Recorded live at ARC Recovery Fest in Akron, Ohio, Episode 11 features James Osborn, a Certified Peer Recovery Supporter with ARC Recovery Services and a person with more than eight years in recovery.

James shares how relapse, incarceration, treatment, community connection, and a willingness to change shaped his recovery. He also explains what peer support looks like in practice: walking beside someone as they establish goals, navigate recovery services, rebuild everyday life, and regain independence.

Nick, Will, and James discuss the boundaries of peer support, recovery housing, family support without enabling, balancing advocacy with accountability, professional burnout, warm handoffs between organizations, and the gaps that remain in housing, transportation, insurance, mental health services, and continuity of care.

For anyone struggling, James offers a powerful message: “Give yourself a break and give yourself a chance. It’s greater on this side.”

Learn more about ARC Recovery Services in Akron, Ohio:
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NEED SUPPORT?

For mental health or substance-use information and treatment referrals, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). This free and confidential service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you’re experiencing emotional distress, a mental health or substance-use crisis, or thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential support is available 24/7.

Nick and Will sit down with Brittany Townsend for an honest conversation about addiction, personal growth, and the experiences that shaped her recovery. With more than five years clean, Brittany shares the lessons she’s learned, the strength she discovered along the way, and what it means to build a meaningful life through courage, authenticity, and connection.

This episode is filled with real conversation, hard-earned perspective, and a powerful reminder that every recovery story deserves to be heard.

On a personal note, what an honor it was to have Brittany join us. <3

Connect with Brittany Townsend:

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Recovery: Unfiltered with Nick and Will is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered clinical or medical advice. If you or someone you love needs help with substance use or mental health, please contact a qualified professional or local crisis resource.

Need Help?

For free, confidential treatment referrals and information about mental health or substance use disorders, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Help is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you’re experiencing emotional distress, a mental health crisis, or thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Free, confidential support is available 24/7. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.

What does an intervention really look like when the cameras aren’t rolling?

In Episode 9, Nick and Will sit down with Pej of Pej Interventions and Peji’s Recovery Corner for an honest conversation about the person behind the work. Pej shares his recovery journey, who he was before recovery, and what inspired him to help individuals and families find a path toward treatment and healing.

Together, they explore the realities of intervention, the myth that someone must hit rock bottom, and the difficult line between supporting a loved one and enabling them. They also discuss boundaries, rebuilding trust, choosing ethical treatment, continuing care, relapse, and the role families play throughout the recovery process.

This is a candid conversation about addiction, family recovery, and holding onto hope during some of life’s most difficult moments.

Learn more about Pej and his work at www.pejinterventions.com.

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Disclaimer: Recovery: Unfiltered with Nick and Will is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The experiences and opinions shared by the hosts and guests do not constitute medical, mental health, substance-use, or other clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Listening to this podcast does not establish a counselor-client or provider-patient relationship. Always seek guidance from a qualified professional regarding your individual needs.

If you or someone you know needs support, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. For substance-use treatment information and referrals, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit FindTreatment.gov. If there is an immediate danger or medical emergency, call 911.

Hunter Carneal says he “found recovery on accident, but kept it on purpose.”

In this raw and deeply personal conversation, Hunter shares how alcohol and substance use led him through homelessness, organized crime, repeated arrests, 19 treatment admissions, 13 felony charges, and the possibility of eight years in prison. He opens up about the stranger who showed him compassion at one of his lowest moments, the tough love that changed his relationship with his father, and the faith and Narcotics Anonymous community that helped him build a new life.

Now approaching five years in recovery, Hunter is a union ironworker, R&B singer, rapper, worship-team member, and part of the musical group 2Fluent. He discusses rebuilding trust, working the Twelve Steps, taking personal accountability, and transforming painful experiences into music that helps others heal.

This is a story about consequences, surrender, faith, family, second chances, and the small daily choices that make lasting recovery possible.

Find Hunter Carneal on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/hunter.carneal.2025

2Fluent: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560002662007

2Fluent on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5AYYWcl9xFh98nIzBMJIFC?si=75am75hAQ0mVjOP80jp44w

Content notice: This episode includes discussion of substance use, suicidal thoughts, criminal activity, withdrawal, incarceration, and family separation.

