Voices of NEXUS

Following the release of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute's ‘ The Economic Burden of Mental Health Inequities in the United States ’ report, policy experts Molly Burich and Daniel Dawes, JD, explore the intricacies of a fractured, inequitable system, outlining potential policy changes for improvement. Explore a seminal research report and understand its implications for mental health r...

Though post-traumatic stress (PTS) can feel insurmountable, recovery is possible. To make the complex journey of healing from PTS more approachable, board-certified psychiatrists Dr. Napoleon Higgins and Dr. Alauna Curry break down the anatomy of trauma, offer their approaches to treatment, and share their methods for radical self-care. Listen to learn how to incorporate these approaches into your...

Peer-support expert and activist Vesper Moore and youth advocate Felicity Krueger join Gabe Howard to discuss peer-support’s vital role in answering what healthcare systems and educational institutions are missing: symmetry of understanding. Characterized as honest conversations between people with shared experiences, peer support has great potential to empower adolescents in their journeys with m...

Voices of NEXUS invites listeners to explore the interconnectedness of racial injustice and trauma with guests Juliet Dorris-Williams, author and executive director of The P.E.E.R. Center, and Dr. Jenny Wang, founder of Asians for Mental Health. Dorris-Williams and Dr. Wang share their perspectives on the current climate within the Black and AAPI communities while discussing specific barriers to d...

Tara Galovski, PhD, Director of the Women’s Health Sciences Division at the National Center for PTSD, and Gerard Ilaria, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Director of the Center for Trauma and Addiction at Weill Cornell Medicine, discuss the broad impact of trauma and uncover the misconceptions surrounding PTS. Drawing upon their experiences with veterans, women, and the LGBTQIA+ community, Galovski and Ilaria...

ADAA sits down with ADAA Member Paul Greene, PhD to discuss the many aspects of trauma: what it is, how it’s different from PTSD and stress, and how to get help if suffering from a traumatic experience. Guest: Paul Greene, PhD, ADAA Member

Francesca Bas, an accomplished 20-year-old college student and mental health advocate, discusses her transition from youth to adulthood and the challenges she faced along her journey. Since recovering from her eating disorder, she has dedicated her life to advocating for mental health and providing direct support to those struggling through volunteering for several facilities and participating in...

Emergency physician Dr. Loice Swisher shares her journey with navigating her own emotional trauma after her daughter was diagnosed with severe neurological damage caused by a brain tumor. At the time of the diagnosis, Dr. Swisher’s devotion to her daughter and career led her to hide her own mental health challenges, which eventually peaked in suicidal ideation. Her story emphasizes the importance...

Tre Gabriel, a former varsity football player and mental health advocate, shares his story of growth and resilience after hitting what he describes as “rock bottom” not once, but twice. As a Black man and an athlete, Gabriel struggled to navigate his depression due to the stigma around mental health within his communities. Gabriel's story validates the urgency for de-stigmatizing mental healt...

Best-selling author Pete Earley and his son Kevin Earley candidly share their long journey navigating the mental health and justice systems in the United States. Their story offers hope in that a strong father-son bond, an outstanding case manager, and a bit of good fortune allowed Kevin to recover from severe mental illness after multiple arrests and hospitalizations, but also reveals the gaps in...

Three NEXUS leaders discuss the origins, purpose, and goals of NEXUS. They explore the concept of critical junctures, the urgency to create solutions, and ways that NEXUS supports the mission of their respective organizations. Guests: Chuck Harman, former Chief Development Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness; Karli Keator, MPH, Director of the National Center for Youth Opportunity a...

A women’s health advocate and a psychotherapist discuss how to more fully meet the mental health needs of women. They explore the connections between clinical care and mental health and discuss the barriers that prevent women from seeking care, like trauma, stigma, gender stereotypes, and caregiving responsibilities.  Guests: Beth Battaglino, RNC, President and CEO, HealthyWomen; and Saundra Jain,...

An educator in correctional facilities and a mental health advocate discuss why people with serious mental illnesses are more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized. They emphasize the need for better information exchange between mental health professionals and the justice system, including improved mental health training for judges. Guests: Susan Lockwood Roberts, EdD, Past President of the...

A youth mental health advocate and a psychiatrist discuss how conventional ways of thinking about mental health are not meeting the needs of children and adolescents. They discuss how  younger generations are more willing to talk openly about mental health, and they agree that this development could not only improve mental health literacy of society, but also prompt new solutions for young people....