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In this episode, Dan Hearn and Donna Gilchrist sit down to deliver a raw, no-holds-barred rant about the systemic failures and hypocrisies surrounding addiction treatment, harm reduction, and the criminalization of substance use. With decades of combined lived and professional experience, they dive into the complexities of trauma, abstinence-only models, and the urgent need for policy reform that centers compassion over punishment. This conversation challenges the status quo and dares listeners to reimagine a world where people who use drugs are treated with dignity and humanity.

Key Learning Points:

👉The flaws in abstinence-only recovery models and how they alienate people who use substances

👉The importance of compassion, dignity, and trauma-informed care in addiction services

👉The role of privilege in access to recovery and healthcare

👉How moralism and politics influence public perception and treatment of addiction

👉The criminalization of drug use and its devastating impact on families and communities

👉Why systems need to stop prioritizing compliance over connection

Support the show
✅ Buy us a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hardknoxtalks
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Relevant links:
Drug Data Decoded Article

"Alberta to eliminate due process for people who use drugs"


CBC Saskatchewan YouTube Release with Dayne Patterson and Sargent Chris Harris

Take a walk with a veteran Saskatoon police officer on the front-line of the drug crisis



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🎙️ Subscribe to Hard Knox Talks for real conversations around mental health, substance use, recovery, harm reduction, and lived experience:
https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalks
================================
✅ Stay Connected With Us:
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📩 For Business & Speaking Inquiries: daniel@hardknoxtalks.com

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🎧 About Hard Knox Talks:
Hard Knox Talks is a space for candid, unfiltered conversations about substance use, harm reduction, mental health, and recovery. Hosted by Daniel Hearn—a person in recovery himself—and occasional co-host, Donna Gilchrist, this podcast brings you powerful voices from the front lines of lived experience, advocacy, and community transformation.

Hit that 🔔 subscribe button and never miss a story that just might change a life.

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Hashtags:
#HardKnoxTalks #HarmReduction #AddictionR

Support the show

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Want to listen to our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

Send us a text

In this episode of Hard Knox Talks, host Daniel Hearn sits down with Chris Cavallo—father, husband, and recovery advocate—who has transformed a life once ruled by addiction and trauma from sexual abuse, into one of hope, healing, and service.

Chris shares his gripping story of resilience, from early struggles with sexual abuse and years lost in the grip of substance use to the profound shift that helped him reclaim his life. Now a passionate community leader and founder of The Robin Foundation, Chris is dedicated to helping others rise from the ashes and find their own path to recovery.

#AddictionRecovery #RecoveryIsPossible #MentalHealthAwareness #HarmReduction #OneDayAtATime #HealingJourney #HardKnoxTalks #Transformation #Inspiration #LifeAfterAddiction #TraumaRecovery #communitysupport
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Reach out the the Robin Foundation

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Support the channel
✅ Buy us a coffee!

✅ Need HKT Merch?

✅ Check out EHN Canada

✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental Health

✅ Wellness News

Subscribe to Hard Knox Talks for real conversations around mental health, substance use, recovery, harm reduction, and lived experience:
https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalks

✅ Stay Connected With Us:
👉 Facebook
👉 Instagram
👉 TikTok
👉 Linktree

📩 For Business & Speaking Inquiries: daniel@hardknoxtalks.com

=================================

🎧 About Hard Knox Talks:
Hard Knox Talks is a space for candid, unfiltered conversations about substance use, harm reduction, mental health, and recovery. Hosted by Daniel Hearn—a person in recovery himself—and occasional co-host, Donna Gilchrist, this podcast brings you powerful voices from the front lines of lived experience, advocacy, and community transformation.

Support the show

We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE

Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks!

Check us out on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalks

Want to listen to our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

Send us a text

Katrina Foss shares her unfiltered story of survival, addiction, and trauma. From childhood trauma and domestic violence to drug induced psychosis and living on the streets of Florida's notorious Overtown, Katrina found herself dying in the hospital, and that didn't even stop her.

