Aiden Keltner, a San Diego and Los Angeles based filmmaker, is a two time Emmy Award recipient (NATAS PSW) and a recipient of the Voices with Impact 2024 Production Grant. He has directed multiple award-winning short films which have screened internationally at various festivals as well as been distributed on PBS' website.

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Aiden's focus as a filmmaker, is on telling underrepresented stories from the mental health community. Aiden has been inspired by his own lived experience with close family members diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. Currently, he is developing different feature films on this subject.

In this revelatory book, journalist Alisa Roth goes deep inside the criminal justice system to show how and why it has become a warehouse where inmates are denied proper treatment, abused, and punished in ways that make them sicker.

Through intimate stories of people in the system and those trying to fix it, Roth reveals the hidden forces behind this crisis and suggests how a fairer and more humane approach might look. Insane is a galvanizing wake-up call for criminal justice reformers and anyone concerned about the plight of our most vulnerable.

Bethany Yeiser is the President of the CURESZ Foundation which she co-founded with Dr. Henry Nasrallah in 2016. CURESZ stands for Comprehensive Understanding via Research and Education into SchiZophrenia. She is a motivational speaker and the author of Mind Estranged: My Journey from Schizophrenia and Homelessness to Recovery (released May 31, 2014). Bethany was a scholarship winner, researcher and violinist before she became severely mentally ill and homeless her senior year of college in 2003. She has maintained a high level of recovery for 17 years. Bethany also publishes a blog called "Recovery Road" on PsychologyToday.com. Her second book, Awakenings: Stories of Recovery and Emergence from Schizophrenia was released in February 2024, and authored jointly with Henry Nasrallah, MD.

Christopher Grant is a Mi’kmaw artist and filmmaker who creates viral "schizophrenia simulator" videos to illustrate his lived experience with schizoaffective disorder. Operating under the online handle @xoradmagical, Grant uses a blend of digital animation, video, and hand-drawn art to superimpose his hallucinations onto everyday environments. His content aims to destigmatize psychotic disorders and help the public understand the daily realities of hearing and seeing things that others cannot 

Ezra “David” Israelian, also known as David “Eli” Israelian, has transformed his personal experiences being diagnosed with neurodiverse and mental health challenges into a mission-driven career, advocating for peer-led support and innovative solutions in the mental health sector.

A firm believer in continuous self-care, Ezra is also a weekly participant of neuroTree services. His commitment to holistic well-being reflects the very principles he advocates within the mental health community.

Founding of Painted Brain

In 2009, Israelian co-founded Painted Brain, serving as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). This organization offers a clubhouse model that integrates art, media, and technology group interventions for psychiatric populations, fostering increased connection, trust, and reduced anxiety.

Dede Ranahan is a mother, grandmother, and long-time mental health advocate who's worn many career hats. In 1982 she authored a book for young girls that won a national award for nonfiction. In 2001 she established the Institute for Mental Illness Education on the Cal State Hayward campus. In 2004 she served as the Walk Director for the first NAMIWALK in San Francisco. From 2007 to 2010, she worked in the NAMI California office as the Policy Director for the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63). Today, in her over-55 community, Dede runs a support group for families who have members coping with serious mental illness. She says, "In trying to help our loved ones, we need help ourselves. We need to know we're not alone."

Dr Laitman has for the last 20 plus years championed the optimal use of psychotic disorders. He and his wife have a son, Daniel, who developed schizophrenia at age 15. Dr Laitman and his wife Dr Ann Mandel were told by the psychiatric community that their expectations for Daniel would have to be dramatically downgraded. Both Drs were Internists and they found this unacceptable. So began their new career which led to Dr Laitman developing the EASE model, the charity Team Daniel and in collaboration with Lewis OplerMD the publication of Meaningful Recovery from Schizophrenia and Serious Mental Illness with Clozapine. The Laitman family research was recently published in the prestigious journal Schizophrenia Research and as for Daniel he is married, living independently, a college graduate and a brilliant aspiring stand up comic.

Dr. Amador is an internationally renowned clinical psychologist and leader in his field. His books, published clinical research, worldwide speaking tours and extensive work in schizophrenia, bipolar and other disorders have been translated into 30 languages. He is also the CEO of the Henry Amador Center on Anosognosia and a family caregiver of two close relatives with serious mental illness.

Author of many popular books including I am Right, You’re Wrong, Now What?; I am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!®; and, When Someone You Love is Depressed: How to help without losing yourself.

His work as a leading individual, family, child and couples’ therapist has been featured on PBS NOVA, ABC Prime Time Live, and NBC Bravo where he has been filmed doing psychotherapy with couples and individuals.

Eric Smith is a consultant, public speaker, and leading voice in mental health advocacy. 

