NPO Media Podcast

Desiree is a young professional and a single mother. She bravely details the struggle for recovery by a loved one with co-occurring disorders of mental illness and substance abuse disorder.

Christina Bruni is a mental health advocate who published her first book Left of the Dial: A Memoir of Schizophrenia, Recovery, and Hope in 2015. Formerly a disc jockey on FM radio in the 1980s, she chronicles this experience in her book along with what happened after she recovered. Chris has an MS and works as a professional librarian. Visit Christina's author website at http://www.christinabruni.com

Edith Scheie is a Staten Island native, whose parents were from Norway. She has 4 siblings, an older sister and three older brothers, who have contributed to the development of her sense of humor, as well as her resilience. She received a public-school education and attended Wagner College and Queens College, City University of New York. She studied music from the age of 7 to the age of 20, starting in the children’s church choir. She played Carnegie Hall, as well as other venues around the tri-state area. She has been doing volunteer work for various non-profit organizations since 1983, most recently with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Staten Island affiliate. With the support of NAMI NYC Staten Island, she started the first support group on Staten Island for people with psychiatric diagnoses. Since 2007, she has been doing In Our Own Voice presentations and speaking to members of the community about mental health issues. Her interests in addition to mental health, include journal writing, reading, embroidery, and music.

This episode features Justin, who shares his personal experiences with hospitalizations and the road to recovery while living with bipolar disorder and severe social anxiety.  An experienced digital content creator, Justin makes the case for finding what works and pursuing it with tenacity.

This episode features Anna, who shares her experience living with an eating disorder and also speaks about barriers to treatment and misconceptions that people have about eating disorders. A full recovery from an eating disorder is possible, and everybody's story is different. This is Anna's story.

 

Episode 6 of the NPO Media Podcast features Dominic Ruotolo, who shares his journey from tenuous teenage years to the present. Dominic works as a Bridger for Baltic Street, AEH, Inc., a peer-run not-for-profit corporation dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with mental illness.

A certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor, Dominic draws on his personal and professional experience to empower others as they transition out of the hospital and work on their recovery. Through his relentless advocacy, Dominic has helped many to achieve their goals of independent, meaningful lives.

Episode 5 of the NPO Media Podcast features Greg Hitchcock, a journalist, filmmaker and advocate who was diagnosed with schizophrenia while serving in the military. Sharing personal experiences, Greg takes us from the earliest days of his illness through his ongoing recovery journey. Greg's work can be found online at www.greghitchcockonline.net.

Thank you to the dedicated folks at NAMI-NYS for helping us spread the word about the podcast. Because of you we are able to share Greg's inspiring story with others.

Episode 4 features James J Lewis of mid-Hudson Valley, NY. James called in via Skype to share his story of living with bipolar disorder. He is a community advocate and a member of NAMI. He shares his insights with other young people to provide a message of empathy and hope.

The 3rd installment of the NPO Media Podcast features a conversation from Norway via skype with author and teacher, Robert Crane. He describes his personal and professional life, sharing his experience of living with bipolar disorder while offering insights on what has helped him on his path to recovery.

NPO Media Podcast episode 2 features Kenneth Cybulska, NAMI peer facilitator and Honoree for the 26th Annual NAMI NYC Staten Island Awards Celebration. Ken details how he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and had to learn the skills needed to cope with his illness.

Episode 1 of the NPO Media Podcast features Ricardo Nunez, a remarkable young man living with schizophrenia. Ricardo describes his illness and the challenges he must face while working on his recovery.

Elizabeth Kelley is a criminal defense lawyer with a nationwide practice focused on representing people with mental disabilities. She co-chairs the CriminalJustice Advisory Panel of The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice andDisability.  Kelley is the editor of representing people with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers, published by the American Bar Association in Fall, 2018. She serves on the Editorial Board of the ABA's Criminal Justice section magazine. She served three terms on the board of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), chaired its Mental Health as well as Membership Committees, and is a Life Member. Ms. Kelleylectures across the U.S. as well as abroad on representing people with mental disabilities, and frequently provides commentary for radio and television. Elizabeth Kelley’s website is at: https://www.elizabethkelleylaw.com/

Episode 12 of the NPO Media Podcast features an interview with Gene Kaplan, L.C.S.W., a licensed Clinical Social Worker with the NYS Office of Mental Health. Mr. Kaplan chronicles his career as clinician and educator, describing various treatment approaches he has helped bring to South Beach Psychiatric Center. Frequent questions brought up by families with NAMI NYC Staten Island are also addressed by Mr. Kaplan.