Best Schizophrenia Care Project Podcasts (2024)

1
From Strength to Strength: A glimpse into what defines resilience with Georgette Darby in Hollywood 1:06:45

2M ago1:06:45

1:06:45

Meet Georgette Darby in this interview. She is one remarkable woman who has endured so much and has emerged strong and resilient. Georgette has a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration with an emphasis in Criminal Justice from California State University at Dominguez Hills. She graduated in 1996. She also has an AA degree in Science, Computer…

1
Beyond Treatment. How Clubhouses for People Living with Serious Mental Illness Transform Lives and Save Money: A Conversation with Fountain House 56:35

3M ago56:35

56:35

In this episode, we visit with two representatives from Fountain House in New York. Our primary intent was to provide a platform to share the results of a recent research report issued by Fountain House: Beyond Treatment: How Clubhouses for People Living with Serious Mental Illness Transform Lives and Save Money. This first of its kind analysis not…

1
From radical hospitality in LA County Twin Towers to the reality of state prison: A conversation with former inmate Mental Health Assistant Adrian Berumen (Part Two) 46:14

5M ago46:14

46:14

In Part II of this interview with Adrian Berumen, an inmate at Calipatria State Prison, we track his journey from serving as an inmate Mental Health Assistant (MHA) at LA County Twin Towers to being sentenced to serve a 25-year to life sentence. Adrian’s story resonates with Heart Forward because his peer service, under the supervision of the LA Sh…

1
From radical hospitality in LA County Twin Towers to the reality of state prison: A conversation with former inmate Mental Health Assistant Adrian Berumen (Part One) 56:05

5M ago56:05

56:05

In this 2 -part interview with Adrian Berumen, an inmate at Calipatria State Prison, we track his journey from serving as an inmate Mental Health Assistant (MHA) at LA County Twin Towers to being sentenced to serve a 25-year to life sentence. Adrian’s story resonates with Heart Forward because his peer service, under the supervision of the LA Sheri…

1
Finding meaning in daily living: A conversation with Dr. Deborah Pitts on the untapped promise of integrating occupational therapy in mental health settings 47:44

6M ago47:44

47:44

Dr. Deborah Pitts is a Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Her practice expertise includes community-based mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation, particularly in the permanent supportive housing (PSH) context, and the ‘lived experience’ of recovery for persons …

1
Ten (10) recommendations to shore up fragile LA County licensed residential facilities. Part Two of our conversation with The Future Organization 53:20

9M ago53:20

53:20

This is Part Two of a conversation with Leila Towry and Aimery Thomas of The Future Organization (TFO) about their recent year-long research study into Los Angeles County ARFs and RCFEs. These are commonly referred to as “board and care” homes, but the researchers make a case that the community and regulators should intentionally move away from tha…

1
Long-awaited research findings signal need to pay attention to our fragile system of licensed facilities serving people with mental illness: A conversation with The Future Organization (Part One) 1:02:54

9M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

This is Part One of a two-part podcast interview. A long-awaited research study and report prepared by The Future Organization (TFO) helps to shine a light on an important, but fragile segment of our housing continuum for people with mental health conditions, many formerly homeless. Colloquially referred to as “board & care homes,” they are officia…

1
Conservatorship: Inside California's System of Coercion and Care for Mental Illness. (Part Two) A Conversation with author and NYU professor Dr. Alex Barnard 59:22

9M ago59:22

59:22

Is involuntary psychiatric treatment a solution to the intertwined crises of untreated mental illness, homelessness, and addiction? In recent years, elected officials and advocates have sought to expand the use of conservatorships, a legal tool used to require someone deemed “gravely disabled" (e.g., unable to meet their needs for food, clothing, o…

1
The Importance of Work to Identity and Recovery: A Conversation with Paul Barry 1:10:06

11M ago1:10:06

1:10:06

What we do each day and how we define ourselves to others is critical to our identify and sense of self worth. In this interview, we will explore the importance of identity as a foundational component of mental health recovery. For those who are involved in designing social enterprise businesses, or creating more pathways to employment for people l…

1
"Suffering in Silence." Operating a Los Angeles board and care home today 59:40

12M ago59:40

59:40

This interview with an amazing couple – Rhoda and Gochin – who have operated a small family-style board and care home in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles) for the last 22 years, will leave you feeling anxious at the end. And that is the objective: to stimulate not just a sense of urgency, but emergency, to protect precious beds that provide hom…

1
Season Four Trailer 2:44

12M ago2:44

2:44

Wow - it's been 10 months since we uploaded the final episode of Season Three! This podcast is a labor of love -- and is not something that is casually produced on the fly. So, the time is right to jump back in and resume these interviews! We are excited to provide a platform for some compelling guests and stories in the coming months. The theme re…

