Mentally Healthy Nation

Central State Hospital (CSH) opened in 1870 in Petersburg, Va., and was the first state hospital in the United States exclusively for African Americans. Rather than integrate its two existing asylums, Virginia's governor signed legislation to house all "insane" Black people in a former Confederate hospital. The hospital remained segregated until 1968 when federal law required integration of health care facilities.

Throughout its history, the underfunded hospital's staff, patients, and their families often did not receive the care or respect they deserved. Dr. Olivia Garland was one of the first directors of the hospital to make significant improvements to change that. On this episode, she joins us to talk about that journey.

Olivia Garland, Ph.D., served as Director of CSH from 1985 to 1991. During her tenure, the facility regained its accreditation, secured funding to have all patient living areas air-conditioned, and established a residency program with Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia.

Learn more about CSH: https://legacy.psychiatry.org/Historic-Highlights/Exhibitions

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/standardizing-care-for-the-forgotten

Check out the rest of our podcast family at psychiatry.org/podcasts

On this episode, we're joined by former San Antonio, Texas law enforcement officer turned mental health and policy consultant Joe Smarro and psychiatrist and medical director for the Crisis Services branch of Milwaukee County, Dr. Tony Thrasher. Listen as we explore how trauma and culture affect how police officers handle situations, how we can do a better job of ingraining mental health and wellness into law enforcement, and suggestions for improving outcomes for officers and our communities.

Resources for this episode:

• Mental Health Professionals' Guide to Their Role in the Criminal Justice System
• Ernie and Joe Crisis Cops Documentary - Available on HBO

Check out the rest of our podcast family at psychiatry.org/podcasts

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/mental-health-and-law-enforcement

To kick off Mental Health Awareness Month, and right before Mother's Day, we're bringing you an episode on women's reproductive mental health. Psychiatrist Dr. Amalia Londoño and reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Eleni Jaswa join us to talk about what this topic encompasses, the disparities that exist, and policies that can help improve the care we provide to moms and their families.

Dr. Greenwood Jaswa is a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist who cares for patients seeking evaluation and treatment of infertility, planning for future conception, dealing with recurrent miscarriages, and experiencing menstrual abnormalities. Dr. Greenwood Jaswa earned her Master of Science degree in biological sciences at Stanford University and completed her medical degree at Weill Cornell Medicine. She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology and a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California San Francisco.

Dr. Amalia Londoño Tobón is a psychiatrist and researcher with expertise in perinatal, childhood, family, and cultural aspects of mental health. Dr. Londoño Tobón attended Stanford University, where she received her medical degree. She went on to complete her psychiatry residency and child psychiatry fellowship at Yale University as well as a perinatal mental health research and clinical fellowship at Brown University.

Learn more in the recently published Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health from APA Publishing.

Follow Dr. Londoño on Twitter @DrLondonoTobon and Instagram @DrLondonoTobon

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/women-s-reproductive-mental-health

Check out the rest of our podcast family: https://psychiatry.org/podcasts

Climate change poses a clear threat to public health, including mental health, and people with mental health disorders are disproportionately impacted. In this episode, psychiatrist Dr. Robin Cooper joins us to discuss how experiencing these types of events can cause significant stress and distress for many and what we can do to address our climate and mental health crisis.

Dr. Robin Cooper, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, has been in private practice psychiatry in San Francisco, California for nearly 40 years and is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California San Francisco. She is the co-founder and President of Climate Psychiatry Alliance, a national group dedicated to understanding, advocating, and educating the profession and the public about the urgent risks of our climate crisis and its impacts on mental health.

• Climate Psychiatry Alliance
• Surviving Extreme Heat Toolkit
• Medical Societies Consortium on Climate and Health
• Climate Change and Mental Health Connections | APA
• How Climate Change Impacts Your Mental Health | APA
• APA Blog: Kids and Climate Change
• Children's books:
  • Fur and Feathers Stand Together
  • Coco's Fire: Changing Climate Anxiety into Climate Action

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/climate-change-and-mental-health

Today, we are joined by the Executive Producers/Directors of the documentary Orchestrating Change that tells the inspiring story of the Me2/Orchestra - the only orchestra in the world created by and for people living with mental illness and those who support them. Margie and Barbara talk with our Librarian and Archivist, Deena Gorland, about the origins of the Me2/Orchestra, the making of the film, and lessons we can all learn from the musicians.

