Committable

In this conversation host Jesse Mangan speaks with independent journalist Leah Harris and Committable producer Jim McQuaid about statistics that have become commonly misrepresented to justify the expansion of carceral policies. Specifically they focus on the claim that 57%-98% of people with schizophrenia experience anosognosia. Throughout the course of this conversation they break down where the claim comes from, why this sort of misrepresentation can be dangerous, and the importance of acknowledging complexity. And since this conversation was recorded on July 14th Leah also provides a brief overview of the concept of Mad Pride and how that movement became connected to Bastille Day.

Mad Pride article: https://asylummagazine.org/2023/09/mad-pride-spinning-hope-from-fear-by-tamara-hart/

Committable Collective: https://committablecollective.substack.com/p/anosognosia-57-98-misrepresentation?r=35bwpi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

In this episode Committable host Jesse Mangan speaks with Winona Harper, Program Coordinator for Keya House, a peer respite run by The Mental Health Association of Nebraska. Keya House was designed as an alternative resource for people experiencing distress and strives to offer a place of solace, connection and healing for people in the community. 

MHA Nebraska: https://mha-ne.org/welcome.html

Keya House: https://mha-ne.org/programs-services/keya.html

In this episode Committable producers Jesse Mangan and Jim McQuaid speak with researcher Nev Jones about the most recent evaluation of Kendra’s Law. Kendra’s Law is the Assisted Outpatient Treatment law in New York and while AOT laws differ significantly from state to state this policy is distinctly important because of the way it is used in advocacy throughout the United States. In this conversation we look out how the evaluation was conducted and discuss in depth both the qualitative and quantitative findings. There is a lot of complexity in these sorts of court ordered mental health interventions but it needs to be emphasized that these are coercive legal mechanisms which involve invasive systems of surveillance and the implications of that need to be considered carefully. Navigating the potential benefits and potential harms of AOT requires transparent discussions about what the available research says, as well as the many things that remain unknown

Independent Evaluation: https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/statistics/NYS-AOT-Final-Report.pdf

Nev Jones: https://www.socialwork.pitt.edu/people/nev-jones

In this episode Committable Collective members Jesse Mangan and Leah Harris discuss Leah’s recent article, ‘Assisted Outpatient Treatment’ and the Cult of True Belief. The article examines narratives around Involuntary Outpatient Commitments and how much of the discourse around these policies seems to be driven by an ideology that prioritizes belief over evidence.

Links to articles discussed in this episode:

‘Assisted Outpatient Treatment’ and the Cult of True Belief: https://substack.com/home/post/p-200647780

Response to Fuller Torrey: https://www.madinamerica.com/2012/10/response-to-fuller-torrey/

Links to interview and presentation excerpts used in this episode:

AOT Evaluation: What Providers, Communities, and Data Evaluation Professionals Should Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pyhydRQC6w

What People Get Wrong About Anosognosia-Dr. Xavier Amador: https://youtu.be/oZfh-oPJ99g?si=cHaZB147sBKu_6Tx

In this episode Committable producers Jesse Mangan and Jim McQuaid follow up on their review of the Swartz et al. 1999 study and discuss some of the ways in which the findings of that study are misrepresented. They focus on claims made by AOT advocate Eric Smith and how narratives and talking points can become intermingled with perceptions of research.

Audio clips used in this episode come from the following interviews:

https://sensiblenonsense.squarespace.com/committable/2021/10/7/bonus-eric-smith-amp-tom-burns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiHqzqRj14A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atzkOcYC14g

In this episode I speak with attorney Elizabeth Rich about her experiences navigating mental health laws in Wisconsin. Elizabeth brings a multifaceted perspective to her work weaving together experience as an attorney, an advocate, and as a parent of someone who was directly impacted by these systems.

Andrew’s V.O.I.C.E: www.andrewsvoice.org

In this episode Committable host Jesse Mangan speaks with Jason Robison, Chief Program Officer for SHARE! The Self-Help and Recovery Exchange. The conversation focuses on work being done at the SHARE! Recovery Retreat but also includes a broader discussion about Jason’s approach to peer support and how to cultivate more humanity while navigating complex systems.

SHARE!: https://www.shareselfhelp.org/

Jason Robison: https://www.shareselfhelp.org/copy-of-lara-skutt-coo-chro

Recovery Retreat: https://www.shareselfhelp.org/recovery-retreat

In this episode I reunite with Leah Harris to talk about the concept of Forcewashing, a term that Leah coined in an article about an Involuntary Outpatient Commitment bill currently being considered in Massachusetts.

Leah Harris: https://truthout.org/articles/massachusetts-advocates-resist-dystopian-involuntary-outpatient-commitment-bill/

E. Fuller Torrey Interview: youtube.com/watch?si=DPAuc_viybzgY4ur&v=7A8xgpYV46o&feature=youtu.be

Jeffrey Lieberman Quote: https://www.tmz.com/2025/12/22/jeffrey-lieberman-calls-nick-reiner-facilities-scams/