People, Place and Purpose: A Vision for the Failing Mental Health System

APR. 13, 2022

Apr. 28, 2022, 4–5:30 p.m. ET

NAMI Ask the Expert Webinar welcomes Dr. Tom Insel, former Director of NIMH and co-founder of Mindstrong Health, whose work in psychiatry and neuroscience has made him a national leader in mental health research, policy and technology.

In his presentation, Dr. Insel will share what he has learned on his journey overseeing research on mental health and observing how current systems have failed people with serious mental illness — including his finding that while the problem is medical, the solutions are social, environmental, and political. Ultimately, Dr. Insel will explain his vision for solutions to the mental health crisis and bring home to families looking to the future.

After the presentation, NAMI’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth will moderate a Q&A session. This session will be recorded and posted to our website in the days following the webinar. All registrants for this webinar will automatically receive a link by email to view the recorded session once it is available. A typed transcription of the audio will also be available online within one week of the webinar.

 

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Our Expert

Tom lnsel, M.D.Tom lnsel, M.D.

Tom lnsel, M.D., a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, has been a national leader in mental health research, policy and technology. From 2002–2015, Dr. Insel served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). More recently, he led the Mental Health Team at Verily (2015–2017); co-founded Mindstrong Health (2017–2019), a start-up building tools for people with serious mental illness; and served as a special advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom (2019), helping on behavioral health issues.

In 2020, he co-founded Humanest Care, a therapeutic online community for recovery. He currently serves on the boards of Foundation for NIH, Fountain House, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and the Steinberg Institute (Chair, 2019–2022), as well as being an advisor to several mental health start-ups (including Alto Neuroscience, Compass Pathways, Owl Insights, Koa Health, Valera Health).

He is the author of “Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health” (Penguin Random House, 2022). With journalist co-founders, he recently launched MindSite News, a non-profit digital publication focused on mental health issues. Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous national and international awards, including honorary degrees in the U.S. and Europe.