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Today, we talk to Betsy Hoekstra - former Soteria House employee and someone who has experienced "psychiatric incarceration" herself - about what sets Soteria apart from traditional hospitalization, why it’s not necessary to have a shared understanding of reality, and how her lived experience with state sanctioned violence changed the course of her life.

Hear more about how LA County has crafted a highly successful program to get those who are unhoused and live with serious mental health issues off the street, out of jail and into permanent homes. Judge Jim Bianco walks us through just such a program called the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR).

As a stand-up comedian, hilarious was Aidan Park's profession. But after the death of his partner sent him spiraling, he learned that stand-up and vulnerability were a combination so powerful, they saved lives. So he founded an organization to get the word out, telling stories one punch-line at a time.

Rachel Star Withers talks about the hallucinations she’s had since she was a kid and how she learned to manage them. It became the basis of a brilliant children's book she has written. Rachel is energetic, refreshingly open and has forged a method to deal with hallucinations and depression that could help millions. 

With interviewer Myles Constable, Dr. Xavier Amador explains why it won't work to tell someone their reality is false & describes the value of his technique: LEAP. Then a short conversation about the importance of telling stories about serious mental illness with our own Frank Kosa!

We sit down with Gail Freedman to talk about her documentary, "No One Cares About Crazy People," a film that follows the lives of people with serious mental illness & their families. In her interview, Gail shares surprising insights and opens up around her own experience of growing up with a mom who lived with BPD.

Join us as we reflect on lessons learned from the season and then sit down with Dr. Steven Siegel, the Vice President for Behavioral Health for the University of Southern California. He led the team that pioneered a mental health program never before seen on college campuses...with the potential to change the world.

When Payal's brother developed mental illness, he moved back into his childhood bedroom where he stayed for more than 15 years - not getting help or even seeing a doctor. This is the story of how an entire family can get completely stuck, and what Payal did to break free.

Michael was nearly 60 when he began trying to overcome more than three decades of hearing voices and using crack. Michael rebuilt himself in the hills of California, and then became one of the most capable people for turning around the lives of others in the state. Here’s part 2 of his story.

Michael was nearly 60 when he began trying to overcome more than three decades of hearing voices and using crack. Michael rebuilt himself in the hills of California, and then became one of the most capable people for turning around the lives of others in the state. Here’s part 1 of his story.