Margie Friedman and Barbara Multer-Wellin are both Emmy Award-winning producers with years of non-fiction television experience. They have produced shows for CBS, NBC, ABC, HBO, Showtime, Lifetime, HGTV, Disney Channel and others.

Resources

• To learn more about the Me2/Orchestra go to https://me2music.org/
• The film is available with PBS passport at https://www.pbs.org/show/orchestrating-change/
• For educational institutions that wish to screen the film, go to bullfrogfilms.com
• For all others who are interested in the film, head to https://orchestratingchangethefilm.com/ or email Barbara and Margie at [email protected]

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/destigmatizing-mental-illness-one-concert-at-a-tim

Inequities within school policies, practices, and procedures can have negative effects on students' mental health and overall life path. On today's episode, our experts talk about Zero Tolerance Policies, which disproportionately affect Black and Brown students and those with mental health conditions. So, is it time for us to come up with a better solution? Listen today as Michael K Fauntroy, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Founding Director of the Race, Politics, and Policy Center at George Mason University and Regina James, MD, Chief of the Division of Diversity & Health Equity and Deputy Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association discuss this topic.

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/is-it-time-to-rethink-zero-tolerance-policies-in-s

On this episode, we are joined by Dr. Michael Champion and Judge Steven Leifman to talk about how judges and psychiatrists can work together to combat the over-incarceration of community members with mental illness.

Resources:

• People with Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System
• Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative
• Mental Health Professionals' Guide to Their Role in the Criminal Justice System
• Just and Well: Rethinking How States Approach Competency to Stand Trial

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/judges-and-psychiatrists-decriminalizing-mental-il

Burnout has been an issue for healthcare workers far before the COVID-19 pandemic. So, how are our frontline healthcare workers, who often didn't have good mental health to begin with, coping amidst all of this trauma?

Joining us today is psychiatrist Dr. Jessica ("Jessi") Gold, MD, MS. Dr. Gold is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, specializing in physician wellness, medical education, and college mental health. In this episode, she talks about healthcare workers' mental health and steps health systems and mental health professionals can take to support them better.

RESOURCES

• Free and low-cost therapy for frontline workers: https://therapyaid.org/ and https://emotionalppe.org/
• Physician support hotline staffed by psychiatrists: https://www.physiciansupportline.com/
• Suicide prevention for healthcare professionals
• The Center for Workplace Mental Health

MORE FROM DR. GOLD

Dr. Jessi Gold writes about being burned out herself: https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2021/03/04/physician-burnout-covid-19-pandemic-jessi-gold

Instagram: @drjessigold Twitter: @drjessigold

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/mental-health-and-burnout-in-frontline-healthcare-

Grief is a normal response to loss that, unfortunately, is no stranger to most of us. But how do we deal with it? Does time really heal all wounds, or is it more complicated than we think? In today's episode, psychiatrist Dr. Katherine Shear talks to our Executive Director, Rawle Andrews, Jr., about the different types of grief, coping strategies and treatments, and how we can support our loved ones during this time.

Resources

• Center for Prolonged Grief
• Center for PG Resources For The Public
• Brief Grief Questionnaire
• Training for health and mental health professionals in recognizing prolonged grief disorder and an evidence-based grief therapy. Continuing education contact hours available. link
• Join the Center for PG E-Newsletter for updates on Center activities.
  • For the Public link
  • For Professionals link
• Facebook - @CenterforProlonged Grief
• Twitter - @CenterforPG

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/dealing-with-grief-and-loss

As schools continue to think about how they can positively impact the mental health of their students, they should also consider the mental health of the staff supporting those students. In this episode, our host and Program Director of School and Justice Initiatives, Christopher Chun-Seeley, MSW, sits down with the Director of the APA Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health, Darcy Gruttadaro, JD. The two discuss how school leaders can better support staff's mental health and well-being and how staff can recognize when their colleagues might need support.

Resources from the Center for Workplace Mental Health

Notice. Talk. Act. at Work: https://workplacementalhealth.org/employer-resources/notice-talk-act-at-work

Workplace Stress: https://workplacementalhealth.org/mental-health-topics/workplace-stress

Mental Health and Well-being During and Beyond Covid-19: https://workplacementalhealth.org/employer-resources/employee-mental-health-well-being-during-beyond-co

Blog on Resilience: https://workplacementalhealth.org/News-Events/News-and-Blog/The-Value-of-Resiliency

For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://apafdn.org/news-events/mentally-healthy-nation-podcast/supporting-school-staffs-mental-health