Patrick Kennedy: Part 1: We Can Fix Mental Health Care If We Build Power

Send us Fan MailWe talk with former U.S. representative Patrick Kennedy about why mental health parity still fails in practice and what it takes to make insurers and employers cover care that actually works. We keep coming back to one idea: real change happens when we build power and design a system that rewards early help, long-term outcomes, and community support. • Barriers to full enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act • Why payers respond to penalties more than long-term value • How lobbying, regulation and legal appeals weaken consumer protections • Building political power by organizing families and breaking silos • The business case for early intervention and recovery supports • Why supportive housing and community services can beat revolving-door crisis care • The 90-90-90 by 2033 framework for screening, evidence-based care and recovery • Lessons from the Community Mental Health Act and the cost of dividing communities • Moving from over-medicalized solutions to integration, purpose and connection If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world.INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with Colorado State Senator Judy Amabile to connect one family’s painful path through serious mental illness to the laws that decide whether people get treatment or get pushed into homelessness and the courts. We talk honestly about psychosis, stigma, and the hard policy choices behind civil commitment, Medicaid rules, and building enough beds to stop the cycle.• Her son’s schizoaffective disorder and the road to diagnosis• Early signs like paranoia and thought broadcasting• Family anger and confusion turning into empathy• NAMI Family-to-Family as a bridge to advocacy• Why mental illness feels like the “no casserole disease”• The jump from lived experience to writing policy• Civil commitment and AOT as a contested safety net• Competency waitlists and why they don’t equal treatment• The “churn” between jail, hospitals, and the street• Medicaid changes that allow longer inpatient staysIf you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world.One last thing, spread the word about why not me.MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: T. WildMANTOR MUSIC BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds to talk about how personal loss turns into a long-term push for mental health reform that actually survives the news cycle. We focus on what legislation can change, what funding really buys, and why the mental health workforce crisis is the wall every good idea hits. • his path from rural public service to mental health advocacy after his son’s diagnosis and death • why he builds a legislator-led commission so reforms do not die on a shelf • taking lawmakers into hospitals, crisis units, and schools to see gaps firsthand • expanding community mental health services statewide through budget-driven mandates • investing in long-term supportive housing as a stability tool for serious mental illness • assisted outpatient treatment limits when there are not enough clinicians to deliver care • loan forgiveness, residency expansion, and pay increases to strengthen the behavioral health workforce pipeline • handling constituent calls and the emotional weight families carry when the system fails • the mental health and criminal justice intersection, including CIT training and Marcus Alert • normalizing mental health care as health care and reducing stigma so people get help earlier If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me.https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with former Maine State Senator John Nutting to talk about why serious mental illness belongs in the medical system, not the jail system, and how court ordered treatment can keep people alive and communities safer. We walk through Maine’s Progressive Treatment Plan, the fight to fund and implement it, and what families can do to push for mental health legislation that actually works. • John Nutting’s background in public service and the case for treating brain disorders like any other medical condition • What Maine calls AOT and how the Progressive Treatment Plan works in practice • Why anosognosia changes the ethics and logistics of “voluntary” treatment • The gap between family needs and what policy often delivers • How cycling through hospitals and jails destroys bed capacity and budgets • Lessons from other states, including Kendra’s Law, Kevin’s Law, and concerns about voluntary-only models • What separates real legislation from bills that look good but fail in implementation • Concrete ways to advocate, find your state laws, and speak to the right lawmakers If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe talk with Iowa State Representative Ann Meyer about how mental health legislation gets built and why access to care still fails families in crisis. We dig into provider shortages, the fight for mandatory follow-up after commitment, and how constituents can move lawmakers with personal stories and local relationships. • her path from nursing to the Iowa House and why constituent stories changed her focus • why access to mental health care breaks down during a crisis and what “waiting” really means • the provider shortage problem and steps to grow psychiatry and therapy capacity • incentives that help recruit and retain clinicians in rural states • why 30 days of treatment is often not enough for severe mental illness • the case management follow-up bill that passed the House then stalled in the Senate • how law enforcement and ERs absorb the cost when the system fails • homelessness, shelter rules, and the overlap with substance use disorder • how to speed change through education, budgeting strategies, and persistent advocacy • why reaching out to your state legislator works and how to do it with a personal story If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with Connecticut State Senator Christine Cohen and advocate Denise Paley to unpack how mental health legislation gets built, watered down, and sometimes rescued through strategy and coalition work. We focus on crisis intervention training, prison mental health care, and the hard questions around rights, re-entry, and what real accountability