Cover2 Resources

Greg talks with Ted St. John, the Director of Operations at First Step Recovery. First Step Recovery is substance addiction detox center located in Warren, Ohio. Ted himself is a recovering addict who has struggled with opioid and alcohol addiction.

A recent overdose crisis in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 27, 2016 made headlines after the city dealt with 78 overdoses over a span of 2 days. The USA Today article on the tragedy referenced the outstanding overdose statistics of Hamilton County, located just north of Cincinnati. The county reported having a 35% decrease in overdoses compared to just last year.

Greg interviews Wayne Campbell, the president of Tyler’s Light. Tyler’s Light is a resource for those in Pickerington and Fairfield County, Ohio focused on preventing drug addiction. The foundation sheds light on the severity of drug addiction via community engagement, awareness, education and support.

Dr. Gary Martin discusses the opioid epidemic in Boca Raton. He is a Former Detective for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in the Department of Violent Crimes. He is also the founder of NOPE Task Force, the Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education, located in Boca Raton. Dr. Martin has over 28 years of experience investigating narcotics related cases.

Dr. Brown discusses the options of treatment for opioid addicts at Meridian HealthCare, located in Youngstown, Ohio. Dr. Brown is the Doctor of Osteopathic medicine and the Chief Medical Officer at Meridian HealthCare. The facility is a community based, integrated agency with a goal of serving individuals and families struggling with addiction.

Huntington, West Virginia made headlines this past Monday, August 15, 2016, after 26 people overdosed on heroin in the span of only 4 hours. Thankfully, there were no deaths and everyone who overdosed survived due to the quick response time of emergency services. Gordon Merry, EMS Director, acted quickly and diverted his resources in an effective manner. “Quite honestly, there should have been deaths in this,” Merry says, “Monday was one of the worst days we have had in dealing with a drug overdose incident.”

Detective Piatchek discusses how to detect the signs of opioid addiction in a family member and how to potentially prevent an overdose. Detective Piatchek works in the Palm Beach County Sheriff Office in the Violent Crimes and Homicide Division.

George Loucas discusses the increase of the opioid epidemic over the last 10 years. Mr. Loucas is the founder of Loucas Law, a medical malpractice firm that specializes in wrongful death cases involving prescription opiates.

Denny founded F I Community Housing in 1995. Today, it’s Ohio’s largest peer-operated recovery community. Denny’s past informs his present mission in fighting the opioid epidemic: by the age of 25, he was addicted to several drugs, including heroin, crack cocaine, and alcohol. After he went through a 21-day recovery program, Denny was awarded a 14-day stay in a sober house. He came under the wing of a mentor who created a safe space and gave him hope. “He was the world’s first recovery coach, to me,” Denny says. “He asked me one key question. What is it that you want?”

In Episode 16 of the Cover2 Resources Podcast, Greg recaps everything we covered in Season 2. He also preps us for Season 3 of the Cover2 Resources Podcast, which launches August 2016.

Greg interviews Ohio State Representative Robert Sprague, 83rd House District. As chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, Representative Sprague brings an important perspective to the fight against the opioid epidemic: since taking office, he has sponsored or endorsed 14 pieces of opioid-related legislation.

Greg interviews Bill Denihan, CEO of ADAMHS, Cuyahoga County. The Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County serves residents who need help in these areas. Bill talks to Greg about the process of detox and what must happen afterward to ensure a successful recovery.

Greg interviews Lori Criss, Associate Director of the Ohio Council of Behavioral, Health, and Family Service Providers. Lori discusses the path which families should take in helping an addicted loved one who is ready to get treatment.

Greg interviews Tom Stuber, president and CEO of LCADA Way Wellness and Recovery. Tom reviews the treatment records of Greg’s son Sam and talks about the process of relapse. Greg clarifies that this review is not for the purpose of blaming anyone, but rather to uncover any information that may help other families with a loved one who is addicted.

Greg interviews Ed Hughes, CEO of The Counseling Center, Portsmouth, OH. Ed talks about the lessons which families can learn from the national opiate epidemic that started in Portsmouth. Ed traces a short history of the Portsmouth epidemic—how storefront pain clinics legally prescribed opiates and eventually drew out-of-state customers. Then he discusses what families of addicts can do to help their loved one.

Greg interviews Emily Metz, program coordinator at Project DAWN, an opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) program. The acronym DAWN stands for “deaths avoided with naloxone,” and that’s exactly what the program accomplishes. Naloxone, also known as narcan, is the antidote to any type of opiate overdose. The program distributes naloxone kits for free to those who need them, and it also educates community members on how to recognize and respond to an overdose.

In Episode 8 of the Cover2 Resources Podcast, Greg recaps everything we covered in Season 1. He also preps us for Season 2 of the Cover2 Resources Podcast, which launches July 28, 2016.

In this episode of the Cover2 Resources Podcast, Greg McNeil, Founder and President, interviews Bill Gilliland, the Chief Operating Officer of Treatment Alternatives in Boca Raton, Florida. Treatment Alternatives, also known as the “Boca House,” is the last place where Greg’s son Sam underwent rehab.

In this episode of the Cover2 Podcast, Greg interviews Chico Lewis and Roger Lowe on-site at the Free Clinic Needle Exchange in Cleveland. They discuss the program, which allows drug users to trade their needles for clean ones. This helps prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C.

In this episode of the Cover2 Podcast, Greg interviews Dr. Tom Gilson, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner. Dr. Gilson has worked as a medical examiner for 22 years, the last 5 in Cuyahoga County. In that short span of time, he has seen an opioid epidemic emerge in Northeast Ohio.