In Episode 10 of Awkward Conversations, “Red Ribbon Week”, Jodie and Amy talk to Myrna Camarena, retired federal employee from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, about Agent Kiki, Myrna's brother, shedding light on his tragic death. Myrna also shares the story behind wearing the red ribbon, a symbol with a powerful message. As the episode unfolds, Myrna explores the messages Kiki would convey to young people today, emphasizing the importance of staying away from drugs, with a foc...
Oct 18, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Welcome to the second part of "Mental Health & Drug Use," where we continue the conversation about the dynamics between mental well-being and drug use among youth. Joining Jodie is co-host and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Krystal, alongside psychotherapist and author Amy Morin. This episode discusses practical strategies, resources, and impactful conversations that empower parents, educators, and concerned individuals to guide young minds toward healthier choices and lasting well-being. Dr. K...
Oct 11, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this two-part episode titled 'Mental Health & Drug Use Pt. 1,' Jodie and esteemed co-host Dr. Krystal, an adolescent psychiatrist, along with psychotherapist and author Amy Morin delve into the intricate dynamics between mental well-being and drug use among youth. Honoring Mental Health Awareness Week, the trio engages in an insightful conversation that illuminates the linkages between self-medication, stress, and self-esteem challenges, offering profound insights into the intricate strug...
Oct 04, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 8
As your teenager approaches the exhilarating yet nerve-wracking milestone of obtaining their driver's license, join us for a compelling episode titled "New Drivers, New Dangers: Navigating Substance Use with Teen Drivers." In this insightful conversation, our expert hosts, Amy, Jodie, and Rick, delve into the critical juncture of teenage peer pressure, drug use, and driving safety. This episode is a comprehensive guide for parents and guardians, offering invaluable strategies to ensure the safet...
Sep 27, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In a world where early intervention can make all the difference, Episode 6 of our series, "No Time to Waste: Getting Help for Your Child's Drug Use," delves into the vital realm of preventing and addressing adolescent drug misuse. From recognizing the signs of drug misuse to navigating the myriad of resources available, this episode embarks on a journey of knowledge and compassion, equipping you with essential insights for both early detection and intervention. Terrence Spain introduces the grou...
Sep 20, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Today’s Awkward Conversation is a revisit from last season, which is knowing the signs of possible drug use and what to do. Our host, Jodie Sweetin is joined by Timothy P. McMahon who has been employed by the DEA since 1998 and Amy McCarthy, Clinical Social Worker at Boston Children's Hospital. Special Agent McMahon shares common ways that kids hide drugs in plain sight and what signs to look for with changes to personality, involvement, or money use. They also share tips on how to talk to your ...
Sep 13, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this heartfelt episode of Awkward Conversations, we embark on an emotional journey with Deborah as she shares her daughter Dana's struggle with substance misuse, which ultimately took her life. Joanna, Dana’s childhood friend, also joins the conversation and provides valuable insights on recognizing signs of substance misuse. Deborah discusses the challenges she faced, including her desperate attempts to find treatments for her daughter. The episode emphasizes the importance of breaking the s...
Sep 06, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Welcome to Part 2 of our two-part special, "Not Just a Game: Student Athletes & Opioids." As fall sports begin, this episode takes a comprehensive look at the alarming issue of opioid misuse among student athletes. Our expert guest, Dr. Averill Sutchar, Founder of Physio Project HQ , brings his expertise in sports injuries and physical therapy to the discussion. We explore the reasons behind opioid misuse, particularly in the context of managing pain and injuries among young athletes. Join c...
Aug 30, 2023•23 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Join hosts Jodie Sweetin and Amy McCarthy in part one of this insightful two-part episode of Awkward Conversations where they engage in candid discussions about body image, wellness, and the crucial issue of drug misuse - critical subjects that resonate with all teens, whether they are casual athletes, standout high school sports stars, or not involved in sports at all. In this episode, they're joined by former Packers player, Ryan Grant, who shares his personal experiences and insights on how s...
Aug 23, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 3 of Awkward Conversations, where we delve into crucial topics that help parents build strong relationships with their children and navigate the challenges of modern-day parenting. In our first episode, we lay the foundation for the entire season by exploring the paramount importance of building a bond with our kids. Our expert guest, Dr. Shefali, a renowned clinical psychologist, NYT best selling author, and advocate for conscious parenting, joins us to share profound insights...
