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In this conversation host Jesse Mangan speaks with independent journalist Leah Harris and Committable producer Jim McQuaid about statistics that have become commonly misrepresented to justify the expansion of carceral policies. Specifically they focus on the claim that 57%-98% of people with schizophrenia experience anosognosia. Throughout the course of this conversation they break down where the claim comes from, why this sort of misrepresentation can be dangerous, and the importance of acknowledging complexity. And since this conversation was recorded on July 14th Leah also provides a brief overview of the concept of Mad Pride and how that movement became connected to Bastille Day. Mad Pride article: https://asylummagazine.org/2023/09/mad-pride-spinning-hope-from-fear-by-tamara-hart/ Committable Collective: https://committablecollective.substack.com/p/anosognosia-57-98-misrepresentation?r=35bwpi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

In this episode Committable host Jesse Mangan speaks with Winona Harper, Program Coordinator for Keya House, a peer respite run by The Mental Health Association of Nebraska. Keya House was designed as an alternative resource for people experiencing distress and strives to offer a place of solace, connection and healing for people in the community.  MHA Nebraska: https://mha-ne.org/welcome.html Keya House: https://mha-ne.org/programs-services/keya.html

In this episode Committable producers Jesse Mangan and Jim McQuaid speak with researcher Nev Jones about the most recent evaluation of Kendra’s Law. Kendra’s Law is the Assisted Outpatient Treatment law in New York and while AOT laws differ significantly from state to state this policy is distinctly important because of the way it is used in advocacy throughout the United States. In this conversation we look out how the evaluation was conducted and discuss in depth both the qualitative and quantitative findings. There is a lot of complexity in these sorts of court ordered mental health interventions but it needs to be emphasized that these are coercive legal mechanisms which involve invasive systems of surveillance and the implications of that need to be considered carefully. Navigating the potential benefits and potential harms of AOT requires transparent discussions about what the available research says, as well as the many things that remain unknown Independent Evaluation: https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/statistics/NYS-AOT-Final-Report.pdf Nev Jones: https://www.socialwork.pitt.edu/people/nev-jones

In this episode Committable Collective members Jesse Mangan and Leah Harris discuss Leah’s recent article, ‘Assisted Outpatient Treatment’ and the Cult of True Belief. The article examines narratives around Involuntary Outpatient Commitments and how much of the discourse around these policies seems to be driven by an ideology that prioritizes belief over evidence. Links to articles discussed in this episode: ‘Assisted Outpatient Treatment’ and the Cult of True Belief: https://substack.com/home/post/p-200647780 Response to Fuller Torrey: https://www.madinamerica.com/2012/10/response-to-fuller-torrey/ Links to interview and presentation excerpts used in this episode: AOT Evaluation: What Providers, Communities, and Data Evaluation Professionals Should Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pyhydRQC6w What People Get Wrong About Anosognosia-Dr. Xavier Amador: https://youtu.be/oZfh-oPJ99g?si=cHaZB147sBKu_6Tx

In this episode Committable producers Jesse Mangan and Jim McQuaid look at Steadman et al. 2001, a Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the outcomes of an Involuntary Outpatient Commitments (also called AOT) pilot program at Bellevue hospital. Short answer, this study found that IOC is not associated with any significant benefits. Longer answer, the IOC court order may actually have been associated with worse outcomes for some people.   Steadman et al. 2001: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.52.3.330

In this episode Committable producers Jesse Mangan and Jim McQuaid follow up on their review of the Swartz et al. 1999 study and discuss some of the ways in which the findings of that study are misrepresented. They focus on claims made by AOT advocate Eric Smith and how narratives and talking points can become intermingled with perceptions of research. Audio clips used in this episode come from the following interviews: https://sensiblenonsense.squarespace.com/committable/2021/10/7/bonus-eric-smith-amp-tom-burns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiHqzqRj14A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atzkOcYC14g

In this episode Committable producers Jesse Mangan and Jim McQuaid look at Swartz et al. 1999, a Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating whether or not Involuntary Outpatient Commitments (also called AOT) can reduce hospitalization. Short answer, this study found that the Involuntary Outpatient Commitment court order is not associated with a reduction in hospitalizations. Longer answer, then researchers decided to do some questionable things with the data and made some really problematic proclamations.   Swartz et al. 1999: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10588412/