 Eric is as a member of the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance Board of Directors, as well as a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Texas Public Policy Committee.

Part of Eric’s journey is in the book You Are Not Alone, written by NAMI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth. Some of Eric’s journey is also written about in Bedlam, authored by Peabody Award-winning Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, MD. Eric wrote a chapter about being incarcerated without treatment for mental illness in Navigating Bipolar Country. Eric also authored a section in Awakenings, a book that reached #1 as a New Release in Medical Mental Illness on Amazon.

Eric is the founder and owner of Eric W. T. Smith Consulting, LLC. Through lived experience, Eric offers consultation to families and individuals impacted by serious mental illness and related matters.

Gary Tsai, M.D. is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and author, physician who is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine, and the director of the largest substance use system in the nation. 

His award-winning book titled Against All Odds: A Practical Guide to Successfully Navigate Psychosis and Behavioral Health Systems (www.AgainstAllOddsToday.com), he is about making the recovery journey easier than it was for his family.

Dr. Tsai is also interested in leveraging the power of film, media, and technology to spur positive change. His first film titled Voices (www.VoicesDocumentary.com) is an award-winning documentary featuring untold stories of psychosis that premiered nationally on PBS in May 2015 for Mental Health Awareness Month. 

Jeffrey A. Lieberman, M.D., is the Constance and Stephen Lieber Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Over his forty-year career, he has dedicated himself to researching and treating serious mental illnesses. Beyond his academic and clinical roles, Dr. Lieberman has significantly influenced government policies and societal perspectives, striving to reduce stigma and enhance the quality and accessibility of mental health care.

Dr. Lieberman has also authored works aimed at the general public to enhance understanding of psychiatry and mental health:

• Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry (2015)
• Malady of the Mind: Schizophrenia and the Path to Prevention (2023)

Treatment Advocacy Center resource and advocacy manager Jerri Niebaum Clark has channeled her grief over the loss of her son Calvin, who suffered from severe mental illness, into relentless advocacy on behalf of other families impacted by SMI. 

Jerri's book, Gone Before Gone, was published to critical acclaim in 2026

Joel D. Corcoran, M.Ed., Chief Executive Officer of Clubhouse International, has dedicated over 40 years to addressing the urgent challenges of mental health and developing impactful solutions for individuals, families, and communities affected by mental illness. Throughout his career, he has been a tireless advocate for systemic reform at the state, national, and international levels, ensuring that people with lived experience of mental illness have a meaningful voice in shaping and evaluating mental health systems.

With a broad range of leadership roles in mental health services, Joel brought the expertise and vision needed to help establish Clubhouse International as a globally recognized organization.  

American author and Editor - Rosen published The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions, a memoir about his friendship with Michael Laudor, a Yale Law School graduate with schizophrenia who killed his fiancée in 1998 during a psychotic episode. The book was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize and has received high critical acclaim.

Lisa Wexler is a versatile and talented woman. A talk radio host, Probate Judge, attorney, advocate, author and public speaker, she is a master at communicating information in an entertaining way. 

Lisa Wexler is the Gracie-Award winning creator of The Lisa Wexler Show, airing weekdays from 10AM - 12PM at AM WICC 600 & 95.9 FM in the Westchester and Fairfield County regions of Metro New York.  “If it's in Connecticut, Lisa's Talking About It."

President, The Leifman Group, a consulting firm dedicated to improving how Courts and States respond to people with serious mental illnesses. 

▪️At the forefront of mental health and criminal justice reform movement in the United States for the past twenty-five years.

▪️Associate Administrative Judge of the Miami-Dade County Court – Criminal Division from 2000 until his retirement on December 31, 2024.

▪️Special Advisor on Criminal Justice and Mental Health for the Supreme Court of Florida.

▪️Lecturer in Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School and a Voluntary Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

I am a PhD, licensed clinical social worker, professor at Fordham University, and researcher who specializes in understanding the experiences of mothers of adult children with serious mental illness or substance use disorder.

My book is told from the perspective of mothers who've lived it, Difficult focuses on mothering challenging adult children.

Difficult brings to life the conflicts that arise for mothers who are confronted with the unexpected and burdensome dependencies of their adult children associated with mental illness, substance use, or chronic unemployment. 

 I now offer support groups for mothers with difficult adult children. The groups provide support for parents who feel alone and often live in secrecy, hiding the strain they face as they cope with their adult children's problems.

Ken Duckworth’s journey into psychiatry started when he was a boy growing up with a dad who experienced severe bipolar disorder. His father was loving, kind and periodically quite ill, hospitalized for months at a time. Ken became a psychiatrist in part to help his father. He is very fortunate to serve as the Chief Medical Officer for NAMI and to be part of

this remarkable community.