Aug 16, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Host Jodie Sweetin is joined by Amy McCarthy, Director of Social Work for the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program (ASAP) at Boston Children's Hospital; Bob Sabouni Executive Producer of Awkward Conversations and actor and directorJake Busey. Someday your child will ask you if you used drugs. What will you say when that question comes your way? Does genetics play a part in the predisposition to drug abuse? Today our panel discusses these questions and more on Awkward Conversations. Don...
Dec 28, 2022•26 min•Ep. 20
Host Jodie Sweetin is joined by Amy McCarthy, Dr. Aida Balsano, Director for Prevention Communications and Public Engagement at the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and Robert Vincent, Associate Administrator for Alcohol Prevention and Treatment Policy at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Ultimately our goal is to help parents have“The Talk.” If it hasn’t happened yet, then let’s be prepared…if it has, how did it go? If you screwed it up, no worries. Let’s figu...
Dec 21, 2022•21 min•Ep. 19
SHOW NOTES: Host Jodie Sweetin is joined by Amy McCarthy, Dr. Aida Balsano, Special Assistant to the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and Robert Vincent, Associate Administrator for Alcohol Prevention and Treatment Policy at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Ultimately our goal is to help parents have “The Talk.” In this episode, we will discuss keeping the child’s dignity intact while assisting them through difficult situations. Separating what ...
Dec 14, 2022•20 min•Ep. 18
Host Jodie Sweetin is joined by Amy McCarthy, Dr. Aida Balsano, Special Assistant to the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and Robert Vincent, Associate Administrator for Alcohol Prevention and Treatment Policy at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Ultimately our goal is to help parents have “The Talk” if it hasn’t happened yet, then let’s be prepared…if it has, how did it go? If you screwed it up, no worries. Let’s figure out how to get it right. ...
Dec 07, 2022•24 min•Ep. 17
Host Jodie Sweetin is joined by Amy McCarthy and Special Agent William (Bill) Bodner in Charge of DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division. It’s common and often warranted for parents to be anxious and concerned for the things their children may get into online. Countless ways exist for children to run into potentially dangerous situations including retail drug trafficking, once relegated to the dark web is now available across the web and social platforms! In this episode we will explore when and how m...
Nov 30, 2022•26 min•Ep. 16
Host Jodie Sweetin is joined by Amy McCarthy and divorce mediator Judith Weigle, who discuss the importance of consistency in co-parenting as well as the need for security while co-parenting. In this episode we will discuss the importance of dealing with your own pain, establishing a consistent message, the role of stepparents and other elements that come into play in co-parenting situations. Oftentimes stress is a trigger for substance use and these are all factors that need to be managed in co...
Nov 16, 2022•25 min
In part two of “Helping Kids De-stress”, emphasis is placed on parents de-stressing as well as their children. Jodie Sweetin, Amy McCarthy, Dr. Lewis, Erin Wick, and Daniel Logan continue to discuss strategies for helping kids regulate their emotions. Tune in as they talk about modeling behaviors such as admitting when you are wrong, de-stressing together, and creating environments to have fun together without substances. Dr. Krystal Lewis walks us through a guided visualization meditation activ...
Nov 09, 2022•18 min•Ep. 14
Stress can be crippling and learning to identify emotions can be hard. On today’s episode, Jodie Sweetin and Amy McCarthy talk about the unprecedented amount of stress kids are under with Erin Wick, Senior Behavioral Health & Student Support Director, and Dr. Krystal Lewis a psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health. The group discusses how to differentiate between stress and anxiety, how to recognize when your child is undergoing stress, and what to do if you do notice those s...
Nov 02, 2022•22 min•Ep. 13
In this season one recap, we take a look back at some of the post-show interviews. Jodie Sweetin and Amy McCarthy revisit common themes from the season. They are joined by special guest parents, Andy Buckley and Sean Astin, who appear on the Awkward Conversation web series post show. The group shares conversations they experienced in their own families and explore how social media has changed awkward conversations for this generation. Tune in for advice to transform every awkward conversation yo...
Oct 26, 2022•24 min•Ep. 12
More children are taken to the ER from accidental ingestion of medication than car accidents. Guest Host, Clare Kramer, is joined by Carlos Briano, Elizabeth Farrar, and WWE Star “JTG” to talk about keeping your home RX safe for kids. Locking up medications and keeping them out of sight is essential. You have to have conversations with your kids about safe medication use and who to trust giving you medicines, and you need to have this conversation often. Remind them to be safe. Tune in for addit...
