Hope Starts With Us
On this podcast, Daniel H. Gillison Jr., CEO of NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness), brings important mental health topics to light, one conversation at a time. Hope starts with us sharing our stories. Hope starts with us breaking the stigma. Hope starts with us sharing resources and practical advice. If you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health condition and are looking for hope, this podcast is for you.
Episodes
63 episodes
How To Care for Neighbors After Traumatic Events Featuring Erin Raftery Ryan and Dr. Shauna "Doc" Springer
In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, many of us have questions about how we can best support those who have lost their homes, their memories, and their places in the world. This episode of “Hope Starts With Us” feature...
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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44:32
Ensuring Mental Health Access for All Featuring Darcy Gruttadaro and Stephanie Robertson
In this episode, guest host Darcy Gruttadaro is joined by NAMI’s new Mental Health Equity Director, Stephanie Robertson. During their discussion, listeners will learn about the Community Health Equity Alliance (...
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Season 1
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Episode 62
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36:43
Respect for Lived Experience With Schizophrenia and Psychosis Featuring Dr. Ken Duckworth
In 2023, NAMI produced the Schizophrenia and Psychosis Lexicon Guide. In this episode, NAMI CEO Dan Gillison, Jr. is joined by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth to explore why the language we use to talk about schizophrenia and psychosis ...
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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26:18
New Year, More Impact With NAMI – Episode 60
As NAMI approaches its fiftieth anniversary as the nation’s largest grassroots mental health advocacy organization, NAMI’s Chief Development Officer is chatting with our Chief Innovation Officer, Darcy Gruttadaro. Throughout their conversation,...
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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30:55
Reflections on NAMI's Growth – Episode 59
In this episode, NAMI Ambassador and Licensed Professional Counselor Elise Banks-Lovely joins NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. to discuss NAMI’s past. Recorded at NAMICon 2024 in Denver, Colorado, Elise and Dan reminisce on the nine years Elise...
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Season 1
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Episode 59
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9:20
Suicide Prevention and the Legislative Process – Episode 58
NAMI’s National Director of Government Relations, Policy, and Advocacy, Jen Snow, talks with NAMI Greater Los Angeles County Executive Director Traute Winters about suicide prevention. During the holidays, many of us enjoy time with family and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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24:49
Leading and Living with Bipolar Disorder – Episode 57
During National Veterans and Military Families Month, Major General Gregg Martin and NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. come together to talk about what it means to be a leader – and how a leader can be changed by a late-onset mental health diagn...
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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31:32
The Healing Power of Art – Episode 56
Art can help us process past experiences, explore our emotions, and expand our perspectives. In this episode, NAMI CEO Dan Gillison is joined by NAMI Ambassadors and artists Alex Alpert and Pepper Auerbach, as well as The Franklin Institute’s D...
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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31:21
Running for Mental and Physical Health in the Black Community – Episode 55
As we look ahead to the TCS New York City Marathon, we are in awe of the athletes that have trained so hard and are about to take on the grueling 26.2 mile course through the five boroughs of New York. In this episode we will talk to Race Direc...
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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51:32
A Journey to Great Family Support – Episode 54
In this episode, NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., is joined by NAMI Connecticut's Public Policy & Affiliate Relations Manager, Thomas Burr. Thomas shares his family's story of navigating his son's mental health condition, along with how th...
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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15:52
Moving Forward After Loss – Episode 53
In this episode for Suicide Prevention Month, author and NAMI Ambassador April Simpkins talks with NAMI's CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., about how she has moved forward after the loss of her daughter, Cheslie Kryst, to suicide. Tune in to hear fr...
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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30:28
Helping Caregivers Show Up for Youth Mental Health – Episode 52
For parents and caregivers, navigating youth mental health may be unknown territory. In this episode, NAMI’s CEO, Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., is joined by our Associate Medical Director and author of “You Are Not Alone for Parents and Caregivers,”...
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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33:49
Mental Health for Third Culture Kids – Episode 51
Pooja Mehta, a member of NAMI’s Board of Directors, discusses her personal mental health journey with NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. During this episode, Pooja shares why she focuses on youth engagement about mental health and her experience ...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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15:40
Vulnerability is Our Superpower – Episode 50
How do you navigate a mental health challenge when your community isn’t supportive or doesn’t have mental health awareness? For our 50th episode of “Hope Starts With Us,” NAMI’s CEO, Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., discusses faith, community, and ment...
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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34:29
Strong Black Women Need Help Too – Episode 49
The stereotype of the “strong Black woman” can be a barrier to mental health care. In this episode, guest host April Simpkins talks about the pressure of living at the intersection of Blackness and womanhood, as well as initiatives from NAMI to...
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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47:54
Mental Health Care in Minoritized Communities – Episode 48
In honor of Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI’s CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., is joined by Harold Turner, Executive Director of NAMI Urban Los Angeles, and Tracy McMillan, a relationship expert and televis...
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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39:25
What It Means to "Man Up" – Episode 47
Randy Ryan, host of NAMI Westside LA’s “Man Up” podcast, joins NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., for this episode. In their discussion, hear about what it means to perform masculinity and “be a man” during Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, p...
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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26:14
Remembering George Floyd – Episode 46
Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association, joins NAMI CEO Dan Gillison, Jr., in remembrance of George Floyd and to discuss how his murder, as a result of police violence, shifted conversations about racism and ment...
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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36:57
Representation’s Impact on Health in Our Communities – Episode 45
NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., speaks to Dr. Hernando Carter, an internal medicine physician based in Birmingham, Alabama. They discuss the importance of caring for the health care professionals in our communities in honor of National Hospit...
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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54:35
Turning to Art and Community for Mental Health Support – Episode 44
As Mental Health Awareness Month begins, NAMI is talking about ways to take the moment for our mental health. Guest host Alessandra Torresani is joined by artist Alex Alpert to explore how art can act as a coping strategy when faced with mental...
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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29:28
Stress Awareness Month – Episode 43
In this episode of NAMI’s podcast, NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr. speaks to mental health advocate and Peloton instructor, Jon Hosking. They will discuss the barriers for men seeking mental health care, stress awareness and the intersection of...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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24:48
Collaborating for Justice and Mental Health – Episode 42
In March NAMI recognized National Criminal Justice Month, and guest host Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI’s Chief Advocacy Officer, sat down to chat with Bureau of Justice Assistance Director Karhlton Moore about criminal justice and mental healt...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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38:14
Living With Bipolar Disorder – Episode 41
March 30 is World Bipolar Day, and NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. is chatting with speaker Gabe Howard, who hosts the podcasts “Inside Mental Health” and “Inside Bipolar,” about living a full life with bipolar disorder. Tune in to hear about ...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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56:16
Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum – Episode 40
During Black History Month, guest host and manager of HBCU engagement Juno Pitchford speaks with award-winning author Antonia Hylton about her newly released book, "Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum." Tune in to hear more about th...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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41:01
Racism as an Adverse Childhood Experience – Episode 39
For the first episode of Black History Month, NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr. speaks with Dr. Mikah Owen and Dr. Roy Wade Jr. about the long-term mental and physical health effects of racism and adverse childhood experiences, and what we can do...
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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1:09:18
