13th & Park
"13th & Park" hosts insightful conversations with special guests covering a broad range of topics from politics and government, to technology, culture, economics and the media. Listeners eavesdrop on what feel like private conversations featuring the savviest and most highly regarded minds in the country. The show, co-hosted by media veterans Adam Goodman and Justin Sayfie, is produced by Ballard Partners in the Ballard Studios in Washington DC.
13th & Park
Patrick Kennedy & Collin Gage on Addiction, Mental Health, and Fixing a Broken System | 13th & Park
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Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Collin Gage, CEO of ARMR Sciences, join Alison Anway, Ballard Partners Health Policy Chair, for a candid and deeply personal conversation on addiction, mental health, and the fentanyl crisis reshaping American life.
Kennedy reflects on his own public struggle with addiction, from being outed by a fellow rehab patient early in his political career in Rhode Island, to a DWI on Capitol Hill that sent him back to treatment. Rather than derailing his career, those experiences ultimately gave him the credibility and conviction to champion the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, landmark legislation that required insurers to cover mental health and addiction treatment on par with physical illness. He also discusses his ongoing work through the Kennedy Forum to build a bipartisan political movement around mental health.
Gage shares the personal losses and family experiences that led him to found ARMR Sciences, a biotech platform developing vaccine-based and prophylactic technologies designed to prevent overdose death rather than simply react to it. He describes how the drug supply has become exponentially more dangerous, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids now lacing everything from counterfeit prescription pills to marijuana and vape products. Both guests argue that the fentanyl crisis has escalated beyond public health into a national security threat, with Chinese precursor chemicals fueling what Kennedy calls a strategic asymmetric warfare campaign against the United States.
The conversation closes on a message of hope, emphasizing community, family-centered treatment, and the importance of open dialogue as essential tools in addressing an epidemic that touches every corner of American society.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:43 Welcome and Context
2:08 Kennedy on Being Outed and Going Public
4:49 DWI, Rehab, and Passing Parity
7:11 Collin Gage's Personal Story
9:24 What ARMR Sciences Is Building
12:10 How the Drug Supply Has Changed
13:29 Kennedy Forum and Political Strategy
16:51 Fentanyl as a National Security Threat
19:42 Personal Legacy and the Kennedy Family Mission
22:04 RFK Jr., Holistic Recovery, and Culture Change
25:31 Hope for the Next Five Years
27:43 Closing Thoughts
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About 13th and Park:
13th and Park is a dynamic media platform produced by Ballard Partners. We bring you insightful discussions, expert interviews, and in-depth analysis on key issues shaping industries, policy, and business trends. Our content features thought leaders, industry experts, and policymakers exploring topics ranging from policy influence, business innovation, trade regulations, and more.
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