Origins: Something More Origins Behavioral HealthCare

In this episode, we are talking with Lance Woodly. Lance is the Hanley Center Clinical Chaplain. He is also a clinical social worker and spends his life helping people. 
Lance shares about his background and the path that brought him to seminary and becoming a chaplain. He shares his winding journey to find the ultimate meaning for his life and how even now he is a work in progress.   
 
Show Notes: [00:38] We are excited to welcome Lance Woodly. Lance is a healthcare chaplain and clinical social worker. [02:46] The greatest challenge he finds with being a clinician and academic is that when a question is answered, a thousand more arise.  [03:56] It is always okay to be in process. We are all evolving, growing, learning, and in process. If we are, we are stagnant and that is worse than anything.  [04:22] Do not put pressure on yourself to know everything or to figure life out.  Take life as it comes.  [06:51] If we make meaning of each step, each step in any direction will begin to make sense. We don’t see what is in front of us but we just run committed to the step in front of us.  [07:48] As a chaplain they help carry the load of their brothers and sisters that struggle with any problem that may lie ahead.  To be a chaplain is to be a burden bearer.  [09:55] For the religious and the nonreligious, the idea of making meaning and interpreting their reality becomes essential.  [11:51] His faith was put on trial.  He went from trying to defend the existence of God to see what the benefits are of believing in God.  [13:08] When people are hurting and broken, that's the common ground. [15:46] Lance shares how his journey of music got him to this point.  [17:13] If you want something, you have to work hard for it.  [19:11] In college, he took and flunked his first Bible course but then something just changed.  [20:10] He realized that he approached life naturally as a philosopher. Once he surrendered to that he began to operate in that gift.  [22:43] Lance shares about his guardian angel.  [25:19] His guardian angel took care of him and told him the drug life was not for him and he would take care of him.  [27:52] He became very curious about who he was as a person.   [29:39] Meaning comes up again and again in Lance’s story.  [31:16] What is this teaching me? What has this person’s meaning been in my life?  
Links and Resources: Something More Podcast Origins Website Origins on Facebook Origins on Instagram  

In this episode, we are talking with Rick Hubbard. Rick is the Executive Vice President of Professional Relations at Origins. 
Rick shares about his journey from the commercial banking industry to being the Executive Vice President of Professional Relations. He shares his struggles with alcohol and drugs and finally surrendering to God.  He shares how he found and surrendered to go in the ditch. 
Show Notes: [00:37 We are excited to welcome Rick Hubbard. Rick is the Executive Vice President of Professional Relations at Origins. [01:29] Rick serves as the leader of the Origins professional relations team. Their team is responsible for serving as a liaison between their facilities and the outside world. He builds relationships and those relationships facilitate healing.  [03:41] Through that process of listening they can determine the extent of which the patient is suffering, the patient’s immediate family, and loved ones.  Then they are charged with the responsibility of identifying what a solution can be.  [04:31] Rick shares his journey from working in commercial banking to where he is now. There are many similarities between what he was doing in the banking industry and what he is doing now.   [06:56] Part of the action was to take the home buyers out to dinner and happy hour and he found himself caught up in problematic drinking.   [08:12] He always lived in a certain amount of fear and anxiety and the alcohol helped to treat that for him but eventually it became such a burden that he found himself engaged in behavior that he never thought he would.  [09:43] He got deeper and deeper into alcohol and drug use. It wore him down and eventually he found himself in a treatment center for the first time in 2000.   [11:32] When he went to the addiction center for the second time they told him that they could help him but they would need to change everything about himself but if he was not willing nothing would change.   [13:23] He learned that there were things in his life that were more important to him and if he would give up those things and find a God of my understanding that his life would get better, but he would have to surrender.  [15:33] His mom's words to not come back until he got it right haunted him and motivated him to get it right.  [17:01] Rick shares his experience about getting a construction job.  [19:45] He found himself praying as he was digging the ditches. After a while he surrendered and asked God to give him the perseverance for the work.  [21:08] He was literally in a ditch and he found God in a ditch in Abilene, Texas. He learned that no matter what he thinks he needs, God’s plan is always much better and a greater plan than anything he could devise.   [22:29] His sponsor told him that he knew what to do and now you need to do it.  [24:01] His faith grew more and more as he was better able to put his trust in the God of his understanding. The evidence was true that there was a power greater than him working in his life and if he would just surrender everything was going to be okay and get better.  [26:07] Doing God’s will sometimes means accepting where we are and doing the next right thing and the best we can.  [28:05] One year and three weeks after he took that construction job, he got a call from the treatment center CEO saying he had a job for him. He realized that everything in his life had prepared him for that moment and he realized that is why he suffered.  [30:29] None of us can avoid suffering. Our suffering can either be something that clings on and keeps us sick or that is transformed into something that has meaning and value.  [33:03] He is seeing things today that he didn’t see forty years ago in the inner cities and communities of color. The degree to which he sees people suffering from various levels of mental health disorders has seemed to increase drastically in the past three to four years.  Many are also struggling with substance abuse.  [34:5