1
The tragic intersection of mental illness with our criminal justice system. Making sense with Mark Gale. 1:20:39

2y ago1:20:39

1:20:39

Mark Gale’s credentials for this interview are unparalleled. He serves as the Criminal Justice Chair of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Greater Los Angeles County. Mark also represents NAMI on the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Mental Health Advisory Board, serves as a member of the Permanent Steering Committee o…

1
Does the American mental health system stand the test of a human rights framework? A Conversation with Dr. Soumitra Pathare 1:11:22

2y ago1:11:22

1:11:22

Soumitra Pathare trained as a psychiatrist at Seth G S Medical College & KEM Hospital Mumbai and St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He has a doctoral degree from VU University, Amsterdam and is a Member of The Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom. Dr. Pathare is based in Pune, India and is the director of the Centre for Mental Health Law and Po…

1
What does it take to provide housing that heals? A conversation with Michael Weinstein and Lynda Kaufmann of Psynergy 1:11:06

2y ago1:11:06

1:11:06

Psynergy operates four facilities or campuses – Morgan Hill is the first one, which is discussed in the interview. In addition, they operate Greenfield Monterey County, Tres Vista supported living at the Morgan Hill campus and Nueva Vista in Sacramento. On deck is the proposed Vista de Robles campus in Sacramento. In this interview, we talk with Ly…

1
My week in Los Angeles. A conversation with Dr. Roberto Mezzina: shadowing LASD’s Homeless Outreach Services Team, visiting LA County jail and an update on the situation in Trieste. 58:58

2y ago58:58

58:58

Dr. Roberto Mezzina headed the Dipartimento di Salute Mentale in Trieste until his retirement in late 2019. Both of the California delegations that visited Trieste (in 2017 and 2019) were graciously welcomed by Dr. Mezzina and his staff in our quest to understand the culture and principles that make this system so noteworthy. Within those two deleg…

1
Lessons learned from the mid-90's Village Integrated Services Pilot and why they're even more relevant today: A history lesson with Dr. Mark Ragins and Dr. Dave Pilon 1:22:58

2y ago1:22:58

1:22:58

This interview will regale the history of a mental health pilot from the early 90’s that remains as relevant today as the day it was started. Back in the day, the Wright-Bronzan-McCorquodale Act of 1988 (known as AB 3777) funded – from the state’s general fund -- three Integrated Service Agency programs for mentally ill consumers. The most well-kno…

1
Italian psychiatrist Franco Basaglia: his life, his impact, his legacy. A conversation with Professor John Foot. 50:05

2y ago50:05

50:05

John Foot is a professor of Modern Italian History at the University of Bristol in the U.K. He is an expert on the life of Dr. Franco Basaglia, the visionary psychiatrist whose lasting impact on the Italian mental health system continues to inspire the world. We will explore Professor Foot’s journey into this avocation, which was sparked by the cha…

1
What is Peer Respite and why don't we have more of these crisis beds available? A conversation with Guyton Colantuono of Project Return Peer Support Network 1:05:48

2+ y ago1:05:48

1:05:48

Guyton Colantuono is the executive director of Project Return Peer Support Network, a position he has held since 2014. He has spent more than 25 years working in the field of mental health and has led a multitude of programs including those addressing homeless outreach and shelter, transition-aged youth and employment development. He has an unwaver…

1
Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health. A conversation with the author, Dr. Tom Insel 1:03:40

2+ y ago1:03:40

1:03:40

Dr. Tom Insel is a psychiatrist, a neuroscientist and an influential voice in the national conversation that is gaining momentum around the failures of the American mental health system and the need to do better for the humans that are suffering as a result. His new book, released in February 2022, is a worthy read, Healing: Our Path from Mental Il…

1
Understanding California's 50-year old conservatorship law: is there room for improvement? An interview with gifted law student Savanah Walseth. 57:59

2+ y ago57:59

57:59

Savanah Walseth is a student at Loyola Law School and was most recently a program manager for the L.A. County Department of Health “Housing for Health” Program. At a young age, she is guided by both lessons learned “in the trenches” given her experience in homeless outreach and engagement for People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), but also in progra…

1
Unglamourous expertise: Recovery from acute psychosis to reflections on system change. A conversation with Lee Davis, Alameda County Mental Health Advisory Board 53:34

2+ y ago53:34

53:34

Lee Davis is currently the chair of the Alameda County Mental Health Advisory Board. In her official bio, she indicates that she is a Civil Engineer and Journeyman Electrician by profession. She comes to her work on the Advisory Board as a woman with lived experience of a mood disorder. In this interview, we explore three themes about which Lee is …

