SMI Spotlight

In today’s episode of SMI Spotlight, host Dr. Xavier Amador (Clinical Psychologist and author of “I Am Not Sick I Don’t Need Help!”) speaks with Jerri Niebaum Clark, author of “Gone Before Gone: When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love.” Together, they explore the deeply personal and often misunderstood experience of ambiguous loss caused by severe mental illness and psychosis.Jerri shares the story of her son Calvin, offering an intimate look at how bipolar disorder and psychosis impact not only individuals, but entire families. This conversation sheds light on the emotional toll of loving someone who is physically present but psychologically changed—what experts call ambiguous loss.The discussion also takes a critical look at systemic barriers in mental health care, including how current policies often require individuals to be an imminent danger to themselves or others before they can access treatment. Dr. Amador and Jerri examine how these systemic failures contribute to the criminalization of mental illness, leaving families without support until a crisis unfolds.In addition to sharing Calvin’s life and story, Jerri discusses the creation of her book, its self-help structure for caregivers, and the deeply symbolic owl painting on the cover, representing her enduring connection with her son.This episode is essential viewing for family members, caregivers, mental health advocates, clinicians, and anyone interested in severe mental illness (SMI), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anosognosia, and mental health reform.Video Sections:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:18) - Today's guest Jerri
• (01:44) - Jerri's son Calvin
• (02:06) - Jerri's Book: Gone Before Gone
• (02:53) - What does Gone Before Gone mean?
• (05:40) - What is ambiguous loss?
• (10:13) - How does the term ambiguous loss help?
• (11:16) - Jerri's son Calvin's story
• (15:09) - The challenges of trying to access hospitalization
• (19:26) - How does the system punish people with severe mental illness?
• (22:23) - How Jerri's book became structured in a self-help style
• (24:59) - Calvin's letter at the start of Jerri's book
• (28:21) - Jerri's poem
• (33:17) - The story of the owl painting on Jerri's book's cover
• (34:30) - Jerri's connection with Calvin and owls
• (35:37) - How Jerri met the book cover artist
• (36:43) - The full owl painting
• (37:37) - How to find Jerri's book
• (38:30) - How Pete Earley, author of "Crazy", wrote the foreword to Jerri's book
• (42:13) - Thank you!

Today, SMI Spotlight host Dr. Xavier Amador interviews two special guests who are collaborating to raise money for TAC through the release of a musical album. Jimmy Haslip is an acclaimed Grammy-winning bassist. Julia Gillies is an advocate whose family has been deeply impacted by severe mental illness across generations. Here they share the story of what inspired them to launch this music fundraiser and how they hope it will help others access quality care for mental illness. To donate and support the creation of their album, go to:https://gofund.me/5efbbfc7d

In this episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr. Xavier Amador sits down with Sgt. Robert McKeirnan, a leader in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and co-response strategies in Olathe, Kansas. Together, they explore how law enforcement can respond more effectively, compassionately, and safely to individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Sgt. McKeirnan offers an insightful look into the realities of crisis response. He discusses how de-escalation begins the moment a call comes in and carries through in the decisions leading to direct interaction. He also covers the barriers that make it difficult to connect people with the right services for mental health treatment instead of criminalization. He shares how CIT units work, why mental-health‑related calls have risen sharply, and the skills officers use to reduce risk and build trust during some of the most difficult moments a family or individual may face.

Dr. Amador and Sgt. McKeirnan also give practical tips on how families can prepare for crisis situations. A crisis checklist can be helpful for this. Sgt. McKeirnan shared the checklist that his team provides to families in Olathe. The checklist can be found at this link:

https://www.tac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/911-Checklist-Olathe-Example.jpg

Whether you're a family caregiver, mental health professional, law enforcement officer, or simply someone trying to better understand crisis response, this conversation offers invaluable insight, guidance, and hope.