Ken recently authored NAMI’s first book, “You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health―With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families.” 

 Kerry Morrison is project director for Heart Forward LA, a nonprofit whose mission involves “transforming the American mental health system through radical hospitality.” She responded to this calling in 2019, after spending 22 years leading the business improvement district (BID) in Hollywood on a growth trajectory from where it started as a six-block $600,000 experiment in 1996 to its 2018 renewal as a $7M combined Sunset and Hollywood BID. As a 2016-17 Stanton Fellow, searching for a better way to help the most severely mentally ill people left to languish on our streets, Morrison found her way to Trieste, Italy, a city recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as model system for providing community-based mental healthcare. She has helped to build a coalition in Los Angeles County committed to bringing these global best practices to a mental health pilot in Hollywood which will be funded by the Mental Health Services Act Innovations fund. 

Kevin Earley is the son of author and journalist Pete Earley, known for his recovery from a severe bipolar disorder crisis which was documented in his father's 2007 book, Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness

Profession: As of 2026, Kevin is a certified peer support recovery specialist working in Virginia, using his experience to help others with mental health challenges.

Education: He earned a Master's degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020.

Advocacy: Kevin and his father frequently speak together to fight mental health stigma and improve the crisis system.

Guest: Kody Green, patient advocate

Kody lives with schizophrenia and is a motivational speaker/content creator with over a million followers on TikTok alone (@schizophrenichippie). He has also overcome struggles with drug addiction and incarceration, which he shares information about on his platform. To be a better advocate and speaker, Kody has been trained as a peer support specialist, recovery coach and suicide prevention specialist.  

Kody's podcast is called Unseen & Unheard:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unseen-unheard/id1589319270

As an attorney and an advocate, my mission is to provide specialized legal advice and support to families with vulnerable loved ones. With a focus on mental health, special needs, elder law, substance abuse disorders and related matters, I am dedicated to helping clients navigate complex legal landscapes and achieve the best possible outcomes for their families. My career demonstrates a deep commitment to vulnerable clients. I believe that everyone deserves access to compassionate, informed, and effective legal representation.

My practice provides highly specialized advice, focusing on trust administration, specialized estate planning, elder law advisement, and mental health advocacy. I understand that families depend on my expertise to secure a stable and positive future for their vulnerable loved ones. My goal is to offer personalized, comprehensive legal solutions that address each client’s unique needs.

Founder & CEO, Johnny’s Ambassadors.
 Laura Stack is Johnny Stack’s mom and his lead Ambassador. In the business world, Laura is better known by her professional moniker, The Productivity Pro®. She is a Hall-of-Fame Speaker and corporate spokesperson for many major brands. 

On November 20, 2019, Laura suddenly acquired the undesired wisdom of knowing what it’s like to lose one’s child, when her 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide. He suffered from delusion from marijuana-induced psychosis and thought the mob was after him. Laura’s world took a 180. She filed for and received 501c3 nonprofit status for Johnny’s Ambassadors, Inc., with the mission to educate parents and teens about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide 

Leslie Carpenter tracks legislation across the country and assists in educating and mobilizing advocates in their respective states to help support the passage of legislation in their own states. Carpenter has been active at the state level in Iowa, as a volunteer lobbyist, NAMI Iowa Board Member, and public speaker. Previously, she successfully led the effort to start Iowa’s first AOT Program in the 6th Judicial District. She and her husband have 2 adult children, one of whom lives with a severe Schizoaffective Disorder. Carpenter has a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy and retired from her 34 year career as a PT in order to work on reducing barriers to treatment for people with SMI.

Many years ago, Lindsay Mary and her sister, Margaret Galvin, decided they wanted to share their family story in the hopes it would reduce or eliminate the stigma associated with schizophrenia and mental illness for other families. They also wanted to give hope to those who have been traumatized by these brain disorders. After selecting Bob Kolker to be the journalist to bring their story to life, they never imagined their story would become a New York Times bestseller. Robert Kolker is the author of Hidden Valley Road, . This profile has resulted in significant interest to transition their story into a documentary and mini-series which they hope will accelerate and deepen the conversation around mental illness enabling thousands more to benefit from our pain and experience coping with this reality.

Lynn Nanos, L.I.C.S.W. 

If you’ve ever wondered why our loved ones aren’t getting the help they need, Lynn writes about her side of the process in the book Breakdown: A Clinician's Experience in a Broken System of Emergency Psychiatry. 

Lynn Nanos is a licensed independent clinical social worker who has a lot of experience as a full-time mobile psychiatric emergency clinician in Massachusetts. After graduating from Columbia University with a Master of Science in Social Work, she worked as an inpatient psychiatric social worker for approximately seven years. She is an active and leading member of the National Shattering Silence Coalition that advocates for the seriously mentally ill population. She serves as the Secretary of its Board of Directors and Co-Chair of its Communications Committee. 

