Most people underestimate the rapid rise of sports gambling addiction—until it hits close to home. Amanda Arrowsmith, Associate Director of Residential Programs with Chestnut Health Systems,  exposes the “hidden epidemic,” fueled by mobile betting apps, aggressive marketing, and the normalization of in-game wagers.

This is a particularly timely topic as sports gambling is very much in the news, as we recorded this during the NCAA basketball tournament, when offices around the country are obsessed with betting pools –  a far more benign manifestation of the broad, rapid, and alarming rise of sports gambling that’s going on in our country right now.   

Amanda breaks down how sports betting has exploded from $400 million in revenue in 2018 to over $13 billion today, with nearly 40 states now legalizing it. She discusses the subtle signs that indicate someone is developing a gambling problem—like obsessive score-checking, mood swings, and secrecy—and why these behaviors often go unnoticed because sports betting lacks the physical cues of substance abuse.

You’ll discover how the brain’s reward system is hijacked, making recovery even more complex. We delve into practical steps to help loved ones -why simply offering money often worsens the problem -and what supportive interventions like professional therapy, family counseling, and behavioral health programs look like. Amanda highlights Chestnut’s proactive approach: universal screening for gambling disorder and community education about recognizing and addressing risky behaviors. She warns that without proper regulation and awareness, we risk amplifying a crisis that can lead to devastating consequences, including higher suicide rates among compulsive gamblers.

Employment law expert Jon Hyman joins us to unpack the groundbreaking $6 million judgment that held social media giants Meta and YouTube liable for addictive design, which caused the plaintiff to develop severe mental health issues, including anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal ideation, starting from age six. Could this case reshape the future of mental health, workplace liability, and digital/AI ethics?

We discuss how courts could attribute liability for psychological harm from addictive apps, what this would mean for employers requiring social media use, and potential openings for future litigation. We break down the core arguments: from social media's addictive algorithms to the broader conversation about AI’s role in mental health and workplace safety, and whether organizations will be required to undertake expanded duty-of-care responsibilities. 

Whether you're a mental health professional, business leader, legal professional, or simply curious about the future of digital/AI addiction and accountability, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of the challenges ahead in our increasingly AI-driven world. 

"Meeting our current challenges requires that we reform and strengthen criminal justice systems, following where the evidence leads to promote public safety, and to integrate such measures within the broader portfolio of economic development, health, and social services to address the causes and consequences of crime.  Meeting these challenges also requires active collaboration among the public health, social work, and law enforcement communities."  Engaging the Victim’s Voice in Public Safety Research

Dr. Harold Pollack, one of the foremost authorities on public health and social justice, joins us to share insights from his decades of work on harm reduction, restorative justice, and community engagement. We discuss:

Dr. Harold Pollack is the Helen Ross Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago and the faculty codirector of the University of Chicago Health Lab. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Pollack’s writing has appeared in the New Republic, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, Politico, Vox, among other leading publications. 

The pace and scope of change buffeting behavioral health organizations – large and small – is unprecedented, yet some organizations are thriving while others struggle to keep the lights on. Michael Allen is Executive VP with Open Minds, where he provides executive oversight and leadership for provider and payer client engagements. Michael lays out the most pressing short-term and systemic changes – from federal policy to aging populations to digital transformation – and explains why traditional strategies no longer suffice. He describes concrete frameworks, such as scenario planning and the 6 Ps, that empower leaders - and their organizations - to stay resilient amid uncertainty and rapid, sweeping change. We discuss: 

This conversation is essential for executive leaders, strategic planners, and innovators seeking insights and guidance on navigating these changes and preparing for long-term sustainability. 

For further reading on these topics, I recommend OPEN MINDS Circle Executive Briefings, authored by OPEN MINDS Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Monica E. Oss. Each day, a new briefing is released covering the latest industry developments paired with insights and expert analysis. 

We’re joined by Dr. Christopher R. Larrison,  Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Larrison’s research includes studying the use of technology to improve mental health services and social interventions. We discussed the study he co-authored, titled “From Reddit to Generative AI: Evaluating Large Language Models for Anxiety Support Fine-tuned on Social Media Data.” We discussed:
 

As more people engage GenAI chatbots for counseling, and as they become increasingly integrated into the therapeutic "space," we must get a deeper understanding of their behaviors, fine-tune them to improve the quality and "sensitivity" of the interactions, and, perhaps most importantly, ensure that the proper guardrails are in place. Anyone with an interest or stake in these issues should make it a point to listen to this important conversation. 

