Recording of the 2024 Event

The BALM's 5th Annual International Overdose Awareness Day event based on this year's theme of "Together We Can"

Listen to our fireside chat with Beverly Buncher, Don Lipstein, and Kathy Tracy, facilitated by Lori Bolen.
They talk about loss, grief, and how to support the family and friends of those who have lost a loved one to overdose.
They also talk about how to help families who have loved ones still struggling with addiction to find hope and healing
and to be their loved one's best chance at recovery. The evening is both solemn and hope-filled.

Recordings of the 2023 Event

Carson McCord

Lisa McDonald

Carson McCord is a person in long-term recovery and a first responder. He talks about how having his life saved by a first responder during an overdose crisis inspired him to become a first responder himself.

Lisa is a person in long-term recovery, as well as both a BALM Recovery Life Coach and Family Recovery Life Coach. She shares her story of the early drug use from her teenage years that escalated to a meth addiction. She talks about the impact on her family and friends. She reflects on how the BALM strengthened her long-term recovery, even after years in 12-Step recovery. And her desire to support individuals in recovery and their families while working to break the stigma around addiction.

Full Video

Listen to the entire event recording from beginning to end here.

Recordings of the 2022 Event

Lisa McDonald

Lori Bolen

Lisa McDonald is a person in long-term recovery as well as both a BALM Recovery Life Coach and Family Recovery Life Coach. She shares her story of the early drug use from her teenage years that escalated to a meth addiction. She talks about the impact on her family and friends. She reflects on how the BALM strengthened her long-term recovery, even after years in 12-Step recovery. And her desire to support individuals in recovery and their families while working to break the stigma around addiction.

Lori Bolen shares an educational presentation about meth, meth use in America, and resources for meth addiction recovery.

Megan Bolen

Full Video

Megan Bolen is a person in recovery from meth addiction. She shares the story of how a tragic car accident as a teenager resulted in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and began her 16-year journey to recovery. She talks openly about the progression of drug use that resulted in her 10+ year addiction to methamphetamines. She also talks about how the BALM helped her mom show up differently in their relationship and the impact that had on her eventual recovery.

Listen to the entire event recording from beginning to end here.

Recordings of the 2021 Event

Intro and Part 1

Slide Show

Mike DeForbes joins Bev Buncher to discuss "How to Help Your Loved One Prevent and Recover from Overdose using Motivational Interviewing and BALM Conversations".
Hosted by Marissa Arber

Introductory Slide Show on the Power of BALM Conversations and Motivational Interviewing (Can also be seen in the Intro and Part 1 video) Presented by Beverly Buncher

Lori Bolen

Kathy Tracy

Lori Bolen shares her family's journey through multiple overdoses and back, emphasizing the difference in how she approached family SUD and overdose before she studied and began practicing BALM and after, providing sample BALM conversations along the way.

Kathy Tracy shares her own journey of losing her son who had enjoyed 17 months of full recovery before his tragic one time relapse that ended his life. She also shares how finding BALM 2 years later deepened her recovery journey and helped her find her purpose of helping other families facing a loved one's SUD.

Recordings of the 2020 Event

Dr. Basia Andraka Christou

Deb Lewin

Dr. Basia Andraka Cristou, author of The Opioid Fix: What They Don't Want You to Know, talks about the opioid epidemic and medication assisted treatment.

Deb Lewin is a Recovery Coach and BALM Family Recovery Specialist. Deb co-founded the Path to Recovery Foundation

Bill Guy

Lori Bolen

Bill Guy is a family recovery coach with the BALM whose work is inspired by the loss of his 34-year-old son in 2016 to a heroin and Fentanyl overdose

Lori Bolen is a BALM Family Recovery Life Coach who shares her story of how she faced and walked back from the edge of the cliff with her daughter and family.

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