Podcast
Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?
Hosted by Tony Mantor · EN
Autism, Mental Health, Advocacy & Human Stories.
Embracing Autism/Mental Health Worldwide.
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition affecting millions worldwide, characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Despite increasing recognition, there remains a lack of understanding and awareness about the condition.
Mental health encompasses a range of conditions impacting emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting millions globally. It includes disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis. Schizophrenia is marked by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, while psychosis involves a loss of contact with reality, often presenting with similar symptoms.
Despite growing awareness, stigma and misconceptions about mental health, particularly schizophrenia and psychosis, persist, underscoring the need for greater understanding and support.
From celebrating neurodiversity to breaking down stigma, we create a safe space for listeners to learn, grow, and feel seen.
Whether you're on the spectrum, a caregiver, or an advocate, join our global community for inspiring conversations and empowering resources that uplift and unite.
Tune in to embrace understanding, healing, and hope worldwide!
Together, we can create a more informed and compassionate society for individuals with Autism and Mental Illness.
58episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Dr Aaron Meyer and Ann Marie Council: Bridging the Mental Health Gap: Policy, Psychiatry, and the Fight for Early Intervention
1w ago00:22:51Summary readySend us Fan MailIn this important episode of Why Not Me? Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide, Tony Mantor sits down with Dr. Alan Meyer, psychiatrist and Behavioral Health Officer for the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, and Ann Marie Council, retired Senior Deputy City Attorney and mental health policy advisor, for an in-depth discussion about the challenges facing today's mental health system. Together, they explore why so many individuals with serious mental illness fall through the cracks, the disconnect between policy and real-world implementation, and how communities can better support those in crisis before tragedy strikes.The conversation covers assisted outpatient treatment, California's CARE Act, healthcare burnout, homelessness, autism, schizophrenia, and the urgent need for earlier intervention and stronger collaboration between healthcare providers, lawmakers, first responders, and community organizations.This is the first of a two-part series that shines a light on the people working to create meaningful change in mental healthcare.In this episode you'll learn:Why mental health and physical health must be treated togetherThe barriers preventing people from receiving timely careHow policy often fails frontline healthcare workersThe role of cities, counties, and states in behavioral health servicesWhy assisted outpatient treatment remains difficult to accessHow technology and AI could improve mental health accessThe importance of prevention instead of waiting for crisisWhy community partnerships are essential for lasting solutionsHow burnout is affecting healthcare professionals and first respondersWhat changes could transform the future of mental healthcareOur GuestsDr. Alan MeyerPsychiatrist at the University of California, San DiegoBehavioral Health Officer for the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue DepartmentSpecialist in complex behavioral health and high-utilizer emergency response systemsAnn Marie CouncilRetired Senior Deputy City Attorney for the City of San DiegoFounding Partner and Mental Health Policy Advisor at Quarter Turn StrategiesAdvocate for legislative reform and improved mental health policyKey TakeawayReal change begins when healthcare, government, first responders, and communities stop working in silos and start working together. Early intervention, compassionate care, and practical policy reforms can save lives and restore hope for individuals and families navigating serious mental illness.If this conversation inspires you, follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who believes mental health deserves greater understanding and action.#MentalHealth #Autism #BehavioralHealth #Psychiatry #HealthcarePolicy #EarlyIntervention #SeriousMentalIllness #WhyNotMePodcast #TonyMantor #MentalHealthAwareness #Homelessness #CommunityCarehttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummaryJohn Rolls: What If Inclusion Worked Better Than Quotas
2w ago00:23:47Summary readySend us Fan MailWe talk with John Rolls about the Gremlin Club’s Sunday open mic in Camarthen and how it grows from a rehearsal night into a welcoming community where people leave their troubles at the door. We dig into what real inclusion looks like for autism, mental health, and disability when the room treats everyone as equal and still makes space for what people need. • how the Gremlin Club open mic starts as a Welsh Factor practice night • why the night becomes about community building over competition • John stepping in to run it after Elise’s bowel cancer diagnosis • building confidence for nervous newcomers through crowd support • making space for autistic singers and people with mental health challenges • handling disability and access needs while keeping the same respect for everyone • why the event is not branded as karaoke and how the format keeps it fun • filming for nostalgia and feedback while choosing not to live stream • word-of-mouth promotion and small grassroots marketing efforts If this kind of conversation matters to you, follow the show so you don't miss what comes next. https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummaryJerri Clark: Ambiguous Loss and When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love
