SMI Spotlight
SMI Spotlight
Podcast Description
SMI Spotlight shares stories, research, and helpful information relating to severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. SMI Spotlight is hosted by TAC's Scientific Officer, the renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Xavier Amador, author of "I Am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help!"
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers on severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, with episodes discussing critical concepts such as anosognosia and effective communication methods like the LEAP method. For example, it addresses how anosognosia affects treatment engagement and explores recent developments in SMI treatment.
SMI Spotlight shares stories, research, and helpful information relating to severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. SMI Spotlight is hosted by TAC’s Scientific Officer, the renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Xavier Amador, author of “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!”
In this episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr Xavier Amador sits down with three nurses from New York City’s SCOUT (Subway Co-Response Outreach Team) program — a unique initiative that brings mental health expertise directly into the NYC subway system. These clinicians meet people with severe mental illness (SMI) where they are, building trust underground, offering compassionate care, and helping individuals access treatment when they need it.The SCOUT nurses share what drew them to this work, how they build relationships in unpredictable environments, and how they know when it’s time to bring someone to the hospital. They break down the mental status exam, discuss person-centered assessment tools, and talk about maintaining dignity, safety, and humanity — even when police are present. Through powerful stories, they show what successful outreach really looks like: connection, compassion, and meeting people with severe mental illness without judgment.We also explore how SCOUT measures success, what program evaluation looks like in the field, and how a humanizing approach can change lives at an individual level. Whether you’re a clinician, advocate, policymaker, or someone who wants to better understand SMI, this conversation offers a grounded, hopeful look at compassionate street-level mental health care in NYC.Video Sections:
- (00:00) – Intro
- (01:41) – What is the SCOUT program?
- (03:08) – What attracted them to the program?
- (07:02) – How do you build relationships and know when it's time to take someone to the hospital?
- (10:18) – Mental Status Exam Overview
- (13:11) – Clinical assessment tools with a humanizing approach
- (16:51) – Maintaining the dignity of the person
- (18:19) – Helping individuals feel safe even with police presence
- (19:38) – Tactics for helping people feel safe
- (23:20) – Program success stories
- (28:21) – Measuring success in connection and care
- (29:01) – Program Evaluation
- (30:15) – Seeing the humanity of unhoused and mentally ill people
- (35:46) – People-first thinking and language
- (39:40) – Treating everyone like family
- (41:49) – Effectuating change at an individual level
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