Patrick Kennedy & Collin Gage on Addiction, Mental Health, and Fixing a Broken System | 13th & Park

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 Introductions 1:53 Kennedy on Going Public with Addiction 4:49 The Mental Health Parity Act 7:11 Collin Gage and ARMR Sciences 9:24 Building a Fentanyl Prevention Platform 12:10 How the Drug Supply Has Changed 13:29 The Kennedy Forum and Building a Movement 15:18 Fentanyl as a National Security Threat 18:09 Personal Legacy and the Kennedy Family 20:29 Community, RFK Jr., and Holistic Recovery 22:43 No Single Solution to the Crisis 23:58 What the Next 5 Years Could Look Like 25:27 Treating Addiction as a Chronic Illness 26:10 Closing Thoughts Follow Us! X: https://x.com/13thandPark IG: https://www.instagram.com/13th_and_park/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13thandpark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@13th_and_park Follow Patrick Kennedy & Collin Gage X: https://x.com/ARMRsciences X: https://x.com/PJK4brainhealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-gage/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/armrsciences/ 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. Subscribe to stay updated on the latest videos, exclusive interviews, and expert insights shaping the future of business, policy, and public affairs. #patrickKennedy #fentanylcrisis #addictionrecovery #mentalhealthparity #opioidepidemic #publichealth #armorsciences #drugpolicy #kennedyforum #mentalhealthadvocacy #syntheticdrugs #nationalsecurity #overdoseprevention #bipartisanpolicy #13thandpark #politicalpodcast