1
Season Three Trailer 3:24

2+ y ago3:24

3:24

I am grateful for good advice I received when I started this podcast in the summer of 2020: break your podcast into seasons. For a small operation like Heart Forward, this allows for breathing room and the opportunity to plan and curate guests that are worth listening to! So, we’ve taken a six-month break since our last episode was uploaded in Augu…

1
Is there anything more complicated than our public mental health funding system? Making sense with Alex Briscoe 1:06:58

3y ago1:06:58

1:06:58

This episode tackles the gnarly tangle known as our public mental health funding system. So many questions I had. Why is there a chronic shortage of mental health treatment beds at every step of the continuum? Why do people get released too early from the hospital when they would benefit from long-term care? Why are mental health clinics limited in…

1
What leadership looks like: A conversation with L.A. County former D.A. Jackie Lacey and the story behind the Mental Health Blueprint for Change 57:02

3y ago57:02

57:02

Jackie Lacey served as District Attorney for Los Angeles County from 2012 to 2020. She was both the first woman and the first black person to serve in this important role. A District Attorney is an elected official, and their role is to represent the people in prosecuting crimes in the county. In 2014, DA Lacey initiated a committee to look at the …

1
A Global Call to Action: pay attention to what is happening in Trieste right now. A conversation with Dr. Roberto Mezzina 44:38

3y ago44:38

44:38

In May 2021, five former directors of the regional mental health departments in Friuli Venezia Giulia issued a letter to sound the alarm that “the Trieste mental health model is under threat.” That letter was translated into multiple languages, and started the chain of events that are unfolding with respect to raising awareness and voices to advoca…

1
Whispering at Ground Level: How to build trust with people suffering on the street. A Conversation with Anthony Ruffin. 57:12

3y ago57:12

57:12

Anthony Ruffin is a gifted and compassionate crisis worker who relentlessly seeks to establish trust with the most vulnerable people living on the streets. His career spans working with both nonprofit organizations and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. He gives homage to a mentor who many were privileged to know during her amazing…

1
Peer-assisted Mental Health Care Inside the Country's Largest Jail: A panel conversation 1:17:22

3y ago1:17:22

1:17:22

Rarely has such a diverse group of people been convened to discuss innovation in the jail setting. This panel occured on April 22, 2021, and was co-sponsored by the UCLA Center for Social Medicine and Humanities and Heart Forward LA. The power of Zoom – captured as an audio file for this podcast – presented an opportunity to hear about the origins …

1
What is CAHOOTS and why are more and more people talking about this? A Conversation with Ben Adam Climer 53:33

3y ago53:33

53:33

2020 will go down in history for many things, including the significant push for a diversion of mental health related calls from law enforcement to a different model. The CAHOOTS program, initiated in Eugene, Oregon, has captured the imagination of many throughout the country who are looking for a tested approach which shifts the burden to a peer-l…

1
Who is Franco Basaglia and why is the English-speaking world not aware of him? A Conversation with Vincenzo Passante 46:53

3y ago46:53

46:53

Vincenzo Passante is a psychologist who lives in London but hails from Trieste, Italy. He was raised and educated in Trieste, which gives him a unique vantage point to contribute given the mission of this podcast. In this conversation, we compare and contrast the system in Trieste against the vision behind mainstream mental health care in the UK. V…

1
Making Sense of California’s Conservatorship System. Part One. A Conversation with Dr. Alex Barnard 52:14

3y ago52:14

52:14

Alex Barnard is an assistant professor of sociology at New York University, and received his PhD in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019. He is writing a book, tentatively entitled "Mental States," that examines why people with similar illnesses have very different trajectories between institutions of care and control in Fr…

1
Once upon a time in the California mental health system: A history lesson with Barbara Wilson LCSW 58:19

3y ago58:19

58:19

Barbara Wilson, LCSW, has had a distinguished career in social service and helping people for over 50 years. She is well-known in Los Angeles County as a tireless advocate for improved services to people coping with serious mental illness and the families who care for them. She also is credited for being one of the first in the state to sound the a…

1
Season Two Trailer 3:02

3y ago3:02

3:02

We ended Season One as the pandemic held its grip on our country in the middle of December. Now, a little over four months later, the sun is shining more brightly. There is a vaccine. The scary Covid surge has abated and we have a functioning government that is making public health, returning to school and jumpstarting the economy a priority. So, I…

1
Part Two of our conversation with Dr. Mezzina and Dr. Sashidharan: Family relationships, law enforcement, human rights and mental health in the time of coronavirus 59:31

3+ y ago59:31

59:31

This is the second of a two-part conversation with Dr. Roberto Mezzina and Dr. S. P. Sashidharan that brings Season One of this podcast to a close. Roberto joins from Trieste Italy where he served for 40 years in the Dipartimento di Salute Mentale, and most recently headed their world-renowned mental health system. Dr. S.P. Sashidharan calls in fro…

