Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?

Janet Hayes shares her journey as a severe mental illness advocate reshaping New Orleans through innovative care systems for those with serious mental health challenges.

• Started advocacy after Hurricane Katrina when untreated mental illness led to criminalization
• Witnessed a friend die in custody due to inadequate mental health and medical care
• Founded Healing Minds NOLA to create a "one-stop shop" for mental health care
• Successfully led implementation of Assistive Outpatient Treatment courts in Louisiana
• Working to reform the "15-day rule" limiting psychiatric hospitalization under Medicaid
• Advocates need to understand their specific state systems rath...

Danielle Terrell shares her journey as the US Healthcare Development Director at the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) and her passion for improving healthcare accessibility for autistic individuals around the world.

• IBCCES provides specialized training and certification for healthcare providers, helping hospitals, dental offices, and other facilities better support individuals with autism
• The organization has created global partnerships across healthcare, entertainment, and travel sectors, including certifying Emirates as the world's first autism-certified airline
• Training programs are built by autism experts and people with lived experience to address industry-specific needs rather than generi...

Maria shares her journey advocating for mental healthcare, from working in a medical facility helping patients navigate services to struggling with the complex systems while trying to help her brother with severe mental illness. Her powerful story reveals critical gaps in our mental health and legal systems that prevent timely intervention for those most in need.

• Experience as a healthcare advocate navigating insurance barriers and provider shortages
• Personal history with anxiety and OCD providing firsthand understanding of mental health challenges
• Brother's delusional disorder progression from normal complaints to severe paranoia
• Attempts to get help through...

Melody Guy shares her extraordinary journey as an autistic singer-songwriter who has traveled over two million miles despite the challenges of sensory issues and PTSD. She reveals how music became both her shelter and her bridge to connecting with others when words failed.

• Diagnosed with autism as an adult around the same time as her son
• Survived childhood sexual abuse starting at age nine and a kidnapping at age 19
• Found her voice through music after escaping a controlling marriage that prevented her from singing for ten years
• Created "red threads" of connection through music demonstr...

Leanna May Franklin shares her journey as a mental health advocate after her son experienced a psychotic break at age 19, revealing the challenges of navigating care even with resources and professional expertise.

• Experienced a life-changing moment when her son had a psychotic breakdown during a family gathering
• Recognized signs that she initially thought were typical teenage behaviors but were early symptoms of mental illness
• Her son is now diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder depressive type with polysubstance use
• Despite having resources and knowledge, faced enormous barriers in getting appropriate care for her adult son
• Co-founded...

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"Why Not Me?" podcast expands its mission to embrace both autism and mental health worldwide, creating a platform for raw, authentic storytelling that inspires and connects.

Host Tony Mantor welcomes listeners to join a global movement fostering awareness, acceptance, and understanding through powerful personal narratives.

• Broadcasting from Nashville, Tennessee with a mission to share powerful stories
• Expanding focus to include both autism and mental health following 61 impactful episodes
• Commitment to raw, authentic storytelling that educates and heals
• Special events planned, including collaboration with Humanity Over Handcuffs
•...

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Cindy Murphy shares the heartbreaking story of her son Tristan, who struggled with schizophrenia and died by suicide while incarcerated after being handed a chainsaw during a prison work detail.

Through her grief, Cindy has become a powerful advocate for mental health reform in the criminal justice system, working to pass the Tristan Murphy Act in Florida.

• Tristan developed schizophrenia in his 30s, unusually late compared to typical onset in teens or early 20s
• After his first psychotic episode, Tristan spent 8 months in jail before being declared incompetent to s...

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Ann Corcoran, Executive Director of the National Shattering Silence Coalition, discusses the broken systems that fail those with serious mental illness and their families through discriminatory practices and neglect.

She shares powerful stories of families desperately seeking help for loved ones in psychosis, highlighting how outdated laws and policies create barriers to treatment until tragedy strikes.

• Explaining the difference between stigma and the true barriers to treatment for serious mental illness
• Exploring anosognosia - the neurological inability to recognize one's own illness
• Advocating for Assisted Outpatient Treatment laws t...

