaningful tool for healing, reflection, and recovery engagement.

Drawing from a background in Hollywood as both a studio executive and screenwriter, Ted shares how his own recovery journey inspired him to watch 100 films focused on addiction and recovery over 100 days. That experience eventually evolved into a book, discussion guides, and a growing program now being used in treatment settings around the world.

This conversation explores:

• How movies help people process addiction and recovery
• The balance between realism and glorification in film
• Recovery as a heroic transformation story
• Why storytelling creates emotional connection and insight
• How Recovery Movie Meetups became a structured clinical intervention
• The future of AI-generated storytelling in treatment and recovery spaces

From classic films to emerging technology, this episode examines how storytelling continues to shape the way people understand addiction, mental health, and recovery.

About the Guest

Ted Perkins is the CEO and founder of Recovery Movie Meetups, an innovative program that transforms Hollywood films into structured, clinically meaningful mutual support experiences for addiction and mental health treatment. A longtime Hollywood screenwriter and media executive, his work bridges storytelling and behavioral health, using film to spark insight, emotional engagement, and lasting change.

Perkins created Recovery Movie Meetups out of his own lived experience with alcohol use disorder, depression, and the psychological toll of constant “what-if” thinking—both personally and professionally as a writer. Drawing on the principles of cinematherapy, he developed a model that uses carefully curated films to help individuals explore addiction, mental health challenges, and recovery in a more accessible and less confrontational way.

His program is now used in hundreds of treatment centers, recovery community organizations, sober homes, schools, and correctional settings across the United States and Canada. By combining film with guided discussion and structured workbooks, Perkins has created a scalable approach that helps participants identify with characters, examine their own behaviors, and engage more deeply in the recovery process.

He is also the author of Addicted in Film: Movies We Love About the Habits We Hate, and continues to advance the use of narrative and visual storytelling as powerful tools for self-reflection, connection, and transformation in behavioral health.

Links:

• www.recoverymoviemeetups.com

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

Prediction markets are changing the way people engage with risk, information, and even real-world events—and they may be the next major challenge in gambling and public health.

In this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery, Abdullah Mahmood, a counselor at Maryhaven in Columbus, Ohio, joins to unpack the rapid rise of prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi. Unlike traditional sports betting, these platforms allow users to bet against one another on outcomes ranging from elections to global crises.

Abdullah shares his journey into problem gambling treatment and highlights how these emerging platforms are already impacting clients—especially those transitioning from sports betting after exclusion. We explore the parallels between the gambling boom and the opioid epidemic, the ethical concerns of betting on real-world tragedies, and the growing integration of prediction markets into mainstream media.

This conversation is a must-listen for clinicians, policymakers, and anyone concerned about the evolving landscape of gambling and its impact on individuals and communities.

About the Guest:

Abdullah Mahmood, LSW, LICDC-GAMB, ICGC-I, OCPS, ICPS, started working with clients at Maryhaven several years ago, before becoming the Administrative Coordinator of the Gambling Intervention Program. He has worked extensively in prevention, treatment, administration, as well as having direct services with clients with mental health concerns, clients with substance use disorder, and clients with disordered gambling.

Abdullah attended Columbus State Community College for his associate’s degree, attended The Ohio State University, for his bachelor’s degree in social work, and lastly Cleveland State University for his master’s in social work. You can learn more about Abdullah and find ways to connect in the podcast notes.

Links:

• https://maryhaven.com/gambling/
• https://www.gamfin.org

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Rachel Docekal, CEO of the Hanley Foundation, to explore how one of the nation’s largest addiction-focused organizations is reshaping prevention, treatment, and recovery. Dr. Docekal shares insights into Hanley’s comprehensive model, serving communities across 34 counties in Florida through prevention programs, professional education, and treatment services. The conversation dives into emerging trends, including the rise of process addictions alongside a shift in substance use patterns where fewer people are drinking, but those who do are experiencing more severe consequences. Looking ahead, Dr. Docekal shares exciting developments, including a recovery-focused bookstore and coffee shop designed as a job training program for individuals transitioning out of treatment. This episode highlights the importance of evolving with the changing landscape of addiction—and the power of community, innovation, and family in long-term recovery.

About the Guest:

For more than two decades, Dr. Rachel Docekal has built a career focused on shifting from what is present to what is possible. Dr. Docekal comes to Hanley Foundation with the unique perspective of having previously served as the organization’s CEO from 2010 to 2015. Drawing on this experience, she now oversees board and donor relations, advancing strategies that support Hanley’s lifesaving programs and expansion initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Chatham College, a Master of Business Administration from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Links:

• https://www.hanleycenter.org/
• https://hanleyfoundation.org/

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

What if we view someone’s journey through the “mosaic” approach to therapy, where individuals are seen as complex, evolving works of art rather than defined by a single mistake or diagnosis. Scott Stolarick, a Master’s-level psychotherapist licensed in Wisconsin and Illinois with over 30 years of experience in trauma and addiction work, discusses stigma, storytelling, and how writing—from poetry to clinical documentation—can become a powerful therapeutic tool.

