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...

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 fundrai...

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 o...

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...

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 individua...

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 HI...

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...

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, an...

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 fina...

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...

In today's episode of SMI Spotlight, Maria Sutherland joins Dr. Xavier Amador to discuss the systemic failures that led to the loss of her son Michael, following complications of his schizophrenia diagnosis. Their discussion touches on the need for supportive housing, dedicated behavioral health crisis response teams, extended family guardianship, increased access to long-acting injectables, a...

In this episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr. Xavier Amador sits down with Dr. Roshni Koli, Chief Medical Officer at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, to explore the Collaborative Care Model — an evidence-based approach integrating mental health care into primary care settings. Dr. Koli explains how this model:-Increases access to early mental health intervention-Supports primary care doctors wi...

In today's SMI Spotlight episode, Dr. Xavier Amador, clinical psychologist, author of I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!, and creator of the LEAP (Listen, Empathize, Agree, Partner) method, answers listener questions about severe mental illness (SMI), including schizophrenia, anosognosia, family communication, and advocacy.🔹 Topics Covered in This Episode:✔️ How to respond to delusions and par...

Sections: 00:00 Anosognosia: key schizophrenia symptom often overlooked 00:56 Introducing Lindsay and Dr. Xavier Amador 04:12 Myth of the Schizophrenogenic mother 05:44 Med compliance 06:40 "Died by" vs. "committed" suicide 07:21 What helped her brothers stay in treatment? 09:18 Why in treatment even with anosognosia? 10:19 Conflict over taking medication 11:21 Telling someone...

Anosognosia, also called lack of insight, is a biological condition that prevents some people with severe mental illness (SMI) from knowing that they are experiencing symptoms of a brain disorder. Anosognosia is thought to be the most common reason for not seeking or maintaining treatment for people with severe mental illness. In the first episode of SMI Spotlight, TAC's executive director Lisa Da...