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Laura Craciun shares her son's harrowing journey with serious mental illness and the systemic failures that criminalize mental health conditions instead of treating them.

Her story highlights the urgent need for better policies to support individuals with psychosis and their families.

• Laura's son was misdiagnosed with ADHD before eventually being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at age 20
• Cannabis use potentially triggered or worsened his psychotic symptoms
• Despite 16 attempts to get help through ERs and police, the family faced constant rejection from healthcare facilities
• Anosognosia (lack of illness awarenes...

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Lynn Nanos, a mobile psychiatric emergency social worker with 15+ years experience, shares insights on evaluating and helping people with serious mental illness in crisis situations.

Her work bridges the gap between law enforcement and mental healthcare, providing crucial interventions for individuals experiencing psychosis and other mental health emergencies.

• Conducts psychiatric evaluations in various settings including homes, police stations, nursing homes, and even public spaces
• Assesses whether individuals need hospitalization or can be referred to outpatient treatment
• Works with police to divert people from the criminal justice system when p...

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Geri Clark, Resource and Advocacy Manager at Treatment Advocacy Center, shares her devastating journey of losing her son to severe mental illness while navigating a broken treatment system that wouldn't help until it was too late. She reveals critical gaps in our mental health system and explains how legal barriers, misunderstood medical conditions, and insufficient family support create deadly consequences for those with severe psychiatric disorders.

• Son experienced his first psychotic break at 19 while attending college on a debate scholarship
• After a four-year struggle with severe mental illness, her son took...

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Sheriff Donna Buckley shares her journey from attorney to becoming the first female sheriff in Barnstable County's 333-year history, along with her innovative approach to transforming incarceration through mental health support, comprehensive case management, and post-release services.

• Buckley's background as legal counsel representing public employees, including police officers and educators
• How the prevalence of mental health issues and addiction in jails inspired her to run for sheriff
• The role of Barnstable County Sheriff's Office in managing the jail, criminal investigations, and emergency services
• Jails functioning as "de facto mental h...

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Jason McKenzie shares his heart-wrenching journey through grief after losing his wife to suicide and his daughter to trauma-induced mental health struggles. His story reveals how childhood trauma ripples through generations and how he found healing through sobriety, purposeful grief work, and helping others.

• Lost his police officer wife to suicide after years battling mental health issues stemming from childhood trauma
• Daughters were just six and five when their mother died, causing deep trauma despite their young age
• Developed a four-year drinking problem while trying to appear like he "had it...

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Eric Diaz shares his journey of living with schizoaffective disorder and becoming an advocate for those with serious mental illness.

Through finding the right medication, supportive communities, and creative outlets, Eric transformed from someone who couldn't leave his house to a published author helping others navigate similar challenges.

• Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a teenager but initially lacked insight into his condition
• Participated in a clinical trial at Emory University that was crucial for starting treatment
• Struggled with significant medication side effects before finding an effective treatment in 201...

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Crystal Fox shares her heartbreaking journey as the mother of a son with schizophrenia and co-founder of Arizona Mad Moms, an organization supporting families of loved ones with degenerative brain illnesses causing psychosis. Through her dual perspective as both a parent and a psychiatric nurse with 30 years of experience, Crystal illuminates the critical gaps in our mental healthcare system.

• Anosognosia is a symptom of serious mental illness where individuals cannot recognize they are ill, truly believing their hallucinations and delusions are real
• Despite clear signs of severe psychosis, Crystal's son Josh...

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Cohen Miles-Rath shares his powerful journey from psychosis and incarceration to becoming a mental health advocate and author.

His story reveals how proper support systems and personal determination transformed a life-altering crisis into a mission of education and advocacy that's changing how we approach mental health treatment.

• Surviving untreated schizoaffective disorder that led to a psychotic episode and incarceration
• Using the four dimensions of recovery—purpose, home, health, and community—to rebuild life
• Transitioning from jail to graduate school within a year through structured support
• Working with Mental...

