Celebrities hire Joe Schrank to keep them from using. We interviewed him to get a glimpse inside the world of a sobriety coach.
What does it mean to be a sobriety coach? Do you follow people around and make sure they don’t use?
Addiction is a very difficult thing to unravel and stabilize. The truth is that we still don’t really know all that much about it. What we do know is that there are many ineffective things out there. I like to think of being a sobriety coach as foundational scaffolding around people who cannot, or will not, do things any other way.
How do you know if you’ve failed as a recovery coach? If your client relapses, do they get their money back?
No. The great thing about failure in the recovery world is if they fail we can dismiss them as “unwilling.” We fail a lot. What other area of health care can have such a dismal rate of recovery? On an individual level, I would not consider a relapse of the client while on the job an inherent failure. Alcoholics drink. The miracle is when they aren’t drinking.
Tell us some crazy stories involving some of your celebrity clients.
Well, one time I was with a huge celebrity, and we had coffee at Starbucks! I guess that’s not all that interesting. I feel like part of my job is risk management, so if things are going well, it’s not all that interesting. I will say, as a blue-collar kid, I have found myself in some amazing places. Certainly I have some gritty crack and hooker stories, but I’ll let Us Weekly have those.
Screw Us Weekly. You can tell us.
Aren’t you supposed to be good men who are above that kind of thing?
OK, you’re right. Jeez. Save the lecture for your clients. So, how long should someone have a sobriety coach?
For the most part, you can’t keep one forever, nor should you. We all have to self-regulate and own our recovery at some point. For some clients I will just fill in when needed. For example, I have a very wealthy Wall Street guy who is stable but continues to trip up when flying for long periods. Trips to Tokyo can present trouble, as can hotel rooms. So what was once a 24/7 thing is now a few days a month when he is still vulnerable. I have a band I work with, and they’ve always had trouble on tour. So I go with them on tour.
What are you addicted to?
All kinds of things. I’m stable in my addiction to alcohol (I’ve been sober for nearly 14 years), but I’m still addicted to controversy, television, food, and work as a way to avoid feelings from a failed personal life. The good thing about being addicted to controversy is that it won’t kill you—although it will make you an asshole.
In your opinion, what’s the most difficult addiction to recover from?
Surely, the grandiosity of addicts makes us all think our individual addiction is the hardest. What I’ve learned about addictions is that they are as individual as a thumbprint, so the most difficult is the one you’re trying to overcome. My sense is, though, that some of the process addictions (food, sex) are very difficult, because you’re dealing with things that you can’t just avoid completely. You have to learn how to have a sane relationship with them, and if you’re addicted to one of those things, that’s not easy.
Who do you wish would hire you?
I’d love to work for a major league baseball team. They can give me a uniform, and I’ll keep the chaos outside the lines to a minimum. That’s my dream job, especially if they would let me have a few swings at batting practice.
Are celebrities more prone to addiction?
I think that people who seek fame have personality traits that make them vulnerable to addiction. They have a need for attention, and they seem to look outside of themselves for satisfaction. One of the things I think is common among addicts is an inability to self-soothe. Celebrities also have other things that increase their vulnerability: money, inconsistent schedules, and people who tolerate inappropriate behavior in a way they wouldn’t for anyone else.
How many sobriety coaches are there? Who is your biggest competition?
I have no idea how many sobriety coaches there are. There are no professional organizations, no liscensure, no standards of care or code of ethics. There are many people out there saying they are recovery coaches, but many are people who want to be close to celebrities and feel all fabulous about being a savior. That’s not the same thing as providing stewardship for someone’s recovery, which can be frustrating, tedious, heartbreaking, and certainly consuming. I used to say I wanted to be a sports agent, but really what I wanted was to stand on the 50-yard sideline and go to parties. That’s not really the same thing as being a sports agent.
What makes a good sobriety coach?
Having good boundaries is critical. And you have to be the right fit for the client. I do really well with young men in their 20s. Many of them want to be led, and they have an immediate big brother transference—which is becoming a father transference as I get older and fatter. I would not be a good fit for a histrionic housewife. I would have little empathy and would want to leave.
