Episode 1: What People Get Wrong About Anosognosia – featuring TAC’s executive director Lisa Dailey and Dr. Xavier Amador

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 Dailey discusses anosognosia with Dr. Xavier Amador. The interview covers Dr. Amador’s journey supporting his brother with schizophrenia, studying anosognosia as a clinical psychologist, and developing the LEAP method to help connect with people and encourage them to seek treatment even if they don’t believe they have a mental illness.

Episode 2: Anosognosia: what TV gets wrong about schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses, but few people know about one of its most devastating symptoms—anosognosia. This neurological condition prevents individuals from recognizing that they have an illness, leading to treatment refusal, medication noncompliance, and a cycle of hospitalization, homelessness, and incarceration.

Episode 3: Ask Dr Amador, navigating severe mental illness

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.

Episode 4: Collaborative Care for Mental Illness

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.

 

Episode 5: A Mother’s Story of Love and Loss to Schizophrenia

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, and widespread understanding of anosognosia – the lack of insight preventing many with SMI from engaging in treatment.

Episode 6: CEO of the APA on Decriminalizing Mental Illness

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 decriminalization, she discusses the need for more tools and legal mechanisms to provide treatment for individuals with severe mental illness who may be unable to see their own need for medical intervention. She also speaks to how the APA advocates to address the shortage of psychiatrists nationwide.

Episode 7: Ask Dr. Amador: Top Anosognosia Questions Answered

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.

Episode 8: Ask Dr. Amador: Severe Mental Illness, Substances, and HIPAA

Since launching SMI Spotlight a year ago, we’ve received a huge number of listener questions on severe mental illness topics, including substance use, practical application of the LEAP methods for different populations, HIPAA, and more. This month’s podcast is a conversation between Executive Director Lisa Dailey and Dr. Xavier Amador, working through more of these listener questions.

Episode 9: When full recovery from schizophrenia isn’t possible

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 Treatment (AOT) programs. Together with Dr. Amador, Leslie discusses anosognosia and the challenges of creating a continuum of care for people living with SMI.

Episode 10: A sister’s story: actor Michele Hicks on her brother’s schizophrenia

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 HIPAA, and the emotional toll of caregiver burnout and guilt. She also discusses how her experience inspired her advocacy work with Treatment Advocacy Center, the importance of including families in treatment, and how the media industry can help portray severe mental illness with honesty and compassion.

Episode 11: The nurses leading mental illness outreach in NYC subways

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 individuals access treatment when they need it.