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Sherry Witwer, board president for CIT Utah, shares her insights on improving crisis response systems for people experiencing mental health emergencies and creating alternatives to incarceration through specialized training and community partnerships.

• CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training provides law enforcement with tools to effectively respond to mental health crises and connect individuals with appropriate treatment
• Mobile crisis outreach teams staffed by behavioral health providers and peers can handle most crisis calls without police involvement
• Receiving centers offer alternatives to jails or emergency rooms, providing specialized assessment and stabilization for those...

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Darrell Herrmann, a retired US Army captain and former computer programmer, shares his remarkable journey of living with schizophrenia since 1984 and his mission to help others with severe mental illness live better lives.

• Former US Army captain specializing in field artillery and nuclear weapons before developing schizophrenia
• Earned a computer science degree and worked as a programmer for 18 years after his military discharge
• Spoke to over 30,000 people in hospital groups before COVID, helping patients understand psychosis
• Author of "Straight Talk About Living with Severe Mental Illness," available on Amazon

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Pete Early shares his journey from Washington Post journalist to mental health advocate after his son developed bipolar disorder, revealing how a broken system forces families into crisis before providing help.

• Diagnosis came during his son Kevin's college years with warning signs like "food doesn't taste good" and confusion about reality
• Psychiatrist delivered a devastating prognosis: "incurable disease" with lifetime medication, weight gain, likely unemployment
• Kevin stopped taking medication after a few weeks, leading to psychosis and breaking into a stranger's house
• Early couldn't get help until his son beca...

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A mother shares her 18-year journey supporting a son with schizophrenia through mental health system failures, incarceration, and experimental brain surgery.

• Colleen Scott's son started showing signs of schizophrenia at age 17, withdrawing socially and exhibiting erratic behavior
• A prosecutor advised having her son arrested "to get him in the system" for mental health help, resulting in traumatic incarceration
• Laws preventing family commitment, alongside HIPAA restrictions at age 18, create nearly insurmountable barriers for families seeking help
• After years of struggle, Colleen secured disability benefits and eventually enrolled her son in an ex...

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A mother and clinical social worker shares her heartbreaking journey navigating the legal system after her high-achieving son developed serious mental illness, revealing how our justice system criminalizes rather than treats mental health conditions.

• Licensed independent clinical social worker with 40+ years experience working with vulnerable populations
• Her academically successful son began experiencing internal racing thoughts and anxiety despite outward success
• Despite parents' professional backgrounds (mother a social worker, father a psychologist), they faced enormous challenges getting appropriate care
• Son discontinued medication at 29, leading to psychotic episodes and repeated negative...

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Justin Volpe shares his journey from being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and incarcerated to becoming a certified recovery peer specialist who has trained over 3,500 police officers in crisis intervention.

His story demonstrates how individuals with lived experience can transform systems and save lives by bridging gaps between law enforcement, courts, and treatment providers.

• Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in his early 20s after struggling with substance abuse
• Released from jail through Miami's Jail Diversion Program, which provides support, therapy, and resources
• Became a peer specialist within 8 months of incarc...

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Jessica Ferguson shares the deeply personal story of her brother's struggle with serious mental illness and how systemic failures led to his incarceration after being accused of a triple homicide when he should have been in psychiatric care.

• Her brother had been stable with his mental illness for a decade before showing concerning behavior changes in early 2023
• Despite three psychiatric hospitalizations within months, he was repeatedly discharged after 72-hour holds with no substantial care plan
• Family pleas for help were ignored as healthcare providers cited voluntary treatment requirements and HIPAA...

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Dr. Jhilam Biswas, a board-certified adult and forensic psychiatrist, discusses how mental health issues intersect with the criminal justice system and the urgent need for reform.

She shares insights from her research and clinical experience working with incarcerated individuals with mental illness, explaining why mental health care in America's prisons is a humanitarian crisis.

• Director of Psychiatry Law and Society program at Brigham and Women's Hospital and co-director of Harvard Mass General Brigham Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
• Research shows delays in psychiatric treatment lead to increased violence and worse outc...

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Eric Smith shares his remarkable journey from child piano prodigy to mental health advocate after battling psychosis and addiction.

