Call For Help

Call Declined follows the story of two talented artists, Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman, whose lives became intertwined in prison after the systems in place to ensure their well-being failed them. This story of fortitude, friendship, and the power of creativity takes listeners along on the pathways that led Kamisha and Aimee to prison, how they survived incarceration, and the journey to freedom that led to the creation of The Returning Artists Guild. Call Declined is presented by the Sozosei Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Otsuka. The Foundation's goal is to increase access to mental healthcare in order to eliminate the inappropriate use of jails and prisons for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in the United States. Learn more at www.SozoseiFoundation.org.  The Sozosei Foundation extends special thanks to Aimee Wissman and Kamisha Thomas, visionary artists and co-founders of The Returning Artists Guild whose creativity, resilience, and lived experience inspire us to build a world where mental illness is not a crime. To learn more about the Guild visit www.thereturningartistsguild.org. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're dropping in your feed today to let you know that Last Day is back! But we're doing things a little differently this time around, and we want to give you a sneak peek of what's to come. Last Day is and has always been a show about the moments that change us, fundamentally and forever. So, each week, we'll be bringing you a new story about someone's “last day” — who they were before, and how they've found a way to exist in the after. We'll laugh. We'll cry. We'll share real conversations with real people who have lived through turning-point days they'll never forget, and have wisdom to share from the other side.  The first new episode of Last Day is out now, with more episodes releasing every week. To hear more, head to https://lemonadamedia.com/show/lastday/.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're dropping in your feed today to let you know about a new Lemonada Media series, DISCARDED. DISCARDED tells the story of a modern-day Erin Brockovich, set on the Mississippi River in an area known as “Cancer Alley.” Her name is Sharon Lavigne, her community is St. James Parish in Louisiana, and her fight is to keep out one of the largest plastic manufacturing companies in the world. In this investigative four-part series, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Gloria Riviera, we unwrap the complex world of plastic through the lens of Sharon's story. Because plastic is everywhere - it has advanced our world, but it has damaged our environment. So, we take a look at what's next for all of us and how we can learn from communities like St. James to make a difference in our own backyards. In this clip of episode one, you'll be introduced to The Sunshine Project, which is a $9.4 billion proposed petrochemical plan that would sprawl across 2,400 acres of St. James Parish, Louisiana, pushing up against the community that has lived and died there for generations. Lifelong resident Sharon Lavigne becomes an accidental activist after trying to save her community and its history. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation — with your help. Visit only.one to learn more and get involved. To hear more of Discarded, head to https://lemonadamedia.com/show/discarded/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The producers of this series wanted to share Lemonada Media's new release with you. It's called Uncared For. You're more likely to die as a pregnant person in the United States than any other wealthy nation in the world. Why? This six-part series, hosted by award-winning journalist SuChin Pak (Add to Cart, MTV News), takes a deeply personal and wide-ranging look at maternal health care around the globe to find the answer. We start in the United States then travel to Germany, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica to see what works and what desperately needs to change. In the first episode of Uncared For, we'll hear from health equity researchers, birth providers – like the postpartum doula who was there for SuChin – and Black mothers who have been dismissed and misdiagnosed in our broken system of care. How did our system end up like this? And what does this crisis tell us about how our healthcare system stacks up globally?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The producers of this series would like to share with you another series they know you'll love. BEING is reality TV for your ears, an innovative new audio format like no other podcast you've ever heard. This season, it's BEING Golden -- a look inside the lives of four 60+ seniors living in LA. Meet Buzz, a 71-year-old former sales and marketing executive who drastically uprooted his life by moving out west to Los Angeles to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an actor -- even if it means taking a job as a rideshare driver to make ends meet, and despite objections from his adult kids. And meet Gloria, a 71-year-old retiree with a past as spicy as her personality. As she looks back on her dating history, is it time to finally open a new chapter and look for love (or just a good time) by diving into the dating app scene?