3w ago00:26:23Summary readySend us Fan MailWe sit with author Jerri Clark as he explains how severe mental illness can create a “gone but not gone” grief that families carry in silence. We talk about ambiguous loss, why closure often never comes, and how to keep living with love and meaning even when the outcome is out of our control. • Jerri’s story of losing his son through psychosis, system failures, and suicide • What ambiguous loss means and why the ambiguity is unfixable • The guilt families feel when they grieve someone still living • Naming the losses: relationship, future, safety, predictability • Coping as a nonlinear process that does not deliver resolution • Learning to live with grief without letting it become your only identity • “This is not my fault” as a practical starting point • Adjust mastery and revising attachment when you cannot control outcomes • What readers can expect from the book’s “do now” reflections and exercises • Why community, empathy, and support networks matter for healing If this kind of conversation matters to you, follow the show so you don't miss what comes next. https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummaryPatrick Kennedy: Part 2 : A Real Mental Health Strategy
4w ago00:24:22Summary readySend us Fan MailWe sit down with former U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy to get specific about what a real national mental health strategy looks like and why the current system wastes money while people end up isolated, hospitalized, incarcerated, or living on the streets. We dig into integrated care, schools-based prevention, telehealth, and the rising risks of AI so listeners walk away with practical policy ideas and a clear sense of what needs to change next. • the need for a national blueprint that links housing, healthcare, and community supports • aligning financial incentives so integrated care becomes the default • why siloed budgets drive higher costs in ER use, incarceration, and homelessness • reducing stigma by integrating mental health into standard medical care • building mental health literacy through routine screening and early help in schools • expanding effective therapy access through telehealth and proper reimbursement • fixing cross-state licensure barriers to match patients with the right clinicians • rebuilding social connection as a core mental health intervention • using AI for personalized care while guarding against isolation and lost agency • preparing for AI-driven job disruption and the mental health impact of lost purpose If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummaryPatrick Kennedy: Part 1: We Can Fix Mental Health Care If We Build Power
4w ago00:25:27Summary readySend us Fan MailWe talk with former U.S. representative Patrick Kennedy about why mental health parity still fails in practice and what it takes to make insurers and employers cover care that actually works. We keep coming back to one idea: real change happens when we build power and design a system that rewards early help, long-term outcomes, and community support. • Barriers to full enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act • Why payers respond to penalties more than long-term value • How lobbying, regulation and legal appeals weaken consumer protections • Building political power by organizing families and breaking silos • The business case for early intervention and recovery supports • Why supportive housing and community services can beat revolving-door crisis care • The 90-90-90 by 2033 framework for screening, evidence-based care and recovery • Lessons from the Community Mental Health Act and the cost of dividing communities • Moving from over-medicalized solutions to integration, purpose and connection If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world.INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummarySen Judy Amabile: When Psychosis Hits, Families Need A System That Works
May 2500:26:57Summary readySend us Fan MailWe sit down with Colorado State Senator Judy Amabile to connect one family’s painful path through serious mental illness to the laws that decide whether people get treatment or get pushed into homelessness and the courts. We talk honestly about psychosis, stigma, and the hard policy choices behind civil commitment, Medicaid rules, and building enough beds to stop the cycle.• Her son’s schizoaffective disorder and the road to diagnosis• Early signs like paranoia and thought broadcasting• Family anger and confusion turning into empathy• NAMI Family-to-Family as a bridge to advocacy• Why mental illness feels like the “no casserole disease”• The jump from lived experience to writing policy• Civil commitment and AOT as a contested safety net• Competency waitlists and why they don’t equal treatment• The “churn” between jail, hospitals, and the street• Medicaid changes that allow longer inpatient staysIf you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world.One last thing, spread the word about why not me.MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: T. WildMANTOR MUSIC BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummarySenator Creigh Deeds: How A Virginia Senator Turns Grief Into Behavioral Health Law
