Pattie’s life is a testament to the profound strength of the human spirit and the ability to find purpose amid overwhelming pain. After facing the heart-wrenching challenges of having two of her three children struggle with substance use disorder, Pattie’s world was further shaken when her son, Joel, lost his decades-long battle with the disease in 2017. In the wake of this profound loss, Pattie became determined to better understand the family experience of addiction. She has since used her own lived experience to support and guide others who are navigating the isolating and stigmatizing road of addiction and loss.

As a Compassionate Bereavement Care™ Certified Provider and Kessler Certified Grief Educator, Pattie works with individuals, families, and communities impacted by loss. She is a Peer Parent Coach with the Partnership to End Addiction, and co-facilitates their online grief support community, and is the host of Finding Hope After Loss, Grief Support groups for The Happier Life Project. She is also an Advisor and facilitator with the Hopestream Community, certified in the CRAFT and Invitation to Change models. As an advocate for recovery policies, she is a California State Organizer with the Recovery Advocacy Project, serves on the RCO/RCC Advisory Committee, and was named the 2022 Architect of Recovery by CCAPP (CA Consortium of Addiction Professionals.) Her book, Secrets, Scars and Heart Shaped Jars, shares her family’s journey through addiction, loss and recovery.

Pattie Vargas and Being a Grief Educator

Mary Beth O’Connor has been sober from her methamphetamine use disorder since 1994. She also is in recovery from abuse, trauma, and anxiety. She wrote about her story in her award-winning memoir From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.

Mary Beth is a director for She Recovers Foundation and for LifeRing Secular Recovery. She also is on the Advisory Council for The Hyer Calling Foundation. She regularly speaks on behalf of these organizations and about multiple paths to recovery. This includes television, radio, conferences, podcasts, and recovery houses. She develops relationships with other organizations, such as Women for Sobriety and trains attorneys, judges, and medical professionals.

Mary Beth regularly writes opinion pieces which have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Recovery Today, and other publications. Her memoir writings have been published in Memoir Magazine, Awakenings, and Ravens Perch among others.

Professionally, six years into her recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm, then litigated class actions for the federal government. In 2014 she was appointed a federal Administrative Law Judge from which position she retired early in 2020.

From Junkie to Judge’s Mary Beth O’Connor

Dr. Best is Professor and Director of the Centre for Addiction Recovery Research (CARR) at Leeds Trinity University, Honorary Professor of Regulation and Global Governance at The Australian National University, Adjunct Associate Professor of Addiction Science at Monash University (Melbourne) and Affiliate Senior Scientist at the Public Health Institute in California. He is also a founding member of the College of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations in the UK and of the Inclusive Recovery Cities movement where he is chair of Inclusive Recovery Cities UK.

Trained as a psychologist and criminologist, he has worked in practice, research and policy in the areas of addiction recovery and rehabilitation of offenders. He has authored or co-edited seven books on addiction recovery and desistance from offending and has written more than 240 peer-reviewed journal publications and around 70 book chapters and technical reports. As of December 2024, he has an h-index of 44 and a total of 7005 citations of his academic work. He is one of the leading academics in the area of addiction recovery and a key innovator in developing recovery capital measurement tools and methods.

Episode 28: Dr. David Best of the Centre for Addiction Recovery Research

Gina Thorne brings three decades of expertise in behavioral health, specializing in business development and marketing. Her extensive background spans private and public sectors, working with in-patient treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals, and educational institutions across several states, including Florida, New York, and Colorado.

Gina has been instrumental in leading marketing, alumni relations, and admissions efforts for prominent treatment programs on both coasts. Her achievements include co-founding the Colorado Professional Liaison Association (CO-PLA) and serving in key roles like Board Co-Chair for Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services (TPAS). With a deep understanding of mental health and substance use disorder treatment, Gina excels at collaborating with revenue-generating departments to drive sustainable census growth. In 2021, she launched GTC Consulting, focusing on overcoming barriers to growth and enhancing organizational visibility within the behavioral health landscape.