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The producers of this series wanted to give you a listen to the latest season of The Untold Story. This season, they're taking a look at a number of criminal justice failures happening right before our eyes. In the first episode, they go deep inside Rikers, a pretrial detention center. While people await their day in court, the conditions at the island are simply inhumane due to violence, overcrowding and inadequate medical care. Rikers is scheduled to close in 2027, but at the rate we're going, eighty more people might die on the island before the jail is shut down. How do we untangle this culture of perpetual violence at Rikers? And could an intervention called a federal receivership make conditions more humane for the people who live there? Host Travon Free uncovers why a receivership might be the only solution that could actually make things better for people right now.  The Untold Story is a Lemonada Media original and is presented by Campaign Zero. To hear more of The Untold Story, please visit https://link.chtbl.com/UntoldStory. Three new episodes are out now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The producers of this series wanted to share another Lemonada Media podcast with you. Every day, the world seems on the brink of crisis. Join Andy Slavitt and experts, policymakers, journalists and thought leaders to stay informed, safe and … entertained. As a White House advisor, author, crisis response leader, non-partisan counselor to policymakers here and abroad, Andy has been called the ultimate outsider's insider for a reason. In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt has new episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  How bad will this winter's COVID-19 wave be? That's what Andy asks epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina, who's been watching Europe closely and combing through the data on new variants. She predicts that a winter wave is about 90% likely and explains her biggest worries – an Omicron subvariant called BQ.1.1 and a simultaneous flu wave with fewer masking requirements. She and Andy also discuss how the fall bivalent booster will hold up against new winter variants, why uptake is still so low, and how to plan for gatherings with friends and family this holiday season. To hear more of In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt, head to https://link.chtbl.com/InTheBubble Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt. Follow Katelyn Jetelina on Twitter @dr_kkjetelina. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The producers of this series wanted to introduce you to another Lemonada listen, Funny Cuz It's True with Elyse Myers. Each week on Funny Cuz It's True, Elyse will be sitting down with her favorite creators, friends and comedians to find the stories that have stuck with them and changed their lives in small ways, and the not-so-funny moments that have become funny over time. She wants to know how they handled these situations and learned to laugh about them years later. How do they do it? Great question, she'd love to tell you.  Legendary actor and director Paul Feig joins Elyse for her very first episode. Note to listeners: he's in a seven-piece suit, and Elyse is in sweatpants. It's great. You'll hear all about her first kiss, and Paul's own awkward romances (like the ones that inspired his show "Freaks and Geeks”). Plus, Paul shares his experience writing for “The Office.” Elyse learns the creative process doesn't really get easier, even after decades in the industry. To hear more of Funny Cuz It's True, head to https://link.chtbl.com/funnycuzitstruewithelysemyersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Letter is a new original true crime podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Amy Donaldson. This 8-part narrative series tells the story of the brutal murder of Zachary Snarr, which took place in Salt Lake City, UT, on August 28, 1996. The Letter weaves a story of forgiveness, guilt, and what happens after the headlines die down and the real story begins. On Zach Snarr's last day alive, he got up early to help his father at work, he cleaned the kitchen for his mother and he made his sister laugh. But on August 28, 1996, the 18-year-old never came home from his date with Yvette Rodier at a reservoir outside of Salt Lake City. Instead, two police officers and a chaplain came to ring the bell. It was every parent's nightmare, a devastating loss that rocked a community and shattered lives. But Zach's mother, Sy Snarr, finds hope from a most unlikely place and it comes in the form of a weekly phone call. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com. Head to https://link.chtbl.com/TheLetterPodcast to listen to the second episode.  Researched and reported by Amy Donaldson Written by Amy Donaldson and Andrea Smardon Production and sound design by Andrea Smardon Mixing by Trent Sell Special thanks to Nina Earnest, Becky Bruce, KellieAnn Halvorsen, Ryan Meeks, Ben Kuebrich, Josh Tilton and Dave Cawley Main musical score composed by Allison Leyton Brown With KSL Podcasts Executive Producer Sheryl Worsley For Lemonada Media, Executive Producers Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs And Executive Producers Paul Anderson and Nick Panella with WorkHouse Media. The Letter is produced by KSL Podcasts and Lemonada Media in association with WorkHouse Media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stigma is one of 988's biggest hurdles. The other is widespread fear of first responders that has increased with every report of another police killing.The latter has led to pervasive misinformation online about how 988 works. But even if we set the record straight, how can we get to a place of public buy-in? It's one thing to implement a new system for crisis response; it's another to completely shift culture. How does 988 earn the trust of the people it's trying to help? In this episode, you'll hear from actress Glenn Close, Zak Williams, and others working to change the national conversation around mental health.   