Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic
After losing her 21-year-old daughter, Emily, to fentanyl poisoning, veteran journalist Angela Kennecke made it her life’s mission to break the silence surrounding substance use disorder and the overdose crisis. Grieving Out Loud is a heartfelt and unflinching podcast where Angela shares stories of devastating loss, hard-earned hope, and the journey toward healing. Through powerful interviews with other grieving families, experts, advocates, and people in recovery, this podcast sheds light on the human side of the epidemic — and how we can all be part of the solution. Whether you're coping with grief, supporting a loved one, or working to end the stigma, you’ll find connection, comfort, and inspiration here.
Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic
Investigative Reporter Uncovers Abuse and Profit in Rehab Programs
Imagine going to a treatment center for addiction, only to be sent to work at a chicken processing plant for no pay. That’s one of the shocking realities investigative reporter Shoshana Walter uncovered in her national investigation into court-mandated addiction treatment. Her reporting exposed how a broken system turned thousands of people into an unpaid workforce for some of the country’s largest corporations—work that made her a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
At the center of her story was a treatment program founded by a former poultry executive, where participants were forced into unpaid labor inside chicken plants. But that was only the beginning. In her new book, Rehab: An American Scandal, Walter reveals a multi-billion-dollar web of mismanaged treatment centers, where profit too often comes before recovery.
On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Shoshana shares what she discovered, what everyone should know about the addiction treatment industry, and what she hopes her reporting will change.
Click here to purchase Shoshana's book Rehab: An American Scandal
If you enjoyed this episode, you may like the following:
- Telling Everyone’s Story While Hiding Her Own: A Journalist’s Battle with Addiction
- Can We Save Lives While Cutting Funding? A Tough Conversation at the Top
- Saving tiny lives and healing families at a sanctuary for opioid-exposed newborns
- ‘I lost who I was.’ Emily’s Hope Treatment Scholarship gives mom second chance
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.
They were...
- daughters
- sons
- mothers
- fathers
- friends
- wives
- husbands
- cousins
- boyfriends
- girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!
Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz
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