Chuck Bascetta is a recovering heroin addict and alcoholic who has been clean and sober since 2009. After half a lifetime of failed attempts at recovery, he found that addressing the root of his addictions — past trauma and its effects on his mental condition — allowed him to successfully recover from the fatal disease of addiction. In his recovery he has become a Recovery Support Specialist and is currently employed with a behavioral health organization supporting people with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Today, Chuck is a grateful human being living a successful, rewarding and beautiful life. Ready and willing to share his experiences without shame, Chuck wants others to know that there is hope for their own recovery. He continues to work with others as a recovery coach and enjoys spending time with his family, working in his garden, and tending to his chickens. He is truly thankful to be a participant in the making of this film and is hopeful that it will bring anyone dealing with addiction one step closer to successful treatment and recovery.

Kelvin Young believes that healing begins from within. After many years battling with depression, anxiety and drug addiction, he began his healing process in prison. While incarcerated, he learned about the transformative powers of meditation, which helped him find inner peace in a hostile and restrictive environment. Kelvin is a certified Sound Healer and owner of Kelvin Young, LLC.

Kelvin has presented around the country in diverse settings, including yoga studios, retreat centers, conferences, colleges, prisons, addiction treatment centers, and psychiatric inpatient units. He sustains a recovery lifestyle by eating a vegan and plant-based diet, reading, practicing meditation and deep breathing exercises with essential oils, listening to uplifting and relaxing music, dancing, drumming, spending quality time in nature, and co-creating authentic relationships with others.

He continues to share his story of finding freedom from alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and other opiates, and his methods for incorporating holistic practices in his personal and professional life for chronic stress relief. He is passionate about holding space for people to heal and is known for his warm, loving and down-to-earth way of connecting with people.

Most recently, he has been busy offering sound healing sessions in multiple venues throughout the Northeast. He remains an active advocate for persons with histories of addiction, trauma, oppression, and incarceration.

Rob Funkhouser is from Canaan, CT. He began his recovery journey in 2008 and has been substance free since 2018. He struggled with alcohol from an early age and in 2003 had the first of four back surgeries, which introduced him to the world of opiates. He quickly became addicted and continued to use these drugs to numb the pain of everyday life and past trauma. Rob uses yoga, Smart Recovery, therapy, and 12-step groups to support his recovery. He relapsed briefly into substance use during the production of the film, but just proudly celebrated a year of abstinence in July 2019.

Kaytlin Coon is from Ghent, NY. She was sexually abused at an early age and also had to contend with her brother’s emotional and physical outbursts related to his mental health issues. She reports being her brother’s primary instigator for fighting, but as they grew older their relationship slowly changed to one of love and mutual respect, which also included occasional drug use together. Kaytlin’s brother died on March 7, 2015 from an overdose. Since her brother’s death she has been pursuing any and all ways to recovery to assure that her family doesn’t have to go through this kind of loss again, and continues to work on her recovery from both her trauma and her struggles with addiction. For Kaytlin, her relationship with her brother was complicated — she continues to love him and struggles to accept that he is gone. Today, she makes a point to do whatever she can, to help whomever she can, to make her brother proud of her. She relapsed briefly into substance abuse during the production of the film but is currently focused on her recovery, time with family, and helping others struggle with addiction.

Sadly, Kaytlin passed away in November of 2021. Her work in the recovery community, her beautiful soul, and her courage will never be forgotten as her memory lives on in the hearts and minds of all who knew and loved her.

Ryan Bailey is originally from New London, CT, and currently lives in Bristol, CT, with his fiancée and son. He was an intravenous heroin user for six years until he got clean in February 2014 at age 23. Addiction in one form or another has ruled his life for as long as he can remember. He reports that he has gained more in his years of being clean that he had ever gained in the 23 years prior. Ryan believes that the life he lives today is a gift that surpasses all of his wildest dreams. He is currently enjoying the most important role he has played in his life so far, that of a father, after the birth of his son in 2019.

Daryl McGraw has been substance free since 2007, and his personal experience overcoming the battles of addiction and incarceration has allowed him to serve as a longtime advocate for persons in recovery experiencing incarceration and reentry. He is the President and Founder of Formerly Inc., Connecticut’s first criminal justice consultant agency predominantly staffed by formerly incarcerated individuals. With over 10 years of professional experience in trauma, addiction, recovery, and community reintegration, Daryl is viewed as an expert in the field and regularly speaks in a variety of settings, including university campuses, correctional facilities, behavioral health organizations, and national conferences.

Daryl is also the Community Organizer for Stop Solitary CT, a grassroots organization formed to end solitary confinement and the inhumane treatment of incarcerated individuals. Daryl’s personal journey through addiction and incarceration has prepared him to be a voice and advocate for those who still find themselves caught in the vicious cycles of addiction and recidivism. In his capacity as Community Organizer, he works closely with survivors of solitary confinement and families of individuals that are directly impacted by the criminal justice system to help them become more informed about the workings of the Connecticut judicial system and advocate for criminal justice reform in Connecticut and beyond.

Daryl holds state certifications as an Addictions Counselor, Recovery Support Specialist, and a Criminal Justice Professional. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management and Leadership, both from Springfield College. Prior to entering the human service field, Mr. McGraw held several leadership positions in the hospitality field working for Fortune 500 companies. He also served as Program Director for the Yale University Department of Psychiatry, during which time he was contracted to serve as the Director of the Office of Recovery Community Affairs for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and a trusted member of the Commissioner’s Executive Group.

Recently, he has hit the road providing presentations, trainings, and consultation on issues related to addiction, urban trauma, racism, and incarceration throughout the U.S. and Canada. He is a passionate advocate for persons re-entering the community after periods of incarceration.