Rick Mountcastle is an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia and a Retired Federal Prosecutor.   Operating from a small, satellite U.S. Attorney's Office in Abingdon, Virginia, Rick led the investigation and prosecution of Purdue Pharma, as well as its CEO, General Counsel, and Chief Medical Officer, in an unprecedented case, that, at the inception of the opioid crisis, held an opioid manufacturer and its top executives criminally and civilly responsible for falsely marketing OxyContin. (This case was at the center of Beth Macy's best-selling book, "Dopesick," and the Hulu television series of the same name that first premiered in October 2021.)   After moving to the US Attorney’s office headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia, Rick led the investigation and prosecution of Abbott Laboratories for its false marketing of the epilepsy drug, Depakote, resulting in criminal and civil penalties totaling $1.5 Billion (at the time the largest pharmaceutical settlement involving a single drug in U.S. history).   As acting/interim U.S. Attorney from January 2017 through April 2018, Rick led the federal response to the violence at the Charlottesville Unite-the-Right rally on August 12, 2017, personally directing the opening of the federal civil rights investigation of Heather Heyer's killer and other violent extremists, ensuring that the federal case was staffed by the office's best attorneys, coordinating with the local prosecutor's office, and coordinating with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also initiated the federal-state task force to address gang violence in Danville, Virginia, resulting in the return of federal indictments against members of two violent gangs.   Now with the Virginia Attorney General's Office, Rick currently works to address the opioid crisis by conducting parallel criminal-civil investigations of health care providers who prescribe controlled substances without legitimate medical purpose.   In our conversation, Rick shares insight from the Perdue Pharma case and speaks to the larger issue of corruption and how that led to America's addiction epidemic. We also discuss the negative impact of stigma toward those who struggle with addiction as well as the importance of prevention and education. Resources mentioned in this episode: BOOK: Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe SAMHSA Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)      

Josh Diamond, Katie Mitchell and Katie Forsyth provide an overview of the Appalachian Replication Project (SexEdVA) at James Madison University's Institute for Innovation in Health & Human Services. The program strives to equip teens, caregivers, and community members with the education and skills that allow young people to make the healthiest decisions for themselves when it comes to sex and relationships. Resources mentioned in this episode:https://www.sexedva.org https://www.talkwithyourkids.org https://www.adolescenthealth.org https://www.cdc.gov https://www.hhs.gov https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/new-river/ https://www.nrvroadtowellness.com     SHOW LESS    

Laura Kate Jennings-Brink is the Southwest Regional Hepatitis C Coordinator with the Virginia Department of Health. In our conversation, we discuss the alarming prevalence of Hepatitis C in the region, as well as the populations who are at highest risk, available treatment options and prevention methods. Resources mentioned in this episode: HepVu: Understanding Hepatitis C Where You Live - http://www.hepvu.org National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable - http://www.nvhr.org/ Book recommendation: Dopesick (Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America) - Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Dopesick-Dealers-Doctors-Company-Addicted/dp/0316551244 The Crime of the Century (HBO docuseries) official trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkU75sBdjdU Additional resources: HELP-4-HEP hotline (assists patients in finding care and support) - http://www.help4hep.org (877-435-7443) https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/10/2016/06/Virginia-Hepatitis-C-Epidemiologic-Profile-2016.pdf (This is the data published by VDH central office in 2016 depicting Hep C data statewide.) Other suggested reading material: Fentanyl Inc. by Ben Westhoff Death in Mudlick by Eric Eyre

Drs. Brandy Faulkner and Lucien Holness, both professors at Virginia Tech, share the history and significance of Juneteenth. We also discuss the current state of race relations in the United States.

Dr. Mary Crozier has been in the field of substance abuse education, prevention, and intervention for over 40 years and currently serves as a consultant to Community Coalitions of Virginia. In our discussion, Dr. Crozier explains the importance of substance use prevention, as well as the value of strong, effective coalitions. We also have an extended discussion around the new legislation that will make adult use of marijuana legal in Virginia, effective July 1.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Community Coalitions of Virginia website - http://communitycoalitionsofva.com/ Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) website: http://www.cadca.org/   Community ToolBox website (University of Kansas): http://ctb.ku.edu/en   Center for Substance Abuse Prevention website: http://www.samhsa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/offices-centers/csap   Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) website: http://learnaboutsam.org/  

