King County Recovery Conversations Heather Venegas

In this episode of King County Recovery Conversations, host Heather Venegas is joined by podcast contributor Alysse Bryson, founder of The Sober Curator, and Sober Curators Kate Vitela and Tamar Medford. 

Alysse shares her journey to sobriety and how she turned her passion for content creation into a hub for all things sober. From beverage reviews to fashion columns, The Sober Curator covers various aspects of the sober lifestyle and is the ultimate resource for all things related to recovery and zero-proof living. Kate and Tamar joined the team as content contributors in September 2021 and March 2022, respectively. 

Discover the fascinating story behind this project and how they're impacting the recovery community. Join them as they discuss the changing dynamics of recovery, the importance of connection, and how to authentically live a vibrant, substance-free life.

Resources from the episode: 


Go to LinkedIn to connect with Alysse, Kate, and Tamar. 
Visit The Sober Curator for the ultimate resource for all things related to recovery and zero-proof living. 
Connect with show host Heather Venegas on LinkedIn. 
Celebrate the Recovery Art Showcase during the Belltown Art Walk at Vann Studio Salon on October 13. King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division invited King County residents in mental health or substance use recovery to showcase their art to reduce stigma and share a message of hope for recovery and wellness. The art will be on display at Vann Studio Salon in Belltown during September and October 2023. 
Learn more about King County Recovery Coalition and the work they do here. To become a volunteer, a member, an advocate, or an event guest, visit their website.
The King County Recovery Coalition is a regional coalition of the Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA). Learn more about the WRA and the work they do here. Want to find a way to get involved? Click here to become a member, volunteer, or donate to help change hearts and minds around mental health and substance use disorder in Washington state. 
If you are experiencing substance use disorder, problem gambling, and/or a mental health challenge, please visit the Washington Recovery Helplinefor resources and a 24-hour helpline.

King County Recovery Conversations is a podcast on a mission to celebrate recovery and help break the stigma of addiction and mental health. In each episode, policy experts, program professionals, and those with lived experience join host Heather Venegas to share stories of hope, resilience, and healing in our community. Together, we’ll learn about the various pathways to recovery – and the services and support systems available to anyone impacted by addiction and mental health. Whether you're someone seeking recovery, in recovery, a family member or friend, or a healthcare professional, this podcast is for you. 

Connect with King County Recovery Coalition online, on Facebook (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition), or on YouTube (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition).

If you have feedback or show ideas, contact host Heather Venegas at heather@kcrecovery.org.


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On the show this week: finding freedom from addiction. The Sober Curator founder Alysse Bryson joins host Heather Venegas for an inspiring conversation with Joe Conniff.

Joe’s journey into and out of addiction is a powerful one. At his lowest point, Joe was homeless and dealing drugs on the streets of Seattle. He eventually landed in jail, where he knew he needed to change.

Behind bars, Joe learned the power of meditation and used it to better understand himself and his substance use disorder. He went on to learn and eventually teach yoga and became a small business owner.

Joe’s story is one of resilience and resolve, and he’s proof that no matter how hard life gets, it can always get better. Someone once told Joe to stay close to what works, and he certainly has.

Joe is the author of “Causes and Conditions: A Life Experience in Addiction and Recovery.” He's also the Operations Manager for Recovery Café SODO, a community offering resources and stability to those in recovery, where he also teaches classes on mindfulness.

Resources from the episode: 


Go to LinkedIn to connect with Alysse and Joe. 
Read about and purchase Joe's book, “Causes and Conditions: A Life Experience in Addiction and Recovery,” here. 
Learn more about Recovery Café SODO and the resources they offer here. 
Recovery Café SODO is celebrating recovery and providing resources and connections at Speak Out for Recovery on September 15, from 12-2 p.m. Speakers, supporters, and community partners will come together to share food, swag, supplies, healthcare support, and much more! No RSVP is required; all are invited to join at the Recovery Café SODO location at 4202 6th Ave S, Seattle, 98108 (recommended bus routes: 124, 131, 132). 
Visit The Sober Curator for the ultimate resource for all things related to recovery and zero-proof living. 
Connect with show host Heather Venegas on LinkedIn. 
Celebrate National Recovery Month in September with King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division’s Recovery Art Showcase. Join in person on September 8 and October 13 at the Belltown Art Walk, or virtually through the Recovery Art Showcase website site at any time. 
Learn more about King County Recovery Coalition and the work they do here. To become a volunteer, a member, an advocate, or an event guest, visit their website.
The King County Recovery Coalition is a regional coalition of the Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA). Learn more about the WRA and the work they do here. Want to find a way to get involved? Click here to become a member, volunteer, or donate to help change hearts and minds around mental health and substance use disorder in Washington state. 
If you are experiencing substance use disorder, problem gambling, and/or a mental health challenge, please visit the Washington Recovery Helpline for resources and a 24-hour helpline.