Dr. Joel Bennett is President, Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS), a consulting firm specializing in evidence-based wellness and e-learning technologies that promote organizational health and employee well-being. Joel joins us to discuss “The Ripple Effect,” an evidence-based approach for social capital in workplaces and communities.  Joel unpacks what the training consists of, how it’s delivered, and how it brings teams/groups together to promote community, connection, belonging, social capital, and collective efficacy. He explains why the program meets this moment in our society, politics, and at workplaces, what it will take to elevate the training into a movement…and why this is so important. 

Dr. Casey Sarapas, a research scientist at Chestnut Health Systems’ Lighthouse Institute, unpacks a study he led, titled Predictive Validity of the e-Connect Suicide Risk Classification Algorithm in Youth on Probation (selected as among 2025’s best studies by the senior editors at JAACAP Open). 

In this episode, Casey discusses the science behind eConnect’s risk classifier, which combines youth self-report data, substance use patterns, and recent mental health symptoms to assign risk levels more precisely than traditional methods. Casey shares how this tool outperforms many existing assessment measures, with a prediction accuracy (AUC) of around 0.7, capturing more youth at risk than ever before. He breaks down the key components—unsupervised self-report questionnaires, risk classification algorithms, and referral pathways—and how each element addresses critical gaps in behavioral health care for underserved populations.

Casey explains how this technology is designed to work seamlessly for non-clinicians, removing the burden of interpretation from probation officers and fitting into their often-overwhelmed workflow. We discuss scalable models for other settings like schools and child welfare agencies, and explore the potential for periodic reassessment to monitor progress and adapt interventions over time. If you're involved in juvenile justice, mental health, or youth advocacy, this episode is essential, explaining how frontline workers can make faster, better-informed decisions in preventing the alarming rise in suicidal ideation among justice-involved youth. 

Dr. Jennifer Smith Ramey is the Director of Grants and Programs with Horizon Behavioral Health. She has worked with a variety of populations, including adults with severe and persistent mental illness and adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Jennifer is also a consultant/trainer for Chestnut Health Systems, serving as a lead trainer and coach for Chestnut’s Evidence-Based Practice Center, and has worked with Chestnut on various projects, including adolescent mentoring, services for the unhoused, and family treatment court.  

Jennifer discusses how Horizon’s agile approach informs their care, keeping them competitive in these challenging times.  She discusses the evolution of Horizon’s integrated, strength-based treatment models, reducing stigma and bridging gaps between substance use and mental health services. Jennifer also offers insights into successful grant strategies, the role of technology in training and how it improves service, and what is driving an increasing need for crisis intervention. 

If you’re a behavioral health professional looking to future-proof your organization or find innovative solutions to meet the urgent demand for crisis care, this episode delivers a compelling vision of what’s possible. 

This podcast does the impossible: it gives lobbying a good name. Political lobbying invariably evokes images of bespoke suits, steakhouses, expensive cigars, and backroom deals. Chris Lowery, of Lowery Consulting, is a refreshing exception to the well-earned stereotype.  

Chris Lowery Consulting is a political consulting and lobbying firm based in Springfield, Illinois. Prior to lobbying, Chris worked in the House majority's operations for nearly a decade, including as a regional political director for the Democrats for the Illinois House, as well as a senior legislative coordinator and floor manager for the Speaker of the House. 

We discuss what drew him to this line of work, the challenges in transitioning from government to lobbying, the realities of working in ”the sausage factory,” his focus on healthcare advocacy, pressing healthcare-related issues in Illinois politics, and overcoming the stigma of lobbying. 

Alternative title: Everything you wanted to know about healthcare - from the ACA to Medicaid - but were afraid to ask. Healthcare economics is a notoriously complex subject, but if you need to check out one podcast to make sense of it, this is that podcast!    

Dr. Timothy McBride, Bernard Becker Professor of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis and a leading health economist, joins us to debunk common misconceptions about healthcare economics. We explore how the ACA’s “Amazon-like” insurance marketplaces create choice overload and buyer’s remorse, research on balancing options with simplicity, the looming expiration of ACA subsidies and rising premiums, Medicaid’s vital role for working families, the elderly, and rural areas (beyond just “welfare”), and evidence-based reforms Dr. McBride would prioritize—including for rural access and uninsured rates, plus his thoughts on Medicaid reform. Check it out!