Send us a text

Cohen Miles-Rath shares his powerful journey from psychosis and incarceration to becoming a mental health advocate and author.

His story reveals how proper support systems and personal determination transformed a life-altering crisis into a mission of education and advocacy that's changing how we approach mental health treatment.

• Surviving untreated schizoaffective disorder that led to a psychotic episode and incarceration
• Using the four dimensions of recovery—purpose, home, health, and community—to rebuild life
• Transitioning from jail to graduate school within a year through structured support
• Working with Mental Health Association in New York State and the Suicide Prevention Center
• Writing memoir "Mending Reality" to share experiences and reduce stigma around psychosis
• Speaking publicly to create understanding and empathy for serious mental illness
• Advocating for better interventions before people reach crisis points
• Emphasizing the distinction between general mental health challenges and mental illness
• Building communities where recovery becomes not just possible but probable
• Using personal vulnerability to help others develop empathy for those experiencing mental illness

If you know anyone who would like to tell their story, send them to TonyMantor.com and they may become a guest on Why Not Me? The World.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us a text

Sherry Witwer, board president for CIT Utah, shares her insights on improving crisis response systems for people experiencing mental health emergencies and creating alternatives to incarceration through specialized training and community partnerships.

• CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training provides law enforcement with tools to effectively respond to mental health crises and connect individuals with appropriate treatment
• Mobile crisis outreach teams staffed by behavioral health providers and peers can handle most crisis calls without police involvement
• Receiving centers offer alternatives to jails or emergency rooms, providing specialized assessment and stabilization for those in mental health crisis
• Proper training helps officers distinguish between substance use and mental health crises through scenario-based practice and building community partnerships
• Access to care remains a significant challenge, particularly coordinating services for people with serious mental illness across different systems
• Better case management and peer support services are needed to help individuals navigate complex systems when they're least able to do so independently
• Affordable and supportive housing is essential for recovery and breaking cycles of hospitalization and incarceration
• Including voices of people with lived experience and families is crucial for designing effective mental health services that people will actually use

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us a text

Darrell Herrmann, a retired US Army captain and former computer programmer, shares his remarkable journey of living with schizophrenia since 1984 and his mission to help others with severe mental illness live better lives.

• Former US Army captain specializing in field artillery and nuclear weapons before developing schizophrenia
• Earned a computer science degree and worked as a programmer for 18 years after his military discharge
• Spoke to over 30,000 people in hospital groups before COVID, helping patients understand psychosis
• Author of "Straight Talk About Living with Severe Mental Illness," available on Amazon
• Explains that diagnosis often changes and finding the right medication takes time and patience
• Defines psychosis as experiencing hallucinations and delusions while losing touch with reality
• Developed a personal three-bucket strategy to sort real experiences from hallucinations
• Advocates for comprehensive education programs for people diagnosed with psychotic disorders
• Believes the mental health profession itself is often the biggest source of stigma
• Argues most mental health professionals lack proper training in understanding and treating psychosis

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us a text

Pete Early shares his journey from Washington Post journalist to mental health advocate after his son developed bipolar disorder, revealing how a broken system forces families into crisis before providing help.

• Diagnosis came during his son Kevin's college years with warning signs like "food doesn't taste good" and confusion about reality
• Psychiatrist delivered a devastating prognosis: "incurable disease" with lifetime medication, weight gain, likely unemployment
• Kevin stopped taking medication after a few weeks, leading to psychosis and breaking into a stranger's house
• Early couldn't get help until his son became "dangerous" enough for intervention
• His son joined 365,000 Americans with serious mental illness who end up in jails and prisons annually
• Crisis intervention training for police makes crucial difference in mental health encounters
• Recovery came through proper medication, independent living with supportive roommates, and finding purpose as a peer counselor
• Early discovered the difference between being a parent versus a partner in someone's recovery
• Mental health system requires criminal behavior before providing adequate treatment
• Despite Early's connections and resources, getting proper help took years of struggle

If you know anyone who would like to share their story on Why Not Me? The World, visit TonyMantor.com/Contact. T

ell everyone everywhere about our show and the inspiration our guests provide, reminding you that you are not alone in this world.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us a text

A mother shares her 18-year journey supporting a son with schizophrenia through mental health system failures, incarceration, and experimental brain surgery.