In this episode, we are talking with Vanessa Brenner. Vanessa is the Clinical Program Director at the Hanley Center at Origins.  
Vanessa shares about her journey from the finance industry to being a family counselor and recently returning to the women’s unit as the Program Director. She shares the impact kind words and encouragement have on her own life and how life-giving it can be to offer the same to others. She also shares about being genuine and honest with others even when it can be tough. 
Show Notes: [00:39] We are excited to welcome Vanessa Brenner. Vanessa is the Clinical Program Director at the Hanley Center at Origins.  [01:20] She is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida. She has been living in Florida since 2008 and prior to coming to Florida, she worked in the finance industry.  [02:54] When she changed industries and went back to school, she knew from the very beginning that she wanted to work with addicts and alcoholics. [04:37] When she came to Hanley, she started working with families. She is a family counselor, mother, fiance, and exerciser.  [06:30] She is returning as the Program Director of the women’s unit.    [08:38] We are all human. There are times when we feel very frustrated, stuck, and that we are not getting anywhere.   [10:13] It is okay to be stuck. There is hope. We are not going to be stuck forever. Kind words or encouragement can often help someone get out of their rut. [11:21] Think about where you can be that encouragement for others.   [12:58] You have no idea the impact you can make when reaching out to someone. Vanessa keeps a special email folder with notes of encouragement she has received.   [14:47] It isn’t about the big things. It is about the little things we can do to support and encourage others.   [15:58] Her own alcoholism and experimenting with drug use brought her to a place where she knew she wanted to help people.   [17:02] She felt like she wanted to share her human experience with others.   [19:25] Drinking was a very big part of the culture she was immersed in, but not her home culture. [20:26] She suffered serious consequences from her drinking and that sealed the deal that she didn’t want to go on like that. She did some treatment, got a sponsor, and worked the Twelve Steps.  [21:34] You can live with this and have a happy life sober. It is not easy sometimes, but it is a lot easier than the other way.   [23:32] Being genuine is telling people the truth. The truth isn’t always easy, but it is necessary.   [24:51] Everyone of us is going to encounter people and that means that we have multiple opportunities for an act of kindness and something that can build people up. Look for the moments to build someone up today.     [26:39] We have opportunities to build someone up and help them get out of the rut that we all struggle with.  Links and Resources: Something More Podcast Origins Website Origins on Facebook Origins on Instagram  