Episode 27: Gina Thorne with GTC Consulting

Nick Jaworski is an internationally recognized executive in the field of behavioral health marketing and operational consulting with experience building organizations across four continents. As the owner of Circle Social Inc., he has helped healthcare organizations ranging in revenue from $10 million to $300 million a year perform turn-rounds and accelerate growth.

He is a recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Award for his work in mental health, is an adviser to the board for the National Behavioral Health Association of Providers, and is also on the board for one of the most innovative treatment programs in the country – Above and Beyond Recovery in Chicago. When he's not online, he can be found spending time with his favorite person in the whole world, his daughter.

Episode 26: Marketing in the Industry with Nick Jaworski

A native of New Jersey, who now lives in Oklahoma, Mark Attanasi has been in recovery for 25 years. He is currently the CEO of IC&RC which provides peer credentialing exams.

He brings a wealth of knowledge, and formerly served as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Drug & Alcohol Professional Counselor Association since 2010. Moreover, Attanasi has over 21 years of non-profit leadership experience, and has been in the behavioral health field since 1999.

Episode 25: Mark Attanasi with IC&RC

Drew LaBoon serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Pathways Recovery Centers, where he combines leadership, operational excellence, and a passion for innovation to advance substance abuse treatment. In addition to his role at Pathways, Drew is the Co-Founder and President of the Board of Pathways to Innovation, a nonprofit organization focused on transforming the mental health and substance abuse treatment industry.

Drew is a retired Special Operator who served in multiple high-stress combat deployments. His military career instilled in him resilience, leadership, and a solutions-oriented mindset, all of which he applies to his work in healthcare. A passionate advocate for recovery, Drew draws from his own journey of overcoming substance abuse to inspire others. Through his work, Drew is driving meaningful change in the lives of those impacted by substance abuse, setting a new standard for care in the industry.

Episode 24: Drew LaBoon of Pathways 

Tim Cesario has worked in the field of substance use counseling since 1990 as a counselor, clinical supervisor, team leader and program director. He currently serves as the Director of Recovery Services for Cumberland River Behavioral Health, Inc. During his time as director, Tim developed programs to meet the needs of people with substance use disorder in underserved areas of southeastern Kentucky. In 2012, he founded TJC Consulting, LLC, and provides consultation to organizations seeking to develop treatment programs, assist with grant writing and provides trainings throughout Kentucky and several other states.

Tim is the former Chair of IC&RC's Board of Directors, a position he held from May of 2021 until October of 2023. Tim was a member of the Kentucky Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors from August 2014 to January of 2024 and served as board chair from November of 2018 until leaving the board. He currently serves as chair of the Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy, a role he has held since August of 2020.

Episode 23: Tim Cesario with  TJC Consulting, LLC

Dr. Louise Stanger LCSW, CDWF, CIP, CILC is a preeminent interventionist, family clinician /coach and thought leader in the behavioral health (mental health and addition) industry. She serves as Director of Family Services for YPM, a global initiative to help mitigate risk. She also serves as a clinician Interventionist for The Balance - Mallorca, Zurich London.

Dr. Louise has received many distinguished awards for her work. She is a prolific writer with over 500 blog posts and magazine and newspaper articles, and the author of four books. She continues to do her own original work looking at families, trauma and how one can help others matter in a world full chaos.

Episode 22: Dr. Louise Stanger with All About Interventions

Julie Seitz is a Project Director with the Impaired Driving Solutions (IDS), All Rise (formerly NADCP) division, providing training and technical assistance to the treatment court field. Julie joined IDS in 2018, bringing 20 years of experience working in the clinical sector and community program development. Before joining IDS, Julie was the clinical director of an internationally recognized treatment center offering the entire continuum of clinical care, including a first-of-its-kind direct access opioid withdrawal unit, where she was the project lead. As a published author and clinician, she has spent the last 20 years of her career giving clients a voice. Her work with clients has focused feedback informed, research, and outcome-driven practice. Julie has trained at the local, national, and international levels.

Episode 21: Julie Seitz with All Rise

Welcome to Destination Change, a podcast where we talk addiction recovery, treatment, and more.