ELLEN BASSUK, MD is a psychiatrist, researcher, clinician, and advocate whose five-decade career has centered on mental health, homelessness, and society’s most vulnerable populations. Her son, DANIEL SCHOONOVER, an animal lover, volunteer, and steadfast champion for overlooked creatures and communities, has devoted his life to caring for those too often forgotten.

Mental health lives at the center of their story. For Daniel, it has meant confronting circumstances that remind us how fragile stability can be. For Ellen, it has meant facing the painful reality that the very systems she helped build now fail her son, forcing her to fight tirelessly to protect him from the perils of schizophrenia.

Together, they share Between Two Worlds: A Psychiatrist and Her Son’s Quest for Compassionate Mental Health Care, a book born from resilience, love, and an unyielding determination. Their journey illuminates both the cracks in our current system and the hope that emerges when care is rooted in humanity.