Recovering In the Entertainment Industry (with Brian Scannell)

Our host, Michael Walsh, spoke with old friend Brian Scannell about his time in Boston and achieving recovery. Brian Scannell brings 35+ years of personal experience in the recovery community as well as a successful background in IT sales and entertainment. Brian’s top priority is to help as many people as possible find the appropriate help they need to achieve their best life possible. He often uses the expression “don’t think about what’s possible, think about what’s impossible and go for that.” Brian is the success story of a 19 year old alcoholic/addict who, through residential treatment, attending a Half Way House and armed with a RECOVERY PLAN has lived a full life.

Brian is also known for his work in Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Master (2012) and Pineapple Express (2008). Brian holds a Bachelors Degree in International Business with a Minor in International Relations from UMass Boston. Born and raised in West Roxbury, MA, Brian began his journey in recovery at Spofford Hall in NH followed by 6 months at The Answer House in South Boston. Brian’s ‘get well’ job was lumping fish off the boats on the docks in South Boston. As a result of Brian’s strong work ethic, a friend’s father secured him an apprenticeship at the IBEW Local 103 in Dorchester, MA where he worked as an Electrician’s Apprentice obtaining his Journeyman’s license in 4 years. Always wanting to regain the College Education that addiction stole from him, Brian worked his way through UMass Boston graduating in 1997. Brian’s true life’s work is helping others. Seeing this in him, the CEO at Elements Behavioral Health gave him an opportunity to work in the SUD treatment field. After 3 years at EBH, now Promises Behavioral Health, he went to work for Acadia Healthcare. In January 2021 Brian left Acadia Healthcare and started his own Behavioral Health consulting business, The Scannell Group. Today, The Scannell Group is successful and Brian is a recurring on Starz series Heels. Brian can also be seen in the feature film Last Seen Alive starring Gerard Butler.

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About the Author

Will Long

A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Long has been a writer for Landmark Recovery since 2021. He specializes in research and writing about substance abuse from a scientific and social perspective. Unearthing information from underexplored, far-flung corners of the Internet, Long’s passion is finding emerging trends in substance use and treatment that the public should know about.