In this episode, we are talking with Bart Ross. Bart is the Recovery & Alumni Services Coordinator on the Florida campuses. 
Bart shares about his journey and how he got to where he is now. He shares his story of surrendering to God out of desperation and how everything changed. He also shares about how he works on his relationship and relies on God daily for strength, especially in uncomfortable or anxious situations. 
Show Notes: [00:41] We are excited to welcome Bart Ross. Bart is the Recovery & Alumni Care Services Coordinator on the Florida campuses. [01:56] Bart was born in Queens, New York.  He has a passion and love for helping people.   [03:10] His father taught him a good work ethic at his business.  He struggled to fit in with people and discovered alcohol.   [04:51] He shares his experience in the 12 Step process and surrendering to God. [06:50] He found God and everything changed.  He was willing to believe out of desperation.    [08:12] He works on his relationship with God every day.   [09:38] He needed a God so big that he couldn’t figure it out and didn’t know all the answers.   [10:48] He relies on God to give him the strength to do things outside of his comfort zone instead of running.  He was actually robbing himself of those experiences.  [11:59] When we are healthy, we are still struggling.     [12:21] He needs to speak to God about the alcoholic before I speak to the alcoholic about God.  [13:58] One morning he woke up in desperation and his friend told him where to find a 12 Step meeting. They convinced him to keep coming to the meetings.  [16:10] He started his journey very oppositionally.   [17:32] God was always in his life.  He just didn’t acknowledge it. [18:32] Bart’s sponsor told him to go to meetings until he liked them and now he loves them.  [20:20] We can miss the beauty of the forest because of the ugliness of some of the trees.  We often give God a bad rap because of some of the representatives.  [22:48] If someone is struggling and they don’t see hope, they probably don’t even know what is wrong with them.  [23:08] You can’t fix something if you don’t know what is broken.  [24:32] If at some point you say you shouldn’t be doing this anymore, and you’re doing it anyway, it has now become a problem.  It is the loss of will and ability to choose. [26:15] Every day he asks God to direct his thinking and plan his day. He doesn’t need the power to keep himself sober because God has got it.  [27:57] If Bart had to make the choice each day, he would be nervous.  Based on his track record he would make the wrong choice.  [30:18] The greatest gift in the world is to be able to show somebody a path to being recovered.  [31:46] If you’re struggling with finding help and finding recovery, you are not alone. You don’t have to have it all figured out.  [33:52] He can’t deny that his life changed when he turned it over to the care of a higher power.  He doesn’t know how it happened, but he can’t deny it.   [35:01] Recovery and spiritual wholeness and wellness aren’t about your problems all going away.  It is about being able to struggle successfully.   Links and Resources: Something More Podcast Origins Website Origins on Facebook Origins on Instagram

In this episode, we are talking with Dr. Michael Hernandez. Michael is the medical director and psychiatrist at our South Padre Island location in Texas. He works in several different psychiatric specialties at this location.  
Michael shares about his day to day work experience and why he enjoys his work so much. He also shares about his journey as a dad, physician, and psychiatrist. We wrap up our discussion talking about the importance of finding little ways to feed your spirit.  
Show Notes: [00:43] We are excited to welcome Dr. Michael Hernandez.  [01:55] During the daytime he is a psychiatrist and he works in every aspect of the field from acute care to dealing with the chronically mentally ill. Now he has had further exposure to substance abuse disorders.    [03:35] He enjoys working in all these different aspects of psychiatry because his workday looks different each day.   [05:26] In school he had plans to go to college and become a doctor. In high school, he went to a magnet school and studied health careers. Then he changed courses to engineering but ended up going back and attending medical school.  [06:58] Psychiatry felt the most like home for Dr. Hernandez.   [09:04] You don’t really know if a career path is a perfect fit for you until you are in it. You really don’t know until you try.   [09:34] You might find that you want something, but when you are in it actually isn’t the right fit for you. That is part of the journey.   [10:54] Health would be thriving in the different aspects of mind, body, and spirit.   [13:01] A healthy body is important, but it is also important to incorporate the mental aspect of it.   [13:41] If we want to continue to grow, we have to do the hard stuff.   [14:10] We have to take the time to figure out what we need individually to thrive.  It is usually different for each of us.  [15:13] Often exploration is turning the eye inward and figuring out yourself and what works for you.  [18:11] Many people are struggling because of the current health crisis and there are also a lot of people under a sense of political stress. It is time to get them from the fear they are feeling and get them grounded in the realities in their environment.  [19:38] Sometimes we need to go through our level of needs checklist and assess if our needs are being met and ask what areas could change be made to make you feel more comfortable.   [20:39] What are my basic needs and are they being met? If basic needs aren’t being met, how can I make that happen? What are the things I want that bring me comfort and how can I make them a little bit better? [21:19] Cara shares about the self-care plan she made for herself.   [22:55] Your body does need food, shelter, and clothing but your mind and spirit also need curiosity, learning, and peace. It is hard to feel good if you are not at least on that journey in that direction.  [23:42] What is one thing that you will do today that will help you stay grounded and make things a little better? Exercise, meditation, and music are all great examples of small things that can keep us grounded.    [25:26] Find these little things that can feed your spirit.    Links and Resources: Something More Podcast Origins Website Origins on Facebook Origins on Instagram