• (00:00) - Mental Health Crisis Police Response 

• (00:48) - Sgt. Robert McKeirnan 

• (01:35) - Appearing in uniform 

• (02:25) - Associating the police uniform with kindness, respect, and trust 

• (03:06) - CIT Co-response model in Olathe 

• (04:24) - What happens when the team is called? How is safety ensured? 

• (05:32) - Why has the number of mental health calls jumped exponentially? 

• (06:40) - What is de-escalation? 

• (10:18) - The time it takes to de-escalate 

• (10:32) - How much time does de-escalation take? 

• (12:21) - How to reach a CIT team and frame the call 

• (16:08) - How many times are the same people seen? 

• (17:28) - How to respond when someone meets involuntary admission criteria 

• (21:35) - The most common elements of de-escalation. Right vs right for the situation 

• (25:23) - How could crisis response be improved? 

• (27:34) - How can law enforcement change to improve crisis response? 

• (32:33) - Engaging and helping family caregivers 

• (36:29) - Dr Amador's advice for families 

• (37:01) - Importance of early intervention 

• (38:18) - Crisis info cards 

• (39:35) - Cops who care
  

In this SMI Spotlight episode, Dr. Xavier Amador - clinical psychologist and author of I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! - sits down with Dr. Aaron Brinen, author of Living Well With Psychosis and a leading expert in Recovery‑Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R).Together, they explore how CT-R helps people living with severe mental illness (SMI) build hope, strengthen personal agency, and move toward meaningful, self‑directed recovery.Dr. Brinen shares insights from his clinical work, the science behind CT-R, and the powerful role that goals and adaptive motivation play in helping individuals with psychosis move forward. He also offers practical guidance for clinicians, ACT teams, families, and anyone seeking effective recovery‑focused strategies.If you’re a family member seeking tools to support a loved one, a clinician wanting to learn more about CT-R, or someone with lived experience looking for hope-oriented approaches you’ll find this conversation invaluable.Video chapters:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:23) - Dr Brinen's background
• (04:17) - The connections between treatment of psychosis and anxiety disorders
• (05:07) - Recovery oriented cognitive therapy - meaningful recovery
• (07:59) - Tapping into personal, motivating dreams and goals to serve recovery.
• (09:02) - What's a typical opening question in this type of therapy?
• (10:44) - How does recovery oriented CBT help with symptoms of SMI?
• (14:49) - What's the time investment by a clinician to get this intervention to work?
• (15:50) - Training ACT teams in CT-R and how widespread is CT-R?
• (19:28) - CT-R with Anosognosia - lack of insight
• (21:23) - How CT-R bypasses the "need" to have insight into one's diagnosis
• (24:45) - Hope, identity, and personal agency
• (28:02) - Activating the adaptive mode in CT-R
• (30:33) - How to find a CT-R therapist
• (31:16) - 3 actionable steps for families to help a loved one with SMI
• (35:14) - A key priority for policymakers to help people with SMI

In this episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr Xavier Amador sits down with three nurses from New York City’s SCOUT (Subway Co-Response Outreach Team) program — a unique initiative that brings mental health expertise directly into the NYC subway system. These clinicians meet people with severe mental illness (SMI) where they are, building trust underground, offering compassionate care, and helping individuals access treatment when they need it.The SCOUT nurses share what drew them to this work, how they build relationships in unpredictable environments, and how they know when it’s time to bring someone to the hospital. They break down the mental status exam, discuss person-centered assessment tools, and talk about maintaining dignity, safety, and humanity — even when police are present. Through powerful stories, they show what successful outreach really looks like: connection, compassion, and meeting people with severe mental illness without judgment.We also explore how SCOUT measures success, what program evaluation looks like in the field, and how a humanizing approach can change lives at an individual level. Whether you’re a clinician, advocate, policymaker, or someone who wants to better understand SMI, this conversation offers a grounded, hopeful look at compassionate street-level mental health care in NYC.Video Sections:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:41) - What is the SCOUT program?
• (03:08) - What attracted them to the program?
• (07:02) - How do you build relationships and know when it's time to take someone to the hospital?
• (10:18) - Mental Status Exam Overview
• (13:11) - Clinical assessment tools with a humanizing approach
• (16:51) - Maintaining the dignity of the person
• (18:19) - Helping individuals feel safe even with police presence
• (19:38) - Tactics for helping people feel safe
• (23:20) - Program success stories
• (28:21) - Measuring success in connection and care
• (29:01) - Program Evaluation
• (30:15) - Seeing the humanity of unhoused and mentally ill people
• (35:46) - People-first thinking and language
• (39:40) - Treating everyone like family
• (41:49) - Effectuating change at an individual level