May 2200:26:55Summary readySend us Fan MailWe sit down with Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds to talk about how personal loss turns into a long-term push for mental health reform that actually survives the news cycle. We focus on what legislation can change, what funding really buys, and why the mental health workforce crisis is the wall every good idea hits. • his path from rural public service to mental health advocacy after his son’s diagnosis and death • why he builds a legislator-led commission so reforms do not die on a shelf • taking lawmakers into hospitals, crisis units, and schools to see gaps firsthand • expanding community mental health services statewide through budget-driven mandates • investing in long-term supportive housing as a stability tool for serious mental illness • assisted outpatient treatment limits when there are not enough clinicians to deliver care • loan forgiveness, residency expansion, and pay increases to strengthen the behavioral health workforce pipeline • handling constituent calls and the emotional weight families carry when the system fails • the mental health and criminal justice intersection, including CIT training and Marcus Alert • normalizing mental health care as health care and reducing stigma so people get help earlier If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me.https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummaryJohn Nutting; Treat Brain Disorders Like Any Other Illness
May 2000:27:39Summary readySend us Fan MailWe sit down with former Maine State Senator John Nutting to talk about why serious mental illness belongs in the medical system, not the jail system, and how court ordered treatment can keep people alive and communities safer. We walk through Maine’s Progressive Treatment Plan, the fight to fund and implement it, and what families can do to push for mental health legislation that actually works. • John Nutting’s background in public service and the case for treating brain disorders like any other medical condition • What Maine calls AOT and how the Progressive Treatment Plan works in practice • Why anosognosia changes the ethics and logistics of “voluntary” treatment • The gap between family needs and what policy often delivers • How cycling through hospitals and jails destroys bed capacity and budgets • Lessons from other states, including Kendra’s Law, Kevin’s Law, and concerns about voluntary-only models • What separates real legislation from bills that look good but fail in implementation • Concrete ways to advocate, find your state laws, and speak to the right lawmakers If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummaryRep Ann Meyer: How A State Lawmaker Builds Mental Health Support That Works
May 1800:25:47Summary readySend us Fan MailWe talk with Iowa State Representative Ann Meyer about how mental health legislation gets built and why access to care still fails families in crisis. We dig into provider shortages, the fight for mandatory follow-up after commitment, and how constituents can move lawmakers with personal stories and local relationships. • her path from nursing to the Iowa House and why constituent stories changed her focus • why access to mental health care breaks down during a crisis and what “waiting” really means • the provider shortage problem and steps to grow psychiatry and therapy capacity • incentives that help recruit and retain clinicians in rural states • why 30 days of treatment is often not enough for severe mental illness • the case management follow-up bill that passed the House then stalled in the Senate • how law enforcement and ERs absorb the cost when the system fails • homelessness, shelter rules, and the overlap with substance use disorder • how to speed change through education, budgeting strategies, and persistent advocacy • why reaching out to your state legislator works and how to do it with a personal story If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
SummarySenator Christine Cohen and advocate Denise Paley Legislating Mental Health Care
May 1500:32:28Summary readySend us Fan MailWe sit down with Connecticut State Senator Christine Cohen and advocate Denise Paley to unpack how mental health legislation gets built, watered down, and sometimes rescued through strategy and coalition work. We focus on crisis intervention training, prison mental health care, and the hard questions around rights, re-entry, and what real accountability looks like. • Senator Cohen’s personal path into mental health advocacy • why mental health bills stall between chambers and committees • compromise as a necessity and a long-term risk • budget priorities and the fight to fund care • stigma around mental illness and incarcerated people • how advocates and legislators build trust and momentum • crisis intervention team training as a practical reform • re-entry realities and why untreated illness drives recidivism • staffing shortages for corrections officers and mental health providers • Assisted Outpatient Treatment and the ethics of forced care • anosognosia and why refusal is not always choice • prevention through school-based mental health support • coalition building and making marginalized people visible If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at whynotme.world. One last thing spread the word about why not me. INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. WildMantor Music BMIhttps://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
Summary