His story reveals how finding the right medication after a decade of failed treatments transformed his life from hospitalization and FBI involvement to becoming a Texas Judicial Commissioner on Mental Health.

• Displayed extraordinary musical talent from age three, studying under world-renowned pianists and performing with Grammy winners
• Experienced early warning signs when grades declined in middle school, with a psychologist predicting future psychosis
• Developed full-blown psychosis after getting sober...

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Seth Kahan shares his journey from personal tragedy to leading a national movement against mental health stigma after his mother developed schizophrenia when he was 10 years old.

His experience pioneering frameworks for grand challenges led him to launch Stop Stigma Together, a collaborative initiative uniting major mental health organizations to eliminate stigma around mental health and substance use disorders.

• Seth's mother developed schizophrenia when he was 10, destroying his family and shaping his future work
• The Stop Stigma Together initiative works with major mental health organizations and launched the "Love...

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Sylvia Mignon, licensed clinical social worker and professor of criminal justice, shares her heartbreaking journey navigating the mental health system while trying to secure proper care for her son with schizoaffective disorder. Despite her professional expertise, she's experienced nine years of struggling against bureaucracies that prioritize themselves over the needs of individuals with severe mental illness.

• Mental health systems and criminal justice bureaucracies often work to serve those within the system rather than clients and their families
• Many psychiatric professionals avoid treating severe mental illness, preferring conditions that respond better to m...

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Jack Wood shares his son Jonathan's journey through Florida's mental health system, revealing how management failure rather than lack of resources creates catastrophic outcomes for those with severe mental illnesses.

• Jonathan's early life included kidney disorder requiring powerful medications including cancer drugs
• At 18, Jonathan developed schizophrenia with fixed delusions about having $10 billion from his blood plasma
• Community treatment teams refused hospitalization despite clear deterioration and self-harm
• After assaulting his father during psychosis, Jonathan entered a cycle of jail and inadequate hospital care
• Florida's mental health system operates in silos w...

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Justyna Rzewinski shares her experience as a whistleblower after working at Rikers Island and her ongoing advocacy for criminal justice reform focusing on mental health treatment.

• Working with different organizations to close Rikers Island and advocating for better treatment of mentally ill inmates
• Fighting for smaller borough-based jails to replace Rikers, potentially saving $1 billion annually from DOC's $2.8 billion budget
• Advocating for mental health courts and programs to divert people with mental illness away from incarceration
• Connecting pre-trial defendants to mental health services, education, employment, and housing resources
• Witnessing...

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Leslie Carpenter, co-founder of Iowa Mental Health Advocacy and Legislative Advocacy Manager at the Treatment Advocacy Center, shares her journey from concerned mother to dedicated mental health advocate after her son was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder 19 years ago.

She discusses the barriers families face when seeking help for loved ones with severe mental illness and her multi-level approach to creating systemic change.

• Leslie advocates at both state and national levels, tracking legislation across all 50 states
• Mental health reform requires community-based collaboration, state-level policy changes, and federal action
• Creati...

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Clubhouse International is transforming lives through intentional communities where people with mental illness rebuild their lives after disruption and isolation.

Joel Corcoran joins us to tell the Clubhouse story.

• Clubhouse International operates 377 clubhouses across 32 countries using a specific 37-standard model
• Members voluntarily participate in work-ordered days that provide structure, purpose, and skill development
• Employment program achieves 40% employment rate compared to national average of 15% for people with mental illness
• Education support helps members return to school at all levels from basic adult education through advanced degrees
• Members re...

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Denise Paley shares the harrowing story of her son's sudden onset schizophrenia at age 18 and his subsequent five-year imprisonment without sentencing, revealing critical failures in how our justice system handles mental illness.

• Son Ellis was an honor roll student with a bright future before experiencing first-episode psychosis
• Police dismissed parents' concerns when Ellis disappeared, missing critical intervention opportunity
• Ellis has been incarcerated for nearly five years, remaining unsentenced with his case continued 48 times
• He spent 3.5 years without proper treatment for psychosis while in prison
• When finally transferred to a facil...