You were an offensive lineman at USC. You’re still a big guy. Does it help to be able to threaten your clients with physical violence if they use?
My physical presence has its benefits, for sure. Threats of violence is not a way I like to use it, although it has come to that when extracting clients from dangerous situations.
What frustrates you most about how this country understands, and seeks to treat, addiction?
At the moment, I’m pretty pissed of at the fact that more people are killed 30 miles south of Phoenix in our drug war than are killed in Iraq, and nobody seems to give a shit. I’m upset that we keep incarceration people (mostly black people) for what is a health issue. I’m upset that the Obama administration, while claiming to end the war on drugs, approved a $600 million increase to fight the violence on the border. (Give me half that and we can build treatment centers that will do a much better job of violence reduction.) I’m upset that when I worked at a government-run detox center, the coffee maker sucked and the copier never worked, and I bet the DEA has a rock-star copier and coffee maker. I’m upset at the lack of discourse about this problem. I’m upset at the lack of funding for research. And I’m really pissed that when I speak to New York City officials about a recovery high school, they look at me like I’m some kind of asshole, which might be true, but not because I think NYC should support kids who are in recovery.
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About the Editors
Excellent interview. I loved both the questions and the answers, in style and tone. And I learned a lot. Who knew! I’d love to read more about the subject.
WE ARE LIKE MEN WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LEGS
guy with 9 years of sobriety goes for Oscar
by BEING OF SERVICE to other guys who have REALLY lost their legs
i wanna write a story about Steven for the Grapevine
he owes all his success to AA
his story should be told
to thank AA
and inspire others
what you can do if you get sober
Steven used to be a party-ing DJ on cruise ships when he first came to LA to be a big star. Having worked on many films and a series of television shows in the early 1980’s, he found work and adventure on 19 cruise ships in the 1980’s and early 1990’s that would take him to more than 100 countries and over 5,000,000 nautical miles. His first novel, “Below the Waterline,” a fictional and whimsical tale of passion and addiction and life in the fast lane on the high seas, is a big seller on Amazon.com.
Upon returning to Hollywood in the mid 1990’s, Mr. Barber found some success on a series of reality shows and, after a falling out with a large corporation he had been working with, decided to bank roll everything he had and give documentary film making a shot. With three years of sobriety under his belt, he met and joined forces with another AA member and they formed Vanilla Fire Productions.
Mr. Barber’s film “Unbeaten” (www.unbeatenthemovie.com) is a magical story about 31 Paraplegics (some whose injuries were alcohol related) who take on the world most grueling road race and push their wheelchairs 267 miles in six days between Fairbanks and Anchorage. This amazing film will have narration from Dan Aykroyd. “Unbeaten” is up for an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. Mr. Barber’s mission is to raise the profile of the disabled athlete and the disabled American and the Paralympic Games.
He considers himself extremely fortunate and is very grateful to AA to have had this early success in the documentary film world. “Buzz” Aldrin gave Steven his one year cake. Steven was so inspired that he knew staying sober would make all things possible for himself as well, as long as he was being of service to others. Steven’s film Unbeaten all started when he simply reached out to help a guy in a wheelchair at his apartment in Santa Monica. Chapter three: We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones.
A TRUE DAVID AND GOLIATH STORY
In a time of mega-million-dollar special effects and 3-D spectaculars, it’s reassuring to know that a good story with heart and soul can still move the Academy.
Grammy winning country superstar Clint Black’s original song “A Better Life” for the official Oscar-selected inspirational documentary film Unbeaten has been included in the forty-one songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 83rd Academy Awards.
Unbeaten is competing with other films such as Alice in Wonderland,Waiting For “Superman”, Eat Pray Love and Burlesque. Not only did Cher executive produce and perform in Burlesque, but she was also among the many philanthropic contributors to Unbeaten. Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning “Blues Brother” Dan Aykroyd opens the film. Jane Seymour and Gene Simmons
filmed PSAs for the movie.Sam Worthington invited Unbeaten filmmakers and racing stars to the Los Angeles premiere of Avatar. James Cameron explained why his main character “Jake Sully” in Avatar was a disabled Marine veteran.