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We moved too fast, took on too much, and created a schedule that left almost no room to breathe. In this episode, we own it and talk honestly about overcommitting, control, perfectionism, anxiety, asking for help, and making changes before burnout takes over.

We also share personal updates, give listeners a chance to learn more about who we are beyond the podcast, and explain what’s changing behind the scenes. Expect honesty, laughter, questionable side conversations, and plenty of unfiltered chaos.

Coming next week, Pej from Pej’s Interventions joins us for Episode 8 to discuss what interventions really look like, who Pej was before recovery, and who he has become since finding recovery.

Want to be a guest on the show? Email us!

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This Podcast is presented by Colors Across The Sky LLC

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What happens when “just my opinion” becomes permission to dismiss, label, or dehumanize someone?

In Episode 6 of Recovery: Unfiltered with Nick and Will, we step into one of our rawest conversations yet: Disagreement, Disrespect, and Power: When “Just My Opinion” Causes Harm.

We explore why disagreements feel so personal, how ego and identity create power struggles, and how politics, religion, LGBTQIA+ issues, family conflict, recovery pathways, stigma, and cancel culture test our ability to remain open-minded. We also discuss boundaries, accountability, acceptance, “I” statements, and the willingness to truly listen when another person’s perspective makes us uncomfortable.

This episode enters difficult territory, including whether treatment, accountability, and the capacity for change can coexist after serious harm. Some listeners will strongly disagree with us—and that is part of the conversation.

Where does disagreement end and disrespect begin?

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The JADFA House of Akron

www.thejadfahouse.org

ARC Recovery Services
arcrecoveryservices.com

Colors Across The Sky: A Journey of Hope by Will Cashman

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What separates a genuinely effective treatment center from one that simply moves people through a program?

In this episode of Recovery: Unfiltered with Nick and Will, we are joined by Caleigh Hoskins, CEO of Skypoint Recovery, to examine what quality addiction treatment should look like from the moment someone enters a program through discharge and continued care.

Caleigh shares her personal recovery story, her experience building a treatment organization, and why client care must remain the foundation of every clinical and operational decision. Together, we discuss individualized treatment planning, staff qualifications, trauma-informed intake practices, case management, mental health services, life-skills development, community connection, and the importance of preparing people for life beyond the structured treatment environment.

We also confront disparities and ethical concerns within addiction care, including insurance companies limiting treatment duration, assembly-line programming, unsafe discharge practices, inadequate warm handoffs, and treatment environments that prioritize reimbursement over recovery.

The conversation takes a direct look at the barriers LGBTQIA+ individuals may encounter when seeking treatment or recovery housing. We discuss respectful intake practices, gender identity, privacy, trauma, inclusive housing options, family rejection, and the responsibility programs have to connect people with safe and appropriate services when their own resources are limited.

Effective treatment requires more than groups, paperwork, and drug testing. It requires qualified and compassionate staff, individualized clinical care, ethical leadership, accountability, human connection, and a commitment to helping every person build a sustainable life in recovery.

Content notice: This episode includes discussions of addiction, overdose, sexual assault, abusive relationships, incarceration, trauma, relapse, and discrimination.

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The JADFA House of Akron

www.thejadfahouse.org

Skypoint: skypointrecovery.com

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/colors-across-the-sky-will-cashman/1150219383?ean=9798256380700

In this episode of Recovery: Unfiltered with Nick and Will, we discuss 13th stepping, blurred boundaries, codependency, relationship distractions, and the continued influence of active-addiction behaviors during early recovery. We also examine why romantic and sexual relationships can place recovery at risk before someone has developed the stability, coping skills, and personal boundaries needed to protect themselves.

The conversation challenges sponsors, peers, treatment providers, recovery-house staff, and members of the recovery community to speak up when they witness predatory or manipulative behavior.

Newcomers deserve the space to recover, build meaningful connections, and learn how to stand on their own two feet without being targeted by someone who understands their vulnerability.

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Colors Across the Sky: A Journey of Hope by Will Cashman

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