In this episode, we are talking with Scott Vandenberg. Scott is the Executive Director of Origins Recovery Center, Hananh’s House and the PHP/IOP programs on South Padre Island, TX. Scott has been a dedicated member of the Origins team since 2014. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Boise State University and a Master of Arts degree in addiction studies from Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and Certified Anger Resolution Therapist. Scott’s approach to co-occurring disorders treatment integrates clinical science and 12-Step recovery methodologies to provide services and interventions that address the physical, mental, and spiritual elements of substance use and mental health disorders.
Scott shares his journey to recovery and becoming the program director. He shares his story, what he learned along the way, and how the 12-Step recovery methods finally helped start his recovery.  
Show Notes: [00:42] We are excited to welcome Scott Vandenberg.  [02:34] Scott is the senior program director at Origins South Padre Island.  He takes the safety of the patients and the integrity of the program very seriously.   [03:40] They are a twelve-step program, but also offer other services that are in place to support the process of the patients through the twelve steps.   [05:47] In order to be able to navigate this world and maintain our own sanity and mental health, we need to be able to rely on some humor and see the light side in everything.   [07:56] Humor is such a beautiful thing and so necessary in all healthcare.   [08:41] Like most of the people working in this field he is not motivated by fortune and glory, but instead genuine concern for others.  He is also in recovery since 2012. [10:12] His drug and alcohol use started in college and escalated over a number of years.  [10:54] Scott was stuck in this place in which he was motivated by nothing except changing the way he felt.   [11:32] At the end of the day he never liked himself and always had this emptiness inside of him.  [13:01] He knew he was going to die if he kept drinking. Fear of dying kept him abstinent for ten days. He didn’t understand why he was drinking when he didn’t want to.  [15:30] He knew he had a problem with drugs and alcohol. He was unwilling to refer to himself as an alcoholic or drug addict. He started to experience some medical and physical consequences.   [17:57] During his first rehab experience he had an epiphany that he may be able to help people in rehab professionally. He really connected with that world.  [18:38] He had great intentions when he got out of rehab the first time and he lasted for two weeks because he didn’t follow any of the aftercare recommendations.  [20:21] Scott shares his story of being arrested, going to jail, and detoxing in jail.  [21:24] Over the course of four years, in and out of multiple rehabs he had nothing left. Every time he went to rehab he would have a great experience and when he got out he would typically be drunk again within hours.  [22:47] As a last effort his mom put him on a plane in May of 2012 and he came to Origins. In the past, he had never got well and recovered from his illness or got the tools he needed.  [23:56] He didn’t know how to navigate the recovery world outside of treatment.  [25:24] The past rehabs suggested that he had the power to keep himself sober if he just made better decisions and it almost killed him. He wasn’t in control of himself or his own actions. [27:45] He had periods of detoxing, but for some reason, he would always go back, and then once he went back he couldn’t control how much he drank or used and he couldn’t stop without help.   [29:51] He came to this new understanding that he was different, it was not a matter of choice, and he didn’t have the power to stop. [31:19] He kicked and screamed his w