The holidays are often portrayed as joyful and full of celebration, but for many, they canbring stress, loneliness, and emotional triggers. If you're in recovery or suffering fromdepression, the season can feel overwhelming. 

On this episode of the CommQuest Hope Discovered Podcast, Senior Director of Recovery Services, Danijela Vranesevic, and School-Based Mental Health Coordinator, Steve Kerestes, explore why the holidays can be tough, share practical strategies to protect your mental health, and remind you that you’re not alone in this journey. 

In honor of National Homelessness Awareness Month, Amy Dornack, manager of homeless & support services at CommQuest, sat down with TaKeisha, a former resident of the Family Living Center, to help raise awareness about the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness.

TaKeisha opens up about her journey through homelessness and how asking for help, community support, and compassion made all the difference. Her story is a reminder that homelessness can affect anyone, and that hope and healing are possible.

Learn more about the Family Living Center: commquest.org/family_living_center

“The most important piece of considering reaching out for help is knowing there is something better on the other side. I see so many patients whose symptoms are in remission who say, ‘Why didn’t I do this sooner? Why did I suffer for so long?”

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Iyoha, the Psychiatric Medical Director at CommQuest Services, Inc. Dr. Iyoha shares insights into the full scope of psychiatric services provided by CommQuest, offering a detailed overview of what falls under the psychiatric care umbrella and the types of professionals who deliver care to clients.

The conversation explores common misconceptions and stigmas surrounding mental health treatment, particularly concerns about medication and its side effects. Dr. Iyoha addresses these fears, emphasizing the importance of careful patient monitoring as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

“The folks that I’ve taken care of are in business, healthcare, law. They’re thriving in our community and no one has ever known that they were afflicted with a mental health disorder, a disorder that’s well managed with medication, just like any other health condition.”

The interview concludes with Dr. Iyoha highlighting recent advancements in mental health care, including the growing availability of services in our community.

For more information please visit CommQuest.org

Episode Blog Post: https://www.commquest.org/2024/10/commquest-psychiatric-services-overview-with-dr-iyoha/

Guest: Kara Vogt on the CommQuest Hope Discovered Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by Kara Vogt, co-founder of the FATHERS Motorcycle Poker Run, a dedicated member of the Stark County Opiate Task Force for 9 years, a volunteer at CommQuest Services, and an advocate for family addiction and recovery. Kara is also a parent of a person in recovery.

During our conversation, Kara shares insights on two key topics: the impact of addiction on families and the resources available to support them.

She emphasizes that addiction is a chronic disease, one that requires long-term solutions, not quick fixes. Kara also touches on important reminders for family members of those in recovery, such as understanding that addiction is a disease. Families dealing with a loved one’s addiction often face overwhelming chaos, guilt, grief, confusion, anger, and hopelessness. However, Kara highlights the importance of resources like Family Support meetings to help navigate these challenges.

Family Support Meetings

CommQuest offers weekly Family Support meetings every Tuesday from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at:

Canton Outpatient Campus – Building A
601 Cleveland Ave. NW | Canton, OH 44702
Phone: 330.453.8252

To attend, enter through the main entrance, take the elevator to the second floor, and check in at the front desk. Please provide your contact details to receive notifications in case of cancellations due to weather or other events.

For those who prefer to attend virtually, send an email in advance to request the meeting link.
The link will be sent via Microsoft Teams:

Email: [email protected]

For more information about CommQuest, visit CommQuest.org.

This episode contains content that may be triggering for some listeners.

In this episode of the CommQuest Hope Discovered Podcast, we focus on Suicide Awareness in Youth. Our guest is Steve Kerestes, a School-Based Mental Health Coordinator and Internship Coordinator for CommQuest Services.Although suicide is a difficult topic to discuss, it's crucial that we raise awareness and recognize potential warning signs in those who may be at risk. Our discussion delves into five key areas of suicide awareness, both generally and specifically for youth:

1. Key Risk Factors for potential suicide.
2. Warning Signs that may indicate a suicide attempt.
3. How to Act when a risk is identified.
4. Reaching Out for Help when needed.
5. Available Resources for those seeking more information about Suicide Awareness.

Our conversation covers these topics in detail, providing an informative and thoughtful dialogue. We hope you'll listen in.For more information about CommQuest Services, Inc., please visit CommQuest.org.