In this episode of SMI Spotlight, host Dr. Xavier Amador talks with actor and advocate Michele Hicks about her brother’s journey with schizophrenia and what it means to be a family caregiver.Michele shares her deeply personal story — from recognizing her brother’s first symptoms and navigating interactions with police and providers, to understanding anosognosia (lack of insight), the limits of HIPAA, and the emotional toll of caregiver burnout and guilt.She also discusses how her experience inspired her advocacy work with Treatment Advocacy Center, the importance of including families in treatment, and how the media industry can help portray serious mental illness with honesty and compassion.Hosted by Dr. Xavier Amador, SMI Spotlight explores real stories and expert perspectives on severe mental illness (SMI) — bringing awareness to conditions with psychosis like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder while highlighting the people and policies shaping better care.Video Sections:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:31) - Michele Hicks
• (01:47) - Intro to Michele's advocacy work with TAC
• (02:20) - How is Michele's brother now
• (02:56) - Interactions with police
• (03:42) - The start of Michael's symptoms
• (04:39) - Intellectual disability with schizophrenia and anosognosia
• (05:56) - Being a parentified child caregiving for siblings with challenges
• (08:04) - Interactions with medical providers
• (09:57) - HIPAA
• (10:28) - Michele's advocacy work
• (10:58) - Navigating HIPAA as a family member
• (12:57) - Navigating burnout as a family caregiver
• (14:19) - Navigating feelings of guilt
• (15:59) - Michele's relationship with her brother
• (17:39) - Media industry and depictions of SMI
• (18:58) - Mental Health vs Mental Illness
• (19:32) - How Michele got involved with TAC
• (22:03) - Importance of self care
• (22:46) - Involving families in treatment as much as possible
• (24:05) - Ways of processing - not calling
• (26:40) - The weight of responsibility as a caregiver
• (28:14) - The role of creatives spreading stories

In this episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr. Xavier Amador speaks with Leslie Carpenter, TAC's legislative advocacy manager. Leslie is a passionate mental health advocate whose lived experience supporting a family member with a severe mental illness has shaped her perspective on treatment and recovery. She is an accomplished advocate who led efforts in Iowa to pass legislation for Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) programs. Together with Dr. Amador, Leslie discusses anosognosia and the challenges of creating a continuum of care for people living with SMI.Video Sections:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:28) - SMI Spotlight
• (01:52) - How Leslie became a mental health advocate
• (03:06) - Anosognosia
• (05:15) - Most discouraging/hopeful moments
• (07:47) - High level of functioning vs. low level of functioning
• (10:07) - Treatment System Process and Problems
• (12:40) - Additional supports needed
• (13:55) - Biggest misconceptions about AOT
• (15:53) - What advice for other families in her situation?
• (17:38) - Advice to policymakers and insurance companies
• (19:54) - Is the best place to treat people in their communities?
• (23:38) - Advice for clinicians treating first episode psychosis
• (26:21) - Creating robust multi-disciplinary continuum of lifelong care for people with SMI
• (28:53) - Challenges addressing physical health for people with SMI
• (31:25) - Higher pain threshold for people with schizophrenia
• (32:14) - TAC Advocacy Bootcamp as a source of hope
• (33:52) - Substance use with severe mental illness
• (35:41) - CCBHC's
• (37:05) - Using AI to find treatment resources