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Judge Milton Mack shares his mission to reform the mental health system by moving from crisis intervention to early treatment and prevention.

His groundbreaking work in Michigan demonstrates how changing laws and procedures can dramatically improve outcomes while reducing costs.

• Moving from an inpatient model to an outpatient world where over 90% of mental health care now occurs
• Changing intervention standards to help people before they reach crisis, not waiting for the "magic moment" of danger
• Implementing mediation for mental health cases to increase engagement and compliance
• Creating...

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Carly, a licensed clinical social worker and mother, shares her 30-year journey navigating her son's schizophrenia diagnosis and the healthcare system's failures that led to his year-long incarceration.

• Son diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 17, now 47 years old
• Early signs included not wanting to get out of bed, not going to school, and "odd" behavior
• Initially had periods of stability while on medication but struggled with consistent treatment
• COVID isolation marked a turning point with medication non-compliance and rapid deterioration
• Multiple hospitalizations where he was repeatedly released before being stab...

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Ashley Smith, an advocate, author, and speaker, shares her powerful journey of recovery from schizophrenia and how she transformed a legal crisis into a platform for mental health advocacy.

Through her blog "Overcoming Schizophrenia," seven self-published books, and work with organizations like NAMI and the Curious Foundation, Ashley demonstrates that recovery is possible and helps others find their path forward.

• Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at age 20 after a legal intervention involving a police chase with a military truck
• Successfully manages schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression through medication and stro...

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Katie R. Dale shares her journey from hospital patient to mental health author and advocate, offering insights into living with bipolar disorder type 1 with psychotic features and how writing became her path to healing and helping others.

• Started blogging in 2014 after hospitalization as self-therapy before expanding into professional advocacy
• Wrote memoir "But Deliver Me From Crazy" chronicling her experiences from teen years through mid-twenties
• Found writing helped process intense memories of psychosis and mania with "crystal clear" recall
• Recommends OARS approach for supporting loved ones: Open questions, Affirm feelings...

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Tim Murphy, former congressman and psychologist, shares his journey advocating for mental health reform through the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act and highlights the systemic failures in America's approach to serious mental illness.

• Serious mental illness requires different treatment approaches than general mental health concerns
• Current Medicaid restrictions only allow 15-day hospital stays with a 190-day lifetime limit
• HIPAA laws often prevent necessary communication between doctors and families of mentally ill patients
• Approximately 40% of prison inmates have serious mental illness, with jails becoming de facto psychiatric faciliti...

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Psychotherapist Haley Graham shares her journey from pharmacist to mental health advocate after her son's struggle with school led her to found the Bounce Brighter Futures Foundation.

Her personal experience with neurodivergence drives her passion for supporting children, parents, and teachers through therapeutic storytelling and compassionate understanding.

• Founded Bounce Brighter Futures Foundation in 2019, now supporting 90 families weekly with 12 therapists
• Approximately 50% of children seeking support are neurodivergent (autistic or ADHD)
• School attendance difficulties often stem from not belonging in the system rather than just peer bullying
• Cautions against...

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Patrick Kennedy shares his journey from Congressman to mental health advocate, revealing how his family history and personal struggles with addiction shaped his mission to transform America's approach to mental health care.

• Passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act by attaching it to the 2008 bank bailout bill
• Advocates for unifying mental health, addiction, and intellectual disability communities around shared needs
• Explains how our healthcare system focuses on "sick care" rather than prevention and community support
• Identifies how isolation and siloed treatment approaches fail those with co-occurring conditio...

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Judge Steven Leifman shares his remarkable journey from witnessing horrific conditions in a state psychiatric hospital as a teenager to becoming a leading judicial advocate for mental health reform.

His work in Miami-Dade County has transformed how the criminal justice system handles people with mental illness, saving millions of dollars while giving thousands a path to recovery.

• Began his advocacy at 17 when investigating abuse at a state psychiatric hospital where he found an autistic young man being improperly treated as psychotic
• Discovered as a judge that our system has...