Season: Season 2

In this episode of The NOCE Dose, host Bianca D. McCall, LMFT sits down with Dr. Tara C. Raines, Ph.D., N.C.S.P., a passionate advocate for youth mental health and community empowerment. Together, they explore how the opioid crisis impacts children, families, and educators—and how compassion, advocacy, and education can inspire systemic change. Dr. Raines shares insights on the importance of understanding the “why” behind student behaviors, the power of lived experience in shaping interventions, and the role of legislative wins in expanding access to mental health services. This heartfelt conversation emphasizes that healing begins in community—through empathy, collaboration, and the courage to take action for the next generation.

In this episode of The NOCE Dose, host Bianca D. McCall sits down with Ryan Mills, a former professional BMX rider whose story embodies both the pain and the promise of recovery. Ryan opens up about his battle with opioid use disorder, exploring how the intense pressure to perform can lead youth and high-achieving athletes down a dangerous path. Together, Bianca and Ryan unpack the importance of holistic pain management, peer support, and the power of lived experience in recovery.

This Listening Session is the first in a two-part series designed to examine how Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) impacts specific population groups that experience distinctive health vulnerabilities, including youth, older adults, individuals with disabilities and neurodivergence, birthing women and Tribal Nations. Anchored in evidence-based frameworks for trauma-informed care, developmental risk, and structural competency, the session prioritizes the integration of firsthand narratives with the data on service gaps. Participants will engage in structured dialogue to better understand how variations in age, ability, neurodevelopment, and community context influence OUD risk trajectories and access to care. This session supports a broader objective of informing service models that are integrity-based, developmentally appropriate, and community-informed, consistent with national public health guidance for behavioral health fairness.

In season 2 of the NOCE Dose we examine how Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) impacts specific population groups that experience distinctive health vulnerabilities, including youth, older adults, individuals with disabilities and neurodivergence, birthing women and Tribal Nations. Anchored in evidence-based frameworks for trauma-informed care, developmental risk, and structural competency, the season prioritizes the integration of firsthand narratives with the data on service gaps. Listeners will engage in structured dialogue to better understand how variations in age, ability, neurodevelopment, and community context influence OUD risk trajectories and access to care. This season supports a broader objective of informing service models that are integrity-based, developmentally appropriate, and community-informed, consistent with national public health guidance for behavioral health fairness.