King County Recovery Conversations is a podcast on a mission to celebrate recovery and help break the stigma of addiction and mental health.  In each episode, policy experts, program professionals, and those with lived experience join host Heather Venegas to share stories of hope, resilience, and healing in our community. Together, we’ll learn about the various pathways to recovery – and the services and support systems available to anyone impacted by addiction and mental health. Whether you're someone seeking recovery, in recovery, a family member or friend, or a healthcare professional, this podcast is for you. 

Connect with King County Recovery Coalition online, on Facebook (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition), or on YouTube (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition).

If you have feedback or show ideas, contact host Heather Venegas at heather@kcrecovery.org.


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/king-county-recovery/message

Host Heather Venegas interviews two prominent figures in the local recovery community and learns how loss brought them to where they are today - and how their loss has empowered them. 

Milli Militi-Jigamian lost her son Giancarlo to a fentanyl overdose in 2020. He had battled depression, anxiety, and addiction for years, but at 20 years old, it looked like he had turned the corner—clean for six months, in a treatment facility and looking forward to returning to his family. That’s when one small pill took his life. Milli and her family felt lost and helpless, but she decided to turn her grief into action, founding the Fentanyl United Crisis Coalition—a non-profit dedicated to helping families understand and fight fentanyl. 

Heather’s other guest is Brad Finegood. He lost his brother to an overdose two decades ago, but the pain of his loss is just as real today as it was then. Losing his brother to an overdose strengthened his resolve to help others dealing with substance use disorder. Brad now works for Public Health - Seattle & King County in its overdose prevention division. 

Here are their stories of loss and hope.

Resources from the episode: 


Go to LinkedIn to connect with Milli and Brad. 
Learn more about Public Health - Seattle & King County's overdose prevention and response program here. 
Support and learn more about the Fentanyl United Crisis Coalition here. 
Join Recovery Beyond for a hike to Kendall Katwalk honoring those who have lost their lives to an overdose. More information on this special International Overdose Awareness Day event can be found ⁠here⁠. 
Connect with show host Heather Venegas on LinkedIn. 
Join King County Recovery Coalition on Sunday, August 27, at T-Mobile Park for Recovery Day! The pregame rally starts at 10:30 am, followed by a march to the ballpark, game, and resource fair on the 306-310 concourse. Specially priced tickets include a limited-edition Mariners-themed Recovery Day T-shirt. $3 from every ticket sold will benefit the Washington Recovery Alliance.
Celebrate National Recovery Month in September with King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division’s Recovery Art Showcase. Join in person on September 8 and October 13 at the Belltown Art Walk, or virtually through the Recovery Art Showcase website site at any time. Click here if you’d like to share your artwork or poetry for either showcase by August 11.
Learn more about King County Recovery Coalition and the work they do here. To become a volunteer, a member, an advocate, or an event guest, visit their website.
The King County Recovery Coalition is a regional coalition of the Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA). Learn more about the WRA and the work they do here. Want to find a way to get involved? Click here to become a member, volunteer, or donate to help change hearts and minds around mental health and substance use disorder in Washington state. 
If you are experiencing substance use disorder, problem gambling, and/or a mental health challenge, please visit the Washington Recovery Helpline for resources and a 24-hour helpline.

King County Recovery Conversations is a podcast on a mission to celebrate recovery and help break the stigma of addiction and mental health.  In each episode, policy experts, program professionals, and those with lived experience join host Heather Venegas to share stories of hope, resilience, and healing in our community. Together, we’ll learn about the various pathways to recovery – and the services and support systems available to anyone impacted by addiction and mental health. Whether you're someone seeking recovery, in recovery, a family member or friend, or a healthcare professional, this podcast is for you. 

Connect with King County Recovery Coalition online, on Facebook (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition), or on YouTube (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition).

If you have feedback or show ideas, contact host Heather Venegas at he

Host Heather Venegas has a conversation with Chris about his recovery journey; he shares what he’s learned about what it takes to get and stay sober, the difference between sobriety and recovery, and why he doesn’t see relapse as a failure.

In a touching exchange, Chris’s mom Maureen joins them to share her role in Chris’s recovery, alongside her own awareness and health. “It’s really up to me to be healthier, and it’s up to Chris to be his own healthy,” she says. “It’s not up to us to make the other person healthy.” 

Heather also welcomes Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Family Programs Manager Jessica Garrison into the conversation. Chris and Maureen have benefitted from Hazelden’s family programs, which are free to anyone who wants and needs them. The skills Hazelden teaches apply to people in recovery but also have broad application to life in general – especially when it comes to healthy ways to communicate.