Oct 19, 2022•21 min•Ep. 11
Whether positive or negative, peer pressure is going to happen, in fact a majority of teens with substance abuse problems began using as a result of peer pressure Today, Jodie is joined by Amy McCarthy and Erin Wick who is a Senior Director of Behavioral Health. They discuss the importance of having conversations with your children about peer pressure and how critical it is for them to have safe adults. If they also have a friend who is an ally, it can make standing up to peer pressure much easi...
Oct 12, 2022•22 min•Ep. 10
In 1985 DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped and murdered by a Mexican drug cartel. In a grassroots tribute the kids in his hometown Calexico CA. started the Red Ribbon Program, which has grown to be the nation’s oldest and largest drug use prevention/awareness program and is now celebrated by millions of kids and their families the last week of October every year! In this episode, Jodie is joined by Sean Fearns from the DEA. They explain the importance of conversations with k...
Oct 05, 2022•22 min•Ep. 9
Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and even those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. Only 20% of bullying is reported so it is important for youth to have an action plan and programs that address/prevent bullying. Amy McCarthy joins special guest host Clare Kramer as she speaks with Erin Wick who is a Senior Director of Behavioral Health and Student support at a healt...
Sep 28, 2022•25 min•Ep. 8
In this overwhelming opioid epidemic, it’s more important than ever to educate our youth and try to prevent them from having to face this problem. For today’s awkward conversation, Clare Kramer is joined by Catie Drew who is the Senior Prevention Program Manager in the DEAs Community Outreach and Prevention Support Section, Bill Bryan who is the Assistant National Director of the Elks Drug Awareness Program, and Drew Hammill who is a Senior Instructional Design Manager for Discovery Education. T...
Sep 21, 2022•23 min•Ep. 7
Today’s awkward conversation is about knowing the signs of possible drug use and what to do. Our host, Jodie Sweetin is joined by Timothy P. McMahon who has been employed by the DEA since 1998 and Amy McCarthy, Clinical Social Worker at Boston Children's Hospital. Special Agent McMahon shares common ways that kids hide drugs in plain sight and what signs to look for with changes to personality, involvement, or money use. They also share tips on how to talk to your child about drugs and how to re...
Sep 14, 2022•25 min•Ep. 6
Today’s conversation is extremely important for parents to hear as we talk about how young people are being targeted by drug cartels with deadly fake prescription pills. Clare Kramer is joined by Wendy Woolcock, the special agent in charge of the special operations division at the DEA and returning guest, Amy McCarthy, Clinical Social Worker at Boston Children's Hospital. Wendy explains the messaging and rising death toll behind the One Pill Can Kill initiative and how Mexican drug cartels are l...
Sep 07, 2022•24 min•Ep. 5
Choosing a college or a university with your child is a big decision.Today, we are continuing the conversation about substance use among college students by talking through how best to choose a school that is serious about substance abuse prevention. Host and Full House and Fuller House star Jodie Sweetin, is once again joined by special guests: Amy McCarthy, Clinical Social Worker at Boston Children's Hospital, Rich Lucey, who is the Senior Prevention Program Manager of the Community Outreach a...
Aug 31, 2022•21 min•Ep. 4
So much of this series is about being present in our kids’ lives and preparing them to make the smart choices…so the day has finally come where they are going out into the world, is our job now done? SPOILER ALERT: NO! Today’s Awkward Conversation isfocusing on drug use prevention among college students. We have Full House and FullerHouse star, Jodie Sweetin guiding the conversation along with Amy McCarthy, Clinical Social Worker at Boston Children’s Hospital and Rich Lucey, who is the Senior Pr...
Aug 24, 2022•20 min•Ep. 3
The best foundation for having awkward conversations with your children starts with building a strong family bond. Our host, Full House and Fuller House star, Jodie Sweetin, is joined by Amy McCarthy, Clinical Social Worker at Boston Children's Hospital and Heidi P. Dutson who serves as a prevention administrator at the Utah Department of Human Services. In Part 1 of this conversation, they are chatting with American film and television actor and father of three, Greg Grunberg about the importan...
Aug 17, 2022•23 min•Ep. 1
We are continuing the conversation about how you can build strong bonds with your kids in today's episode of Awkward Conversations with host and Full House and Fuller House star, Jodie Sweetin. Jodie is joined by Amy McCarthy, Sr. Clinical Social Worker at Boston Children's Hospital and Heidi P. Dutson who serves as a prevention administrator at the Utah Department of Human Services. Heidi kicks off the episode by explaining the science behind boundaries and clear standards in parenting and how ...
Aug 17, 2022•21 min•Ep. 2