It is without a doubt the year of the wheelchair. And this simple heartfelt story of triumph and transformation of the human spirit is what touched the heart of the Academy and led it to chooseUnbeaten as one of 101 films that originally qualified in the Documentary Feature category.
Leading the charge on the philanthropic efforts of the film is John Paul Dejoria, the CEO of Paul Mitchell Systems, number 105 on theForbes “Richest People In America” list. Now he’s on of the stars of the film Unbeaten which takes the wheelchair racers into JP’s Malibu mansion. Of the 1,112 billionaires on the planet, eleven of them have contributed to the independent filmmaking mission. It was JP Dejoria’s initial donation and his long-standing admiration for men like Christopher Reeve that got these wheelchairs rolling as Team Paul Mitchell. Funds have been raised by all those who intended to help elevate the profile of the disabled: John Paul Dejoria, Dan Aykroyd, Clint Black, Steve Forbes, Eli Broad, T. Boone Pickens, Cher, Billy-Jean King, Tony Hawk, Paula and Sumner Redstone, Larry Hagman, Carole Bayer Sager, Mark Burnett, Steve Jobs, Norman Lear, Lee Roy Mitchell, Jane Seymour, Dr. Robert K. Saito, Pamela Anderson, Fred Smith, Lee Roy Mitchell, Steve Chapman, Ed Roski, Ted Kaplan and one anonymous Oscar winning A-list celebrity who is a member of AA as well.
Considering the film was made for less than a million dollars and is on the Oscar shortlist with multi-million dollar Hollywood heavyweights, this is a true testament to the power of Clint Black’s music, the passion of the disabled athlete, the philanthropy of eleven billionaires who saw the vision, and the persistence and determination of one relentless Unbeaten filmmaker. In the beginning, the film was called “American Paraplegic” and was raising initial funds through the (IDA) International Documentary Association.With director Steven C. Barber’s marketing, media PR & fundraising skills and producer Tamara Henry’s journalism and reporting skills, they co-created Vanilla Fire Productions in 2007 and the wheelchair movie was the very first thing they filmed. They later joined forces with executive producer Shane Krider and producer Greg Strom both of Polaris Global Media. They were able to spend 2010 taking the Unbeaten message all over the world. The film showcased in Toronto, Sundance, Australia, Prague, New York, and Los Angeles, winning a spot in the top ten at the Milan International Film Festival and a Remy Award from the 43rd Annual World Fest-Houston International Film Festival. Unbeaten premiered in Washington, DC at the Walter Reed Medical Army Hospital for 200 spinal cord doctors and medical professionals and 200 wounded U.S. Marine veterans of whom several were honored with the Unbeaten Gold Medal Awards. Unbeaten film-makers received the coveted Commander’s Coin for the healing mission which was shown on CNNAmerican Morning with John Roberts when they delivered Paul Mitchell Systems products and Avatar DVDs donated by producer Jon Landau to the real life “Jake Sullys.”
The Unbeaten message was also shared nationally via Good Morning America, The Today Show and every local news show in Los Angeles. “A Better Life” by Clint Black is what the filmmakers hope this movie will give to the disabled community, which in 2010 is celebrating the 20-year anniversary for the (ADA) Americans With Disabilities Act. The filmmakers were also able to present anUnbeaten Gold Medal Award to the injured/paralyzed Santa Monica High School football Cody Williams, and the ceremony was being filmed for Andy Lauer’s documentary on Cody which is Executive Produced by Peter Berg of Friday Night Lights on NBC.
AMC Loews Theaters has stepped in and offered us a special week at the Broadway 4 in Santa Monica to show a week run of Unbeatenfour days before the official announcement of the Oscar nominations. The film will be available for viewing starting Jan 21st on the Third Street Promenade in AMC 4. You can RSVP and join the Unbeaten Facebook event page to find out if Clint Black will make an appearance and if he does, you know they will roll out the red carpet.