looks like. • Senator Cohen’s personal path into mental health advocacy • why mental health bills stall between chambers and committees • compromise as a necessity and a long-term risk • budget priorities and the fight to fund care • stigma around mental illness and incarcerated people • how advocates and legislators build trust and momentum • crisis intervention team training as a practical reform • re-entry realities and why untreated illness drives recidivism • staffing shortages for corrections officers and mental health providers • Assisted Outpatient Treatment and the ethics of forced care • anosognosia and why refusal is not always choice • prevention through school-based mental health support • coalition building and making marginalized people visible If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at whynotme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with Massachusetts Senator Cindy Friedman to talk about how mental health laws change real access to care, and why families still hit walls even when “parity” exists. We dig into AOT, crisis diversion, insurance limits, and the practical fixes that keep people out of ERs and jails. • her personal path into serious mental illness advocacy and why systems matter • what changed after the Mental Health ABC Act 2.0 and why outpatient demand rises • why reimbursement rates still skew against behavioral health despite parity laws • how crisis-first funding leaves ongoing care underpaid and hard to find • trauma as a driver of worsening illness and the gap in trauma-informed support • why Massachusetts has no AOT law and how old legal standards shape treatment today • addressing fears of coercion while explaining least restrictive court-ordered services • co-responder teams that pair police with social workers for de-escalation • restoration centers as an alternative to ER screening and quick discharge • mental illness inside county jails and how sheriffs can shift outcomes • rural mental health access challenges plus telehealth parity and community clinics • why psychiatric meds are not one-size-fits-all and how insurers resist trial periods if you know someone who has a story to share tell them to contact us at whynotme.world one last thing spread the word about why not me our conversations our inspiring guest the show you are not alone in this world https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe talk with Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra about why mental health care so often lands in the justice system and what it takes to change that through smart legislation and real implementation. We dig into funding, workforce, 988 crisis response, diversion programs, and how communities can push practical mental health reform that actually reaches people. • her path from prosecutor work to mental health court and forensic mental health • why jails and prisons function as default mental health hospitals • the biggest legislative roadblocks: funding levels and views of individual liberty • assisted outpatient treatment in Washington and why implementation varies by county • how Washington built a stakeholder-driven model to implement 988 • oversight, metrics, and the workforce shortage that blocks care even with funding • rural mental health access, telehealth, and consultation lines like PAL • diversion options from first law enforcement contact through jail re-entry supports • sharing best practices across states through conferences, data, and evidence • community-driven policymaking and contacting elected officials with solutions If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with former Congressman and psychologist Tim Murphy to show how mental health laws really get made and why “good ideas” often get changed or stripped before they ever help families. We dig into Medicaid rules, treatment access, psychosis risks, and the hard truth that silence is how broken systems stay in place. • the real path of a bill from idea to compromise to final vote • why mental health policy creates intense conflict between groups • assisted outpatient treatment as an alternative to repeated hospitalization • how “gravely disabled” standards shape who can get care • Medicaid payment rules that discourage psychiatric beds and longer stays • why Congressional Budget Office scoring can derail reforms • what happens when severe mental illness is handled in jails • solitary confinement as a driver of worsening symptoms and suicide risk • high potency marijuana and the rising risk of psychosis • the estimated $340B to $380B annual cost of schizophrenia • families left holding the system together without guidance • HIPAA and confidentiality blocking parents from sharing critical history • why large organizations lose focus and stall action • how autism and schizophrenia advocacy can find common ground • practical steps to educate legislators through emails letters and visits If you know someone who has a story to you, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last time, spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan MailWe bring together seven voices to face the hardest question families live with: when severe mental illness and psychosis take over, what does “choice” really mean. We share what it looks like when schools, hospitals, and law enforcement treat brain illness like behavior, and we lay out concrete steps that can shorten the gap to real care.• capacity and consent when someone refuses help during psychosis• power of attorney and psychiatric advance directives plus where they fall short• anosognosia explained through dementia comparisons and street homelessness• the “10-year gap” to diagnosis and why mandatory care and AOT come up• early warning signs of psychosis and why peers and schools need training• privacy barriers and why HIPAA is often misread or over-restricted• CIT training realities and the need for the right officers• frustration with professional leadership and the call for more beds and workforce training• legislative paths including HR 4022 and ending the IMD exclusionBefore we jump in, if you haven't already, I invite you to tap follow.If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world.One last thing. Spread the word about why not me.Music INTRO?OUTRO: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)