This episode is a beautiful example that it takes a community to help people get into and stay in recovery. It also shows the value of the King County Recovery Coalition as a catalyst for convening people in the recovery community for good. 



Resources from the episode: 


The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Family Program provides free and virtual education, skills set workshops, grief support, and peer support groups for all ages (children, adolescents, and adults). Learn more here or email family@hazeldenbettyford.org. Additional resource links (by role) can be found here.
Visit Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Amazon store for book recommendations to help people recognize, understand, and overcome addiction.
Join King County Recovery Coalition on Sunday, August 27, at T-Mobile Park for Recovery Day! The pregame rally starts at 10:30 am, followed by a march to the ballpark, game, and resource fair on the 306-310 concourse. Specially priced tickets include a limited-edition Mariners-themed Recovery Day T-shirt. $3 from every ticket sold will benefit the Washington Recovery Alliance.
Celebrate National Recovery Month in September with King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division’s Recovery Art Showcase. Join in person on September 8 and October 13 at the Belltown Art Walk, or virtually through the Recovery Art Showcase website site at any time. Click here if you’d like to share your artwork or poetry for either showcase; submissions are due by August 11.
Connect with show host Heather Venegas on LinkedIn. 
Learn more about King County Recovery Coalition and the work they do here. To become a volunteer, a member, an advocate, or an event guest, visit their website.
The King County Recovery Coalition is a regional coalition of the Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA). Learn more about the WRA and the work they do here. To become a member, volunteer, or donate – and change hearts and minds around mental health and substance use disorder in Washington state – click here.
If you are experiencing substance use disorder, problem gambling, and/or a mental health challenge, please visit the Washington Recovery Helpline for resources and a 24-hour helpline.

King County Recovery Conversations is a podcast on a mission to celebrate recovery and help break the stigma of addiction and mental health.  In each episode, policy experts, program professionals, and those with lived experience join host Heather Venegas to share stories of hope, resilience, and healing in our community. Together, we’ll learn about the various pathways to recovery – and the services and support systems available to anyone impacted by addiction and mental health. Whether you're someone seeking recovery, in recovery, a family member or friend, or a healthcare professional, this podcast is for you. 

Connect with King County Recovery Coalition online, on Facebook (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition), or on YouTube (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition).

If you have feedback or show

Welcome to King County Recovery Conversations - a podcast dedicated to sharing hope, resilience, and healing for people living with substance use disorder.

Host Heather Venegas is a rock star in this space. She is a servant leader in long-term recovery and has lived experience with both substance use and mental health. Heather joined the King County Recovery Coalition in 2018 as its first director. 

Every two weeks, Heather invites a new guest to share stories designed to bring awareness, strength, and hope to the recovery community in western Washington. 

Heather’s inaugural guest is Lauren Davis, founding director of the Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA). Lauren describes why the WRA was founded, what its goals are, and how vital it is in putting a face on recovery, especially when it comes to funding crucial programs. Lauren also tells how a friend convinced her to run for and win a seat in the Washington State Legislature and how that has changed her role in bringing awareness to recovery and mental health support.

Listen to the full episode here: King County Recovery Conversations on Spotify

 

Resources from the episode: 


Learn more about the Washington Recovery Alliance and the work they do here. 
Want to get involved with the WRA? Click here to become a member, volunteer, or donate to help change hearts and minds around mental health and substance use disorder in Washington state. 
Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn. 
Connect with show host Heather Venegas on LinkedIn. 
If you are experiencing substance use disorder, problem gambling, and/or a mental health challenge, please visit the Washington Recovery Helpline for resources and a 24-hour helpline.

 

King County Recovery Conversations is a podcast on a mission to celebrate recovery and help break the stigma of addiction and mental health.  In each episode, policy and program experts with lived experience join host Heather Venegas to share stories of hope, resilience, and healing in our community. Together, we’ll learn about the various pathways to recovery – and the services and support systems that are available to anyone impacted by addiction and mental health. Whether you're someone in recovery, a family member or friend, or a healthcare professional, this podcast is for you. 

Connect with King County Recovery Coalition on Facebook (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition) or YouTube (@KingCountyRecoveryCoalition). 

If you have feedback or show ideas, contact host Heather Venegas at heather@kcrecovery.org.


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/king-county-recovery/message

Welcome to King County Recovery Conversations, a podcast on a mission to celebrate recovery and help break the stigma of addiction and mental health. I’m your host, Heather Venegas. In each episode, policy and program experts, as well as people with lived experience will join me as we share stories of hope, resilience, and healing in our community. Together, we’ll learn about the various pathways to recovery – and the services and support systems that are available to anyone impacted by addiction and mental health. Whether you're someone in or seeking recovery, a family member or friend, or a healthcare professional, this podcast is for you. Tune in on July 24 for our first episode.






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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/king-county-recovery/message