In this SMI Spotlight Q&A episode, Dr. Xavier Amador—founder of the LEAP approach and renowned clinical psychologist—answers real questions from our viewers about living with, supporting, and advocating for people with severe mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.From managing stress-induced symptom spikes to navigating HIPAA, helping loved ones accept medication, and addressing substance use, Dr. Amador offers practical advice and compassionate insight backed by decades of experience.Video Sections:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:57) - Welcome!
• (01:06) - Q1 - Managing spikes in symptoms from stress
• (03:34) - Q2- Asking others to use LEAP methods
• (06:39) - Q3 - In relationships, avoiding triggering each other's SMI symptoms
• (08:14) - Q4 - Managing hallucinations when medicated and otherwise stable
• (11:38) - Q5 - What support resources for early days of recovery?
• (14:39) - Q6 - How to use LEAP when delusions/paranoia have estranged someone from you
• (17:44) - Q7 - Encouraging taking meds and accepting outcomes if meds aren't taken
• (20:24) - Q8 - Using LEAP with a teenager
• (21:36) - Q9 - Encouraging someone with SMI to stop using substances
• (24:33) - Q10a - Navigating HIPAA
• (28:25) - Q10b - How can HIPAA be fixed?
• (34:37) - Contact us!

In this episode of SMI Spotlight, renowned clinical psychologist and author Dr. Xavier Amador answers your most pressing questions about anosognosia—a common and often misunderstood symptom of severe mental illness like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Dr. Amador, founder of the LEAP method and author of I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!, shares expert insights on:

• Whether withholding financial support can motivate treatment

• If showing someone a video of themselves during psychosis can increase insight

• What people remember after a psychotic episode

• The different types of insight impacted by anosognosia

• Where to begin when a loved one refuses help

• Whether insight improves with age

• How to manage medication-related weight gain

SMI Spotlight is a podcast series from TAC, focused on evidence-based care and real-life strategies for supporting people with severe mental illness.

• 
  00:00) - Intro
• (00:56) - Q1 - Withholding Money for Medication Adherence
• (04:10) Q2 - Anosognosia and Video Playback
• (07:35) - Letting go of convincing
• (08:56) - Q3 - Anosognosia and Memory
• (10:42) - Q4 - Permanence of Anosognosia
• (12:34) - Different types of insight
• (13:54) - Q5 - Where to start when someone has anosognosia
• (15:15) - Q6 - How to get providers to use LEAP Methods
• (17:55) - Q7 - Does Insight Increase With Age?
• (20:26) - Q8 - Weight Gain from Medications
• (25:51) - Contact us!

In today's episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr. Xavier Amador is joined by Dr. Marketa Wills, CEO and Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Dr. Wills discusses her career journey, leading her to enter the field of psychiatry and administration. She covers her vision for the upcoming advocacy from the APA, emphasizing the need to decriminalize mental illness. To achieve this decriminalization, she discusses the need for more tools and legal mechanisms to provide treatment for individuals with severe mental illness who may be unable to see their own need for medical intervention. She also speaks to how the APA advocates to address the shortage of psychiatrists nationwide. #smi #apa #xavieramador Video Sections:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:54) - What got Dr Wills interested in psychiatry?
• (05:12) - Personal Connection
• (06:49) - First Woman BIPOC head of APA
• (08:11) - Dr. Wills' vision for the APA
• (09:56) - Policy changes Dr. Wills is focused on at the APA
• (12:14) - Clozaril REMS
• (16:05) - Encouraging new doctors to focus on psychiatry and SMI
• (18:58) - Addressing Burnout
• (21:27) - Peer support for psychiatrists
• (23:36) - Thoughts for families frustrated with psychiatrists
• (25:29) - AI and psychiatry
• (26:52) - How will APA reach people with anosognosia?
• (29:32) - Anosognosia in the DSM