SHOW NOTES Connect With Glenn Bring Change to Mind creates peer support groups for high school students, find out if there's a chapter near you! https://bringchange2mind.org/ Emergency Services for Deaf Users Read Steve Hamerdinger's adapted paper on mental health needs for deaf people and learn more from the National Association of the Deaf.  https://mh.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ODS_DeafMI.pdf https://www.nad.org/resources/health-care-and-mental-health-services/mental-health-services/ Keep Up With 988 Follow the rollout, upcoming legislation, and all things 988. https://reimaginecrisis.org/ Stay in Touch With Zak Check out the various mental health organizations Zak is involved with.  https://bringchange2mind.org/ https://unitedgmh.org/ https://www.inseparable.us/ https://www.projecthealthyminds.com/ https://youcanpym.com/   CREDITS Call for Help is a Lemonada original, presented by Sozosei Foundation. Hosting and story-editing were done by Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Our producers are Alie Kilts and Alexa Lim. Tess Novotny is our associate producer. Natasha Jacobs is our engineer and sound designer. Music is by Xander Singh with additional music by Natasha Jacobs. Naomi Barr is our fact checker. Executive producers are Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Zak Williams and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Special thanks to Chrystal Genesis and Jackie Danziger for additional support. Follow Stephanie on Twitter and Instagram at @wittelstephanie. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/callforhelp shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, we saw what happens when a mental health emergency falls into the wrong hands. So what happens when a comprehensive system, run by well-trained mental health staff, is in place? Today, Stephanie visits a state that exemplifies the gold standard of crisis response: Arizona. Yes, really. While Arizona is typically known for messy politics and scandalous policing, they have been quietly building a best-in-class mental-health response plan since the 1980s. With the roll out of 988, what can other states learn from Arizona? We go inside a dispatch center and ride along with mobile crisis teams to find out firsthand. Plus, Zak is back with tips on how you can help make the Arizona model a reality everywhere.  SHOW NOTES Become a Call Specialist Consider volunteering or getting a job with your local crisis hotline. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/jobs   Share Your Story If you have lived experience, share your story with NAMI. https://nami.org/Get-Involved/Share-Your-Story   Youth Mental Health Learn more about protecting the emotional and mental health of young people. https://jedfoundation.org/bts2022-for-youth/   CREDITS Call for Help is a Lemonada original, presented by Sozosei Foundation. Hosting and story-editing were done by Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Our producers are Alie Kilts and Alexa Lim. Tess Novotny is our associate producer. Natasha Jacobs is our engineer and sound designer. Music is by Xander Singh with additional music by Natasha Jacobs. Naomi Barr is our fact checker. Executive producers are Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Zak Williams and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Special thanks to Chrystal Genesis and Jackie Danziger for additional support. Follow Stephanie on Twitter and Instagram at @wittelstephanie. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/callforhelp shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2019, Taun Hall's 18 year-old son, Miles, was in the midst of a mental health crisis in their affluent, suburban community of Walnut Creek, California. The police responded, and within 30 seconds, Miles was shot and killed. What would have happened if Taun called 988 instead of 911? Would Miles still be alive? With insight from Taun Hall, Tom Insel, Dr. Altha Stewart, and Asantewaa Boykin, Stephanie explores how we got stuck with such a fractured system in the first place, the human toll, particularly in communities of color, and how communities are fighting to build better solutions for all. Zak Williams, our Special Service Correspondent, joins with specific actions we can take in the fight.    SHOW NOTES Navigating CrisisCheck out the guide from NAMI to learn how to navigate a crisis and the JED Foundation on how to talk to your friends who might be struggling. https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/What-to-Do-In-a-Crisis https://jedfoundation.org/mental-health-resource-center/ Mental Health x Criminal JusticeExplore the intersection between mental health and criminal justice. https://thejusttrust.org/ https://campaignzero.org/#vision Support Our GuestsLearn more about Taun Hall's work getting 988 policy passed in her community, and read about what Asantewaa Boykin is doing to make mental health crisis response more accessible.  