Kristen Mallory spends most of her time in a wheelchair these days - a constant reminder of the accident that nearly claimed her life almost eight years ago. Kristen, who was 16 at the time, and her mother, Susan, were headed to their home in Chesterfield County, Virginia, the night of June 9, 2013 when their vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Kristen was severely injured and continues to struggle with the physical and emotional pain caused by that incident. Despite the many challenges she’s now faced with, Kristen works every day to share her story to help prevent others from being harmed by drinking and driving. Along with her parents, Kristen has founded a non-profit to help spread awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. The mission of Mallory’s Movement Against Drunk Driving is to reduce the number of individuals and families impacted by drunk driving through direct education efforts and by educating drivers, future/potential drivers, and passengers about the dangers of driving impaired, or being a passenger with an impaired driver. Additional resources: Mallory's Movement Against Drunk Driving website: http://www.mallorysmovement.org Mallory's Movement Against Drunk Driving on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mallorysmovement Giles Youth-Adult Partnership Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gilesyap Sponsor Information: Teen Connections - https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-atlantic/education-programs/teen-connections Contact: Malinda Britt, PPSAT Community Health Educator [email protected] / (540) 315-2130

Melissa McGinn, MSW, LCSW, is currently Director of Community Prevention Programs for Greater Richmond Stop Child Abuse Now or “SCAN”) and she also serves as State Coordinator for Virginia’s Trauma Informed Community Networks. In our discussion, we cover the upcoming observance of Resilience Week in Virginia (May 2 - 8), along with the state's growing number of Trauma Informed Communities. Melissa also shares a number of resources related to both trauma and resilience. Resources mentioned in this episode:Greater Richmond SCAN website: http://www.grscan.org​PACEs (Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences): http://www.acesconnection.com​ (there is no "p" in the URL address) Book - "What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing" by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD & Oprah Winfrey (Amazon link): https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-...​ Sponsor Information:Teen Connections - https://www.plannedparenthood.org/pla...​ Contact: Malinda Britt, PPSAT Community Health Educator [email protected] / (540) 315-2130

Jill Anderson and Patrick Halpern of New River Valley Community Services discuss the agency's long-running history with the Crisis Intervention Team model, as well as the development of a new crisis center for persons experiencing behavioral health emergencies. Resources mentioned in this episode: New River Valley Community Services website - http://www.nrvcs.org Virginia Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coalition website - http://www.virginiacit.org National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care: A Best Practice Toolkit - http://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/national-guidelines-for-behavioral-health-crisis-care-02242020.pdf Sponsor information: Teen Connections - https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-atlantic/education-programs/teen-connections Contact: Malinda Britt, PPSAT Community Health Educator [email protected] / (540) 315-2130

Moe McClanahan, a retired police officer, is the Director of Training and Education with the Safe Surfin’ Foundation and a High-Tech Crime Specialist with the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). In our discussion, we talk about some of the issues associated with use of the internet and social media apps that are popular with you - but maybe not as familiar for parents, grandparents or other caregivers. Resources mentioned in this episode: Safe Surfin' Foundation website - http://www.safesurfin.org​Safe Surfin' on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/safesurfinfou...​Safe Surfin' on Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/safe.surfin​ Sponsor Information:Teen Connections - https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-atlantic/education-programs/teen-connections Contact: Malinda Britt, PPSAT Community Health Educator [email protected] / (540) 315-2130

In this episode, we chat with Megan Sharkey, REACH (Recovery Education and Creative Healing) Program Director for VOCAL - a peer-run organization in Virginia that provides education and awareness, while advocating on behalf of persons in recovery.   In our conversation, Megan shares an overview of VOCAL's programs, along with some of her own recovery journey. We also discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on behavioral health and recovery, as well as the pros and cons of social media. Resources mentioned in this episode: VOCAL's website: http://www.virginiavocal.org​Fire Stories: Further Thoughts on Radically Rethinking Mental Illness (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Stories-V...​ (Amazon link) NAMI Virginia website: http://www.namivirginia.org​Mental Health America of Virginia website: http://www.mhav.org​ Wildflower Alliance website: http://www.wildfloweralliance.org​ Sponsor Information: Teen Connections https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-atlantic/education-programs/teen-connections Contact: Malinda Britt, PPSAT Community Health Educator [email protected] / (540) 315-2130