Now in recovery, Katrina opens up about the path she walked—from self-harm, group homes, prostitution, and homelessness to healing, motherhood, and finding strength through spirituality and 12-step recovery. Her story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of second chances.

🎯 In this episode, we explore:

💥Surviving bath salts-induced psychosis
💥Growing up in the foster care system
💥The impact of domestic violence and self-harm
💥Navigating group homes and homelessness
💥Life on the streets in Portland and Miami
💥DEA involvement and near-death medical complications
💥Recovery through detox, sober living, therapy, and the 12 steps
💥Faith, spirituality, and rediscovering purpose
💥Becoming a mother and building a new life
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📢 Support the show:
✅ Buy us a coffee!

✅ Need HKT Merch?

✅ Check out EHN Canada

✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental Health

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📬 Want to get in touch? daniel@hardknoxtalks.com
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🎥 Featuring guest: Katrina Foss

🔗 Check out Katrina's YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@Katrina.Recovery

📣 Special thanks to Eric from The Other Side YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@otherside305

Support the show

We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE

Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks!

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Want to listen to our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

Send us a text

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Melissa McGillivray and Jen Chouinard join me in the studio to share their lived experiences as service providers. Drawing on their expertise and personal insight, they break down the mental and emotional toll of working on the front lines of Saskatoon’s overdose crisis.

Through the lens of a registered nurse and a social worker/researcher, we explore the stark realities of substance use in the community, service provider burnout, compassion fatigue, moral injury, and the growing need for trauma-informed support—both for those experiencing addiction and for those offering care.

🔍 In this video, you’ll learn about:
➡ Overdose statistics in Saskatoon
➡ Mental health challenges for service providers
➡ Substance use harm reduction strategies
➡ Community support systems
➡ Burnout among healthcare workers
➡ Impact of library and harm reduction service closures
➡ Naloxone training and emergency response
➡ Psychological effects of trauma and withdrawal
➡ Ethical challenges in healthcare

🎓 Learn more about the AIMS-SK program through the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan

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📧 Connect with the Guests:
Melissa McGillivray – melissamcgillivrayndp@gmail.com
Jen Chouinard – jennifer.chouinard@usask.ca

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Send us a text

Gerry is a very credentialed Doctor. His career has taken him far and wide. He also spent the majority of his life a serious alcoholic. After loosing several prestigious jobs, multiple ICU and Psych Ward stays, he decided to live a safer way. Today he has a wild story to tell and he joined me to tell it.

Reach out to Gerry here

vanhorngerald@gmail.com

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Support the show

We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE

Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks!

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Want to listen to our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

Send us a text

Jill's husband was an alcoholic when they met, he told her, but she didn't understand. This led Jill down a path that brought her here, rebuilding her life after his successful suicide attempt.

Find Jill on Instagram Here

✅ Naranon Family Groups

✅ Warrior Mentality

✅ Buy us a coffee!

✅ Need HKT Merch?

✅ Check out EHN Canada

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Support the show

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Andrew started using substances in grade 4. This led him down a path that nearly ended his life. He was homeless on the downtown lower east side of Vancouver, and his body was shutting down. Today he works to help others and has a YouTube channel where he carries a message of hope called DrewCouver.

✅ Reach out about the Heroic Microgreens food bank donation pool to Daniel@hardknoxtalks.com

✅ Buy us a coffee!

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Check out Andrew's YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/@UCz9evohTRDK42b40JA-P53w

Support the show

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Rebecca grew up in rural Saskatchewan; at a young age, she experienced abuses that changed her life forever. After addiction to hard drugs and extreme domestic violence, she finally made a decision to live a safer life.

✅ Warrior Mentality

✅ Buy us a coffee!

✅ Need HKT Merch?

✅ Check out EHN Canada

✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental Health

✅ Wellness News

Support the show

We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE

Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks!

Check us out on YouTube:
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Want to listen to our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!