https://www.themileshallfoundation.org/ https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/mh-first-oakland CREDITS Call For Help is a Lemonada Media original presented by Sozosei Foundation. Hosting and story editing were done by me, Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Our producers are Alie Kilts and Alexa Lim. Tess Novotny is our associate producer. Natasha Jacobs is our engineer and sound designer. Music is by Xander Singh with additional music by Natasha Jacobs. Naomi Barr is our fact checker. Executive producers are Zak Williams, Jessica Cordova Kramer and me. We are so grateful to our show sponsors The Jed Foundation, National Alliance on Mental Illness and The Just Trust. And a special thanks to Chrystal Genesis and Jackie Danziger for additional support.  You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @wittelsstephanie, and stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @lemonadamedia. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series, you can visit lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. And finally, to follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/callforhelp shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For far too long, the United States has put mental healthcare on the back burner. Through enormous advocacy and the initiation and rollout of the 988 hotline, a theoretical lifeline is now at the fingertips of every American. But in a country with a deep history of criminalizing mental health, will 988 live up to its potential? Today, Stephanie explores how 988 came to be, along with all the promise and peril it carries. Weekly special correspondent Zak Williams shares his personal mental health journey, how stigma impacted his father, Robin Williams, and how the actor's death inspired him to become a mental health advocate. We also meet Congressman Seth Moulton, mental health advocate Keris Myrick, Executive Director of the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline John Draper, and Director of the Sozosei Foundation Melissa Beck.   SHOW NOTES Get to Know 988 Learn about your state's plan for funding 988. https://reimaginecrisis.org/map/ Advocate Email your representatives and sign a petition to request crisis services that are unique to your state and your community.  https://nami.quorum.us/crisisadvocacy/ 988 Policy Dig into policy documents, resources and much more information. https://www.sozoseifoundation.org/sozosei-foundation-updates Listen to UBU Keris Myrick's podcast Unapologetically Black Unicorns. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetically-black-unicorns/id1568804071 Watch Zak's Documentary To learn more about Zak's mental health journey and advocacy, you can watch the Oprah and Prince Harry's documentary series “The Me You Can't See”. https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-me-you-cant-see/umc.cmc.4amwght1qtt8ioilwr0mgnf6d   Call for Help is presented by Sozosei Foundation: A catalyst for ideas that nurture creative solutions for healthier communities. Learn more at SozoseiFoundation.org. The Jed Foundation is a non-profit organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults. Visit JedFoundation.org for more information. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization. Learn more at nami.org. The Just Trust is a group of funds one hundred percent dedicated to advancing criminal justice reform, state-by-state and across the country. Visit TheJustTrust.org to learn more.    CREDITS Call for Help is a Lemonada original, presented by Sozosei Foundation. Hosting and story-editing were done by Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Our producers are Alie Kilts and Alexa Lim. Tess Novotny is our associate producer. Natasha Jacobs is our engineer and sound designer. Music is by Xander Singh with additional music by Natasha Jacobs. Naomi Barr is our fact checker. Executive producers are Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Zak Williams and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Special thanks to Chrystal Genesis and Jackie Danziger for additional support. Follow Stephanie on Twitter and Instagram at @wittelstephanie. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/callforhelp shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

988 is being promoted as a 24/7 national hotline to handle mental health emergencies. In theory, it could reimagine crisis response in America, minimizing police contact and connecting callers to mental health, substance use, and suicidal crises services. In reality, most states aren't ready for 988. On top of that, decades of criminalizing mental illness have caused widespread wariness of trusting the hotline. Call For Help uncovers what crisis response looks like in America, and what it will take for 988 to work. Hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs with special correspondent Zak Williams and available on August 16. Presented by Sozosei Foundation, and supported by The Jed Foundation, NAMI, and Just Trust.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, mental health has been criminalized and those in dire need of urgent support often don't receive it. Call For Help explores the gut-wrenching human stories that led to the new national 988 hotline for suicide prevention and mental health crises, now available from any phone in America. Hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs with special correspondent Zak Williams and available on August 16. Presented by Sozosei Foundation, and supported by The Jed Foundation, NAMI, and Just Trust.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.