Scott shares the evolution of trauma-informed care—from a time when trauma was overlooked or minimized, especially in correctional settings, to today’s growing awareness of its impact on behavior, identity, and healing. Drawing from decades of work with court-ordered and clinically marginalized populations, Scott highlights how environments like jails and prisons can both reflect and reinforce trauma—for individuals and staff alike.

We examine the future of trauma treatment, including the opportunities and risks of AI in mental health care, and why human connection remains essential in the healing process.

About the Guest:

Scott Stolarick is a licensed, trauma informed psychotherapist who has been practicing in the state of Illinois for 33 years. He is an experienced administrator and clinical supervisor as well as a seasoned clinician. Scott has Management and Leadership Certifications from the University of Notre Dame and Cornell University. Scott is currently the owner of Mosaic Pathway Counseling in Gurnee, Illinois.

Links:

• Website: www.mosaicpathwaycounseling.org
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-stolarick-lcpc-cctp-298734252/
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/m8p0u5DPy6U

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

How much Is enough? Is money the ultimate goal and what happens if we get there? How do we balance the survival of scarcity and the abundance of wealth? In this episode, we sit down with John Coleman, author of Good Money: 6 Steps to Building a Financial Life with Purpose, to explore the powerful — and often overlooked — connection between money and well-being.

Together, we unpack how financial mindsets formed in childhood shape our adult lives, relationships, and decision-making. John shares why money should be viewed as a tool rather than a destination, and how the pursuit of wealth can sometimes pull people further away from fulfillment. This episode challenges the way we think about success, encouraging a shift from chasing wealth to building a life grounded in purpose, values, and connection.

About the Guest:

John Coleman is an investor, author, and speaker whose work explores the intersection of faith, purpose and finance. He serves as co-CEO of Sovereign’s Capital, a values-driven investment firm active in public equities, private equity and venture capital, and is a co-founder of the Faith Driven Investor movement. A frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, his writing has also appeared in Forbes, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Financial Times and Los Angeles Times. His books include Passion & Purpose, The HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose and even a novel, Miracles. A graduate of Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, Coleman and his wife live in Atlanta with their four children, pursuing the good life he teaches—one marked by purpose, generosity and faithful stewardship.

Links:

• https://www.johnwilliamcoleman.com/meet-john/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwilliamcoleman/details/experience/
• https://onpurpose.substack.com/
• https://www.amazon.com/Good-Money-Building-Financial-Purpose/

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

What if love isn’t just something we feel—but something we are? In this episode of the Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast, we sit down with David Cunningham, author of Your Love Does Matter, to explore transformation, grace, and the lasting impact of our daily interactions. Drawing from decades of leadership—including 35 years with the Landmark Forum and now leading The Awakening—David shares the difference between change and transformation. While change often feels forced and fear-based, transformation creates new possibilities and empowers us from within.

David wrote Your Love Does Matter as a conversational love letter, intentionally designed so readers experience love while reading—not just learn about it. If you work in recovery, mental health, or simply want to live with greater intention, this conversation offers a powerful invitation: expand your love footprint.

About the Guest:

David Cunningham is a renowned transformational teacher, spiritual practitioner, and lifelong advocate for humanity. From humble beginnings in rural Pennsylvania to leading arguably the #1 transformational program on six continents. David's impact spans over 30 years as a senior program leader with Landmark Worldwide, where he helped more than 500,000 people unlock new levels of freedom, authenticity, and love.

His leadership has supported communities in healing, executive leaders in evolving, and people from all walks of life in rediscovering what truly matters in their lives. His book, Your Love Does Matter: A Journey to New Consciousness and Expanding Your Love Footprint, is the distilled summary of all his life work. This book offers a profound path to healing, forgiveness, loving freely and fully, and spiritual growth, helping each of us reclaim the truth that we are here to love. Today, we'll explore David's incredible journey, his transformational teachings, and how each of us can expand our own love footprint in the world.

Links:

• Website: Your Love Does Matter Website: https://www.yourlovedoes matter.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-w-cunningham/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidcunningham.official/#
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/David CunninghamAuthor
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@davidcunningham.official
• Book: Your Love Does Matter: A Journey to New Consciousness and Expanding Your Love Footprint - https://a.co/d/01CPtycg

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.