Our guest on this episode of the CommQuest Hope Discovered Podcast is Suzanne Parsons who works in our women’s residential program here at CommQuest.

Suzanne joined us to share her own personal journey of substance use and recovery. She is an enthusiastic advocate for the recovery community and hopes sharing her story will inspire others to begin and maintain their own sobriety journey.

Suzanne’s message to those in recovery is, “When you are in that place of addiction, you don’t think there is anything else out there. This is it. But as you go through your recovery, step by step, you can feel good about yourself again… one positive thing after another.”

Suzanne is now very content with her life and her role at CommQuest. She has her CDCA and is working with others in recovery to inspire them.

You can find the CommQuest Hope Discovered Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform.

For more information about CommQuest, please visit https://www.commquest.org/

In this episode, we welcome Osamuedemen D. Iyoha, M.D., who assumes the role of Medical Director of Psychiatric Services at CommQuest Services. Joining Ashlie Martin, M.D., Addiction Medical Director, and Michele Heberling, Ph.D., LPCC-S, Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Iyoha forms part of the leadership team overseeing CommQuest's treatment services. 

During the podcast, Dr. Iyoha delves into the delicate balance between counseling and holistic patient care. She also sheds light on the intersection of mental health challenges and substance use disorders.

Additionally, we had the pleasure of discovering Dr. Iyoha's background, her unique approach to psychiatry, and her message of hope conveyed through this interview. Her compassionate tone resonates with both our staff and the community, serving as an inspiration to all.

On this episode we are talking about Supporting Mothers in Recovery. Our guest is Brooke Burkett, who is a Clinical Supervising Counselor and the MOM + Me Recovery Program Coordinator here at CommQuest.

Brooke begins the interview by addressing the stigma that often surrounds the issue of mothers in recovery. CommQuest strives for a welcoming and non-judgmental environment for all of our clients and we understand the needs of mothers in recovery.

The discussion moves on to cover how the Mom and Me Program is designed to meet the needs of mothers in recovery and, moreover, how we as an agency also try to meet those needs, even when a mother does not specifically meet the criteria of the Mom and Me Program. This includes our working relationship with community partners, and how our other programs such as the Women’s Residential Recovery Program is sensitive to the needs of mothers in recovery.

This podcast is brief yet extremely informative regarding the often-sensitive issue of mothers in recovery. We hope you will give it a listen.

Our guest on this episode of the CommQuest Hope Discovered Podcast is Kyrie Taralla, a Residential Technician for inpatient services.

Kyrie joined us to share her own personal journey of substance use and recovery. She is very ardent about encouraging the recovery community and to do whatever it takes to help people live better lives. Kyrie hopes that by sharing her story of hope, it will inspire others to begin and maintain their own sobriety journey.

Kyrie’s message to those in recovery is, “Just don’t give up. No matter how hard it gets, and how chaotic it gets, and overwhelming it gets; there’s people out there that are just like us. Reach out for help." Kyrie is very enthusiastic about working for CommQuest, helping others, and continuing to advance her career working in the field of recovery services.

You can find the CommQuest Hope Discovered Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform.

For more information about CommQuest, please visit https://www.commquest.org/

Our guests for today's episode of the podcast are Dr. Ashlie Martin, Medical Director, Addiction Medicine Detox/MAT, and Wendy Donohoe, Sr. Director, CQDX & Opiate Treatment Services Detox.

In the interview, Dr. Martin emphasizes that withdrawal management involves more than just medication; it encompasses a compassionate environment of sobriety often misconceived as cold and sterile, provided by understanding professionals in the field of addiction. Wendy Donohoe details the collaborative approach in post-withdrawal care, where a team of counselors works with clients to create discharge plans fostering engagement in treatment, highlighting the dual role of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in addressing physical well-being and counseling in transforming negative thought patterns for sustainable recovery.

Veterans Day is observed every year on November 11th.

Veterans Day is intended to thank all those who honorably served in the military – in wartime or peacetime.

CommQuest Services, as a mental health and recovery services agency, wants to help raise awareness for some of the issues and challenges many veterans face after their service.

Our guest on this episode is Benjamin Chandler, who is an outpatient counselor here at CommQuest and a United States veteran. During our interview, Ben discusses and helps us understand some of the problems and concerns facing United States Veterans.

For more information about resources for veterans please visit https://www.commquest.org/veteran-resources/