PrevenTable: A PreventEd Podcast

He’s back! James Pursell joins Jenny on the PrevenTable to recap all the groundbreaking work he’s been doing since his debut episode in season three. Mentioning several coalitions across the St. Louis region. James shares his impact and how it can be measured across recovery services within the substance use, mental health, and labor recovery fields. Additionally, his time of three years as a Peer Support Specialist brings together the importance of being vulnerable with the fundamentally crucial mantra of simply showing up for your tribe. Navigating situations along the spectrum of recovery aligns with PreventEd and our mission statement of providing accessible resources to all.

2025 Pioneer Award Recipient Dr. Fredrick Echols joins Jenny to highlight the significance of relationships, and how nurturing them can last a lifetime. Sharing both personal and professional anecdotes from his wide array of leadership opportunities, Dr. Echols discusses that his affiliation with PreventEd has empowered him to build a meaningful network, and rise to the role as a significant mentor throughout his community. Inspiring young people to be fueled by education and help incite change wherever they go is a crucial part of PreventEd’s mission statement, and people like Dr. Echols serve as pioneer’s for just that.

Ben Holtmeyer, Howard Potratz Alumni Leadership Award recipient and dedicated PreventEd supporter, joins Jenny to discuss the importance of being aware and staying connected to community in Saint Louis. Making mention of his close involvement with PreventEd spanning several years, Ben highlights the significance of how his time with the team has equipped and empowered him to serve as a pillar of advocacy in all areas throughout his professional and personal development.

Natalie Garrett, Director of Admissions and Outreach at Harris House Foundation, joins Jenny to discuss how Harris House supports individuals across the full continuum of care in recovery. They explore the organization’s programs, the importance of staying connected throughout the recovery journey, and the challenges posed by today’s insurance landscape. The conversation also highlights the value of honesty and having difficult conversations with loved ones—while emphasizing that hope remains at the heart of recovery and positive outcomes are always possible.

PreventEd interns, Liz Smith and Austin Nico, share their reflections on their time at PreventEd as they enter their final semester at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. During their time at PreventEd, they have practiced applying what they’ve learned and shared their thoughts on the latest cannabis trends and on how we communicate this information to our teens.

Season 6 of PrevenTable premieres with Nichole Dawsey, former Executive Director of PreventEd and now Executive Director of the Addiction Prevention Coalition. Nichole reflects on the camaraderie and connection that define PreventEd and what it meant to transition into leading the only organization in Alabama providing prevention education in schools. She also discusses cultural differences between Missouri and Alabama in both workplace dynamics and substance use prevention efforts, closing with a candid look at navigating the 36-hour federal funding freeze in January and the resilience required to lead through uncertainty.

In our Season 5 finale, Jenny sits down at the PrevenTable with Joyce Kariuki, PreventEd Associate Director of Community Strategy, for a conversation about what truly supports young people as they grow. Joyce breaks down the developmental assets that act as building blocks for youth success, explores the impact of both adverse and positive childhood experiences, and highlights why trauma-informed approaches matter. Through it all, she reminds us that there’s no rulebook for raising kids, but there are tools that can help us show up better for them.

We’re back with another episode of the PrevenTable! Jenny sits down with Brenda Schell, Public Health Analyst and Liaison for the state of Missouri’s Overdose Response Strategy, and Brad Germann of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. They discuss the encouraging decline in overdose rates across Missouri since 2022 and highlight the impact of statewide naloxone distribution, with more than 630,000 kits provided to partners across 15 counties between July 2024 and June 2025. The conversation covers the signs of an overdose, emerging drug use trends, and the innovative strategies being implemented both in Missouri and nationwide to save lives and strengthen communities.

We welcomed Tasha Skouby, Grant Coordinator at Jefferson Franklin County Community Action Corporation, to the PrevenTable this week for a conversation about the partnership between The Collective and JFCAC’s EZMO program, which provides transportation for those in the county seeking recovery. Tasha addresses the three biggest community needs: transportation, housing, and childcare and what providing such resources means for recovery support. The two also discuss what the buzzword “collaboration” really means and how this partnership is its true definition.

This week, we’re talking about one of biggest barriers to recovery—housing—and how one organization is working to change that. Our guest, Maggie Sullivan, is the executive director of Gratitude House, a sober living home for women that’s redefining what aftercare can look like. She shares how her team is elevating the recovery experience, building positive community culture, and how each person’s unique recovery journey still shares a few powerful universals.

We’ve got some familiar faces on the pod this week—Jenny’s three kids! Lucy (14), John (15), and Alex (11) bring some young wisdom to the table as they share their experience and insight about drug use in elementary, middle, and high school. They describe the attitudes and behaviors around vaping and cannabis use as well as their understanding of how to help a peer that may be struggling with substances.

Meet Matt Bitner-Glindzicz, founder of nCase Technologies, who—along with his fiancée—created a naloxone keychain to make carrying the lifesaving medication simple and accessible. After witnessing multiple overdose tragedies, Matt and Dani recognized the difficulty of regularly carrying naloxone due to its size and packaging, and decided to take matters into their own hands by creating a pocket-sized case for it. Now, they’re partnering with community groups to get naloxone into more hands, one keychain at a time.