1
The U.S. Mental Health System seen through an international lens: A Conversation with Dr. Roberto Mezzina (Trieste) and Dr. S.R. Sashidharan (Glasgow) 56:43

3+ y ago56:43

56:43

There is much to be gleaned from this very rare opportunity to have two extremely thoughtful and committed psychiatrists in the same Zoom room. Dr. Roberto Mezzina joins from Trieste Italy where he served for 40 years in the Dipartimento di Salute Mentale, and most recently headed their world-renowned mental health system. Dr. S.P. Sashidharan call…

1
Fountain House and the Promise of the Clubhouse Movement as a Place of Hospitality and Purpose: A conversation with Dr. Ashwin Vasan 48:51

3+ y ago48:51

48:51

Far too often in American communities, people living with mental illness are marginalized from community supports and experience the debilitating impacts of social isolation, loneliness and even the downward spiral into homelessness or incarceration. Imagine the countervailing impact of a welcoming place to go – where everyone knows your name – as …

1
He Came in with It: A Portrait of Motherhood and Madness. A conversation with the author -- and my former neighbor -- Miriam Feldman 52:04

3+ y ago52:04

52:04

Miriam Feldman – one of the strongest women I know -- recounts her journey as the mother of a son struggling with schizophrenia. She points out that as a mother, you tend to worry about child abduction or car accidents. Nothing prepares you for serious mental illness. From her book: “This is the story of how mental illness unspools an entire family…

1
Vocation, Purpose and Bridging the Digital Divide: A Conversation with David Israelian of Peer Mental Heath and the Painted Brain 1:02:22

3+ y ago1:02:22

1:02:22

David Israelian joins Kerry Morrison in a conversation that explores his passion about the importance of work, vocational rehabilitation, and purpose for people living with a mental illness in our communities. David is the founder and CEO of Peer Mental Health and co-founder and CTO of Painted Brain. Painted Brain has developed an effective clubhou…

1
Our Role as Mental Health Assistants at L.A. County Jail: A rare conversation with Craigen Armstrong and Adrian Berumen 1:01:00

3+ y ago1:01:00

1:01:00

Imagine if your job was to live 24/7 with mentally ill inmates at L.A. County Twin Towers. The L.A. County Jail system is arguably is the largest mental institution in America with close to 5,000 inmates incarcerated. In this interview, we talk with Craigen Armstrong and Adrian Berumen who have lived embedded in the Forensic Inpatient Program (FIP)…

1
The Power and Promise of Community Inclusion: What we can learn from Trieste. A conversation with Dr. Dave Pilon 45:25

3+ y ago45:25

45:25

Dr. Dave Pilon talks with Kerry about his journey through the world of community-based mental health. In talking with him, one gets a sense of how our life experiences, over decades, can come full circle to tie everything together. Most recently, Dr. Pilon was the author of the proposal outlining a bold five-year mental health pilot, submitted to t…

1
Mutual Accompaniment and the Creation of the Commons: A Discussion with author Dr. Mary Watkins 45:23

3+ y ago45:23

45:23

Liberation psychologist Dr. Mary Watkins is the co-founder of Pacifica Graduate Institute’s MA/PhD specialization in Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies in Santa Barbara. Her 2019 book, Mutual Accompaniment and the Creation of the Commons, challenges us to come alongside people in relationships grounded in “horizontality, interd…

1
Housing That Heals Part Two: A Conversation with Lauren Rettagliata and Teresa Pasquini 51:05

3+ y ago51:05

51:05

Lauren Rettagliata and Theresa Pasquini, AKA as “ Moms on a Mission,” took a CA road trip in 2019 to search for housing solutions for people with serious mental illness. “Housing First” is not a viable option; their loved ones require a full system of care that provides care before, during, and after homelessness, crisis, hospitalization, or incarc…

1
Housing That Heals Part One: A conversation with Lauren Rettagliata and Teresa Pasquini 49:42

3+ y ago49:42

49:42

Lauren Rettagliata and Teresa Pasquini, AKA as “ Moms on a Mission,” took a CA road trip in 2019 to search for housing solutions for people with serious mental illness. “Housing First” is not a viable option; their loved ones require a full system of care that provides care before, during, and after homelessness, crisis, hospitalization, or incarce…

1
Heart Forward: Conversations from the Heart Introduction 3:33

4y ago3:33

3:33

Welcome to Heart Forward: Conversations from the Heart. The American mental health system is broken and voices for change will be featured each week. We are inspired by the global best practice in Trieste Italy. If they can treat people with such kindness, then so can we. Be encouraged. First episode airs on October 7, 2020.…