The filmmakers invite everyone to help celebrate at the “Night of 100 Stars” Oscar watch party gala on Sunday February 27, 2011. Steven has been attending the Night of 100 Stars since 1999. Tamara has been honored to be a Red Carpet Host since 2005. Norby Walters and Ed Lozzi produce the event where celebrities “stand up” for the disabled:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TVStarfish#p/a/u/0/_isbSMDoBtI
The fimmakers help help sell tickets, so call and make sure to be there this year (310) 806-5833. Last year the filmmakers invited Dr. Robert K. Saito and are now partnering with him to film the Canadian Paralympic Team for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Unbeaten follows 31 paraplegics 267 miles in six days between Fairbanks and Anchorage. The film takes us into the 55 mile-per-day grind of three wheelchair racers, Chris Kohler, Geoffrey Erickson and Edwin Figueroa. The story transitions midway through as the filmmaker follows the elite racers of the US Paralympics squad, Oscar “Oz” Sanchez (current Paralympic Gold Medalist and fastest man in the world in a hand cycle) and Alijandro Albor (Silver Medalist) in their quest to medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The Gold Medalist and the filmmakers were welcomed home at a Universal Studios parade with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Unbeaten filmmakers are also currently in post production on the CSI-style WWII recovery mission in The Pacific, a film intended to compliment the first film “Return to Tarawa: The Leon Cooper Story” which catapulted the Discovery Network’s Military Channel ratings and was seen around the world on CNN’s Larry King Livewith Oscar-nominated actor and narrator Ed Harris. The film triggered Congress to pass legislation. The sequel has been shot and a new A-list celebrity is scheduled to narrate UntilTheyAreHome.com in post-production now with a budget of $211,000. This sequel documents the honorable repatriation of United Stated Marines to home soil for identification and proper burial.
The Unbeaten filmmaking mission of redemption and passion will open your eyes, challenge your mind and warm your heart. This mission called for unprecedented persistence and determination. Will the real “Jake Sully” please stand up? His name is Marine Veteran Gold Medalist Oscar “Oz” Sanchez who needed anUnbeaten, carborundum-style, filmmaking hero like Steven C. Barber to withstand the heat and pressure to push through. One way Barber intends to give them hope is to feature “Oz” on millions of McDonald’s cups for the 2012 Olympic Games, raising the profile of the disabled and helping to give them “A Better Life.”
STEVEN C. BARBER 310.806.5833
TAMARA HENRY 310.399.2064
Very transparent attempt to hawk your film using a quote from AA literature and platitudes to the fellowship for making it all possible. I suggest revisiting Step 1 If you really are in AA, because I don’t think you really grasped its underlying principle. While the subject matter of your film is certainly noteworthy, I would think that if this cause was truly important to you (on a level deeper than your bankroll), you would at least be versed in and use “People First Language.” The people in your film are persons with disabilities. Referring to them as “the disabled” is demeaning in that the focus is placed on the disability, not the person. Whether this is a lack of knowledge of PFL or simply a dismissal of its use on your part makes me doubt your sincerity about “raising the profile” of persons with disabilities.
Sorry Brian that we rubbed you the wrong way. We meant nothing but the best… and today, Dec 5, 2011 Steven has TEN YEARS of sobriety!! woo hoo!! It works if you work it, and its progress not perfection. Much love.
After receiving a Masters degree (1997) in Psychology I became CADAC certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (2001) and worked at Residential Treatment Facilities in Malibu and others. I went back to Fielding Graduate University to finish my Doctoral in Human and Organizational Psychology where I became ICF Evidence Based Coach Certified along with Certification in Integral Studies. I have been one one one Primary Counselor and group Therapy Facilitator for ten years while teaching DUI classes for Claire Foundation for 5 years. I have been practicing as a Executive and Life Couch for approx. 3 years and would like to specialize in Sober Coaching. If you think I could fit into your Organization, I would appreciate a call to engage in further interviewing. Please Call Craig Duro at 310 623 2035. I have several other certifications such as Somatic Training, Trauma and Art Therapy as well as crisis management and Stress Release. 28 years 12 step experience including AA NA SA ACA DA CODA