In this episode I speak with attorney Elizabeth Rich about her experiences navigating mental health laws in Wisconsin. Elizabeth brings a multifaceted perspective to her work weaving together experience as an attorney, an advocate, and as a parent of someone who was directly impacted by these systems. Andrew’s V.O.I.C.E: www.andrewsvoice.org

In this episode Committable host Jesse Mangan speaks with Jason Robison, Chief Program Officer for SHARE! The Self-Help and Recovery Exchange. The conversation focuses on work being done at the SHARE! Recovery Retreat but also includes a broader discussion about Jason’s approach to peer support and how to cultivate more humanity while navigating complex systems. SHARE!: https://www.shareselfhelp.org/ Jason Robison: https://www.shareselfhelp.org/copy-of-lara-skutt-coo-chro Recovery Retreat: https://www.shareselfhelp.org/recovery-retreat

In this episode I reunite with Leah Harris to talk about the concept of Forcewashing, a term that Leah coined in an article about an Involuntary Outpatient Commitment bill currently being considered in Massachusetts. Leah Harris: https://truthout.org/articles/massachusetts-advocates-resist-dystopian-involuntary-outpatient-commitment-bill/ E. Fuller Torrey Interview: youtube.com/watch?si=DPAuc_viybzgY4ur&v=7A8xgpYV46o&feature=youtu.be Jeffrey Lieberman Quote: https://www.tmz.com/2025/12/22/jeffrey-lieberman-calls-nick-reiner-facilities-scams/

In this episode I speak with Fern, Director of the Wild Ivy Social Justice Network. We talk about concerns related to an involuntary outpatient commitment bill currently before the Massachusetts legislature, as well as some of the non-carceral alternatives that currently exist in that state. Wild Ivy Social Justice Network: https://wildfloweralliance.org/wild-ivy/

In this episode I speak with Steve Schwartz, Special Counsel at the Center for Public Representation. We talk about an AOT bill currently working its way through the Massachusetts legislature and break down some of the more concerning aspects of the MA bill specifically, as well as questions and concerns related to the implementation of other outpatient commitment laws throughout the country. Center for Public Representation: https://www.centerforpublicrep.org

In this series I work with Leah Harris to look at Assisted Outpatient Treatment laws throughout the United States. Assisted Outpatient Treatment, often referred to as AOT, is a form of involuntary outpatient commitment that leverages the use of a court order to coerce people into compliance. Leah Harris: https://truthout.org/articles/massachusetts-advocates-resist-dystopian-involuntary-outpatient-commitment-bill/

In this episode I speak with advocates and attorneys from Disability Rights Center New Hampshire. We spoke broadly about the work they do as New Hampshire's Protection & Advocacy organization but we also spoke in detail about a tremendously concerning practice called "conditional discharge". With a conditional discharge a person who has been committed to a mental health facility can be forced into a frightening form of outpatient commitment that could potentially last for decades. Disability Rights Center: https://drcnh.org/ Conditional Discharge: https://drcnh.org/disability-issue-areas/mental-health/conditional-discharge/

When a leaked HHS budget proposal suggested that Protection & Advocacy organizations might experience significant reductions to their federal funding, it frightened me. I have been involuntarily detained in psychiatric facilities, and although it has been over 20 years since I went through those experiences I am still haunted by them. The trauma caused when someone is forced into these systems can be instantaneous. It can have a pervasive and irreparable impact on the person experiencing it. And for someone like me, someone who has been forced into facilities and deemed mentally unfit to be free, Protection & Advocacy organizations are the federally empowered watchdogs that can provide a glimmer of hope. When properly resourced, these organizations may genuinely be the safeguard preventing some states from devolving back to the horrific dehumanization embodied in tragedies like the Willowbrook State School in New York.  So, yeah, hearing that these organizations might be severely diminished frightened me. To try and better communicate what these organizations do, and the type of impact that they can have, I am doing a series of interviews with people from P&As throughout the United States. This is the first episode in that series where I spoke with attorneys from Disability Law Colorado about the work they do and why P&As are important.   Disability Law Colorado: https://disabilitylawco.org