From Prevention to Recovery with Marcel Gemme

Marcel Gemme

From Prevention to Recovery is a video podcast that explores substance use prevention, recovery, and community impact through honest conversations with professionals and people with lived experience. Each episode focuses on education, real-world insight, and practical understanding, presented in a respectful, trustworthy, and human way.

Season 1

  1. P2R Episode 4 | Breaking Stigma and Saving Lives: Fire Chief Jan Rader on Frontline Compassion in the Opioid Crisis

    Episode 4

    P2R Episode 4 | Breaking Stigma and Saving Lives: Fire Chief Jan Rader on Frontline Compassion in the Opioid Crisis

    In this powerful episode of From Prevention to Recovery, host Marcel Gemme sits down with Jan Rader, West Virginia's first female fire chief and a pioneering force in changing how communities respond to the opioid epidemic. Featured in the Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary "Heroin(e)," Jan shares her remarkable journey from witnessing a cardiac arrest in a jewelry store to becoming one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. Jan discusses how Huntington, West Virginia, became known as "ground zero" for the opioid crisis—not because it was the worst affected, but because they chose transparency over silence. She reveals how her dual background as a paramedic and nurse shaped her compassionate approach to addiction, treating every person with dignity regardless of their circumstances. Listeners will learn about: The critical importance of destigmatizing substance use disorderHow collaboration between agencies creates real community changeThe power of harm reduction programs and why they save livesWhat Jan learned directly from her patients about addictionPractical advice for families dealing with loved ones struggling with addictionPrevention strategies that actually work for young peopleJan's message is clear: people do recover, and how we treat those struggling with addiction can make all the difference. This episode is essential listening for anyone touched by addiction, first responders, healthcare workers, and community leaders looking to create meaningful change.

    35 min
  2. P2R Episode 6 | Susan Chubbs: 9 Years Inside Rehab, Natural Health Recovery & Helping Canadians Find Treatment

    Episode 6

    P2R Episode 6 | Susan Chubbs: 9 Years Inside Rehab, Natural Health Recovery & Helping Canadians Find Treatment

    Susan Chubbs spent nine years working inside a residential rehab facility before moving into private consulting and online counseling. With over 33 years of personal recovery, she now helps Canadians navigate their treatment options while integrating natural health into her approach to healing. In this conversation with Marcel Gemme, Susan shares what recovery really looks like from the inside out — the daily realities of working in a treatment center, the challenges of co-ed programs, and why she believes healing the body through vitamin therapy and natural approaches is often what makes recovery stick. Susan and Marcel also dig into the state of addiction treatment in Canada, the gap between public and private options, and the very real danger of families waiting too long to act. Whether you're a professional, a family member, or someone thinking about getting help, this episode is packed with practical, straight-talking insight. In this episode: What 9 years inside a rehab facility taught Susan about real recoveryWhy co-ed treatment programs come with unique risksHow vitamin therapy supports physical healing in early sobrietyThe biggest misconceptions about rehab — cost, control, and success ratesPublic vs. private treatment in Canada: access, wait times, and quality of careWhy "rock bottom" is a dangerous idea — and what families should do insteadHow to talk to a loved one who is struggling (the exact language that works)Short-term vs. long-term treatment: what length is actually enough?What it takes to build a recovery that lasts beyond the programConnect with Susan Chubbs: Website: www.drugaddiction.ca Phone: 1-888-488-8434 From Prevention to Recovery with Marcel Gemme brings together professionals, advocates, and people with lived experience from across the addiction and recovery world. New episodes are released biweekly.

    43 min
  3. P2R Episode 7 | One Box, 400 Lives Saved: Susan & Joe Murphy on Naloxone Access and Overdose Response

    Episode 7

    P2R Episode 7 | One Box, 400 Lives Saved: Susan & Joe Murphy on Naloxone Access and Overdose Response

    Dr. Susan Murphy, President of the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute, and Joe Murphy, inventor of the ONEbox, join Marcel Gemme to share how a single weekend of tinkering with a glue gun and a soldering iron became a life-saving kit now deployed in all 50 states. West Virginia has been the ground zero of the opioid crisis for decades. Rather than waiting for the system to catch up, Susan and Joe built something different — a weatherproof purple box containing naloxone PPE kits and built-in video training in both English and Spanish. No QR code required. No cell signal needed. Just pull the tab, follow Jan Rader's instructions, and save a life. In this episode: - How Susan went from higher education to running a syringe service program — and why she never left - How Joe witnessed an overdose of a prominent community member and spent the next 20 years trying to prevent the next one - What is actually inside the ONEbox, and why every design decision was about eliminating failure points - The Be The One campus initiative and how it reached all 29 West Virginia college campuses - How Nashville law enforcement drove 15 confirmed reversals on a single strip of Broadway - Why universities are now being sued for NOT having naloxone — and what Good Samaritan laws actually cover - The harm reduction debate and where Susan and Joe stand - What it takes to scale from 100 boxes to 35,000 — and what comes next Whether you are a parent, employer, school administrator, or community leader, this episode will show you that naloxone belongs in your building, your car, and your home. Learn more about the ONEbox and the Drug Intervention Institute: https://www.wvdii.org/onebox From Prevention to Recovery with Marcel Gemme covers the full spectrum of substance use — from prevention education to treatment and long-term recovery. New episodes every week. Connect with Marcel: Website: https://www.addicted.org/podcast SUPE: https://www.addicted.org/supe/

    1h 8m
  4. P2R Episode 8 | From Teen Challenge Graduate to Chief Advancement Officer — Rebecca Mitchell on Faith-Based Recovery

    Episode 8

    P2R Episode 8 | From Teen Challenge Graduate to Chief Advancement Officer — Rebecca Mitchell on Faith-Based Recovery

    Rebecca Mitchell is the Chief Advancement Officer at Adult and Teen Challenge USA — and a graduate of the very program she now helps lead. Before her national role, she spent over a decade running women's centers and served as director of the Walter Hoving Home in Garrison, New York. In this episode, Marcel and Rebecca discuss what makes Teen Challenge different from conventional treatment, why long-term residential programs outperform short-term options, and how the program has adapted to the fentanyl era. Rebecca also shares her own recovery story and explains what families should know before enrolling a loved one. Topics covered: - Rebecca's personal journey from addiction to 16+ years in recovery ministry - How Teen Challenge has evolved since 1958 to meet today's drug landscape - What a typical day looks like inside the program - Why spiritual transformation is central to lasting recovery - Whether non-Christians can enroll (and why they often succeed faster) - How Teen Challenge responds to critics of faith-based treatment - The science behind long-term residential care - Aftercare, community support, and what happens after graduation - Admission process, costs, and how to find a program near you Teen Challenge operates more than 210 centers across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, with over 1,000 locations worldwide through its international sister organizations. Find a Teen Challenge program: teenchallengeusa.org Call: 855-END-ADDICTION From Prevention to Recovery is hosted by Marcel Gemme — advocate and founder of SUPE (Substance Use Prevention Education), a nonprofit delivering evidence-based prevention education globally.

    38 min

About

From Prevention to Recovery is a video podcast that explores substance use prevention, recovery, and community impact through honest conversations with professionals and people with lived experience. Each episode focuses on education, real-world insight, and practical understanding, presented in a respectful, trustworthy, and human way.