• Colleen Scott's son started showing signs of schizophrenia at age 17, withdrawing socially and exhibiting erratic behavior
• A prosecutor advised having her son arrested "to get him in the system" for mental health help, resulting in traumatic incarceration
• Laws preventing family commitment, alongside HIPAA restrictions at age 18, create nearly insurmountable barriers for families seeking help
• After years of struggle, Colleen secured disability benefits and eventually enrolled her son in an experimental Deep Brain Stimulation trial at Johns Hopkins
• The mental health system's integration with the legal system often criminalizes mental illness rather than treating it
• Current group home living with court-ordered treatment provides some stability, though interactions with police remain common
• Colleen advocates for better training for law enforcement and restoration of family commitment options with proper safeguards
• Organizations like the National Schizophrenia and Related Conditions Society (NSSC) offer hope through focused advocacy and lobbying efforts

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us a text

A mother and clinical social worker shares her heartbreaking journey navigating the legal system after her high-achieving son developed serious mental illness, revealing how our justice system criminalizes rather than treats mental health conditions.

• Licensed independent clinical social worker with 40+ years experience working with vulnerable populations
• Her academically successful son began experiencing internal racing thoughts and anxiety despite outward success
• Despite parents' professional backgrounds (mother a social worker, father a psychologist), they faced enormous challenges getting appropriate care
• Son discontinued medication at 29, leading to psychotic episodes and repeated negative police encounters
• Law enforcement and legal system demonstrated lack of training and empathy in handling mental health crises
• Massachusetts lacks assisted outpatient treatment programs that could have prevented criminalization
• 70-80% of incarcerated individuals suffer from serious mental illness
• Anosognosia: neurological condition where individuals lose ability to self-reflect on their behaviors
• Advocate working with National Shattering Silence Coalition to change legislation and improve mental health services
• Need for systemic change in how police, courts, and society respond to mental health conditions

Tell everyone everywhere about Why Not Me, the world, the conversations we're having and the inspiration our guests give to everyone everywhere that you are not alone in this world.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us a text

Justin Volpe shares his journey from being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and incarcerated to becoming a certified recovery peer specialist who has trained over 3,500 police officers in crisis intervention.

His story demonstrates how individuals with lived experience can transform systems and save lives by bridging gaps between law enforcement, courts, and treatment providers.

• Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in his early 20s after struggling with substance abuse
• Released from jail through Miami's Jail Diversion Program, which provides support, therapy, and resources
• Became a peer specialist within 8 months of incarceration, helping others navigate the system
• Worked for 14 years getting thousands of people out of incarceration and connecting them to services
• Describes his role as a "bridger" between systems that don't typically communicate with each other
• Trained over 3,500 police officers in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) approaches
• Featured in documentaries "The Definition of Insanity" and Ken Burns' "Hiding in Plain Sight"
• Now works nationally with state behavioral health teams at NASMHPD
• Advocates for including people with lived experience at policy and planning tables
• Emphasizes that recovery is possible: "I was written off and told I'd die on the street"

Tell everyone everywhere about Why Not Me: The World, the conversations we're having and the inspiration our guests give to everyone that you are not alone in this world.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us a text

Jessica Ferguson shares the deeply personal story of her brother's struggle with serious mental illness and how systemic failures led to his incarceration after being accused of a triple homicide when he should have been in psychiatric care.

• Her brother had been stable with his mental illness for a decade before showing concerning behavior changes in early 2023
• Despite three psychiatric hospitalizations within months, he was repeatedly discharged after 72-hour holds with no substantial care plan
• Family pleas for help were ignored as healthcare providers cited voluntary treatment requirements and HIPAA restrictions
• Only after being accused of a crime did he receive consistent psychiatric care
• The jail system provides minimal mental health support compared to psychiatric hospitals
• Families need healthcare proxy arrangements and better knowledge of resources before crises occur
• Massachusetts lacks Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) options that could mandate treatment
• Mental health systems must partner with families who know their loved ones best

If you know someone with a story to tell, send them to TonyMantor.com. Tell everyone everywhere about Why Not Me, the World, the conversations we're having and the inspiration our guests give to everyone everywhere that you are not alone in this world.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)