Michelle Hammer is a schizophrenia activist, artist, speaker, and founder of Schizophrenic.NYC, a mental health clothing and lifestyle brand dedicated to reducing stigma. Diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 22, Michelle uses her lived experience to educate audiences through public speaking, media appearances, and advocacy. Her work has been featured by WebMD, ABC, NBC, CBS, Mashable, Buzzfeed, and more, and she has spoken at Harvard University and delivered a TEDx talk in the Netherlands.

Michael is responsible for all aspects of Guardian's program coordination, planning and strategy. He serves as the liaison to the local mental health authorities, probate courts, police departments, and hospitals. Michael earned a Bachelor's degree from Ithaca College and his Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac College School of Law. He also has a Master's degree in nonprofit management and philanthropy. Since 1995, Michael has engaged in the private practice of law with a special focus on Probate Court issues and incapacity. As a result of his experience, Connecticut's Probate Court administration, in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, commissioned him to pilot the program now known as Melissa's Project.

Pete Earley is a storyteller who has penned 22 books including four New York Times bestsellers, including The Hot House and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize finalist Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness.

After a 14-year career in journalism, including six years at The Washington Post, Pete became a full-time author with a commitment to expose the stories that entertain and surprise. He later began writing novels for fun.

When Pete’s life was turned upside down by the events recounted in his book Crazy, he joined the National Alliance on Mental Illness to advocate for strong mental health reform on the public stage. 

Rachel is an outspoken advocate for access to clozapine, the only medication FDA-approved for Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS) and the only medication with an FDA indication to prevent suicide. Rachel is a founding member of The Angry Moms, a national effort to end discrimination against TRS and remove FDA-imposed barriers to this life-saving treatment.

Rebeccah Love. This Toronto-based filmmaker, writer, and community organizer brings her debut feature film, “Fortescue,” to the festival, a drama exploring the complexities of mental health, female friendships, and societal expectations. With a background in both film production and creative writing, and a commitment to “crew-first” filmmaking, Love’s work promises a unique and insightful cinematic experience. “Fortescue” delves into the protagonist’s struggle with psychosis, a condition Love herself has navigated, offering a raw and honest portrayal rarely seen on screen.”

Dr. Robert Smith, a seasoned physician and thought leader, is sounding the alarm: medical doctors need fundamental training in mental health care. His new book, Has Medicine Lost Its Mind? Why Our Mental Health System is Failing Us and What Should Be Done to Cure (Prometheus Books, March 4, 2025),It addresses the poor state of mental health care in the US, why it occurred, what needs to be done, and how to accomplish this politically.

I'm the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Oprah’s Book Club selection "Hidden Valley Road" (Doubleday, 2020) and "Lost Girls" (Harper, 2013). I contribute regularly to The New York Times Magazine and other publications. My new book, “The Vanishing Family,” goes on sale 9/29/26. 

authors of "Lives Reimagined: Changing the Course of Psychotic Illness"

Founder & President, the Harris project | Building pathways to prevention, early intervention, treatment & recovery for those impacted by co-occurring disorders—mental health challenges & substance use issues.

Theresa Miskimen-Rivera, M.D., is chair and medical director of the Department of Psychiatry at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, New Jersey. With more than 30 years of experience in public sector clinical practice, her work has focused on expanding access to psychiatric care for bilingual and bicultural communities and developing innovative intercultural clinical programs. She has also held appointed roles under three New Jersey governors, addressing critical mental health issues at the intersection of technology and care delivery, university mental health, and youth suicide prevention.

Dr. Miskimen-Rivera serves as a delegate of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to the American Medical Association Section Council on Psychiatry. She is a member of the American College of Psychiatrists and a clinical professor of psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Vince Granata is a writer from New Haven, Connecticut. He is the author of the memoir, Everything Is Fine, which was published by Atria Books in 2021. His writing has recently appeared in Rolling Stone, The Rumpus, Fourth Genre, The Massachusetts Review, and LitHub, and has been recognized in Best American Essays 2018 and Best American Essays 2020. He is currently a visiting professor of writing at Grand Valley State University.

Dr. Srihari's scholarly focus is on improving the outcomes of early course schizophrenia spectrum disorders. His research interests span the translational continuum from studies of etiology and pathophysiology to interventions on clinical samples, to service level innovations. As Director of the STEP Program, he leads activities that connect this research to the missions of delivering a model service (the STEP Clinic), disseminating clinical best practices (via Learning Health Networks), education and workforce development and influencing policies that support the public health mission of early Intervention for schizophrenia spectrum disorders.