The Mental Health Evolution

The Mental Health Evolution A Mental Health Podcast
Listen: https://pod.link/1724750091
Watch: www.youtube.com/

What happens when someone in crisis turns to an AI chatbot and the system fails them? Shirali Nigam and Arul Nigam, co-f...
03/12/2026

What happens when someone in crisis turns to an AI chatbot and the system fails them? Shirali Nigam and Arul Nigam, co-founders of Circuit Breaker Labs, are working to make sure that never happens by testing AI mental health tools with simulated patients before they ever reach a real person. Rachel sat down with them to talk about what they are finding, what clinicians should be asking, and why safety testing needs to be standard practice before these tools go public.

Full episode link in bio.

If you've ever wondered why more providers don't accept Medicaid and Medicare, this episode is for you. Rachel Harrison ...
03/05/2026

If you've ever wondered why more providers don't accept Medicaid and Medicare, this episode is for you. Rachel Harrison has a candid conversation with Malcolm Furgol of the Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County about reimbursement rates, insurance clawbacks, and the systemic changes that could actually move the needle.

Full episode link in bio.

Is AI in mental health a breakthrough — or a band-aid? In this week's solo episode, I'm digging into six recent research...
02/26/2026

Is AI in mental health a breakthrough — or a band-aid?

In this week's solo episode, I'm digging into six recent research articles to explore an emerging tiered model of mental health care — and what it could mean for clients, clinicians, and the systems shaping how care gets delivered.

From wellness apps to inpatient care, the landscape is shifting. I'm not here to take a hard stance — I'm here to ask the questions we all need to be asking.

New episode out now — link in bio.

02/24/2026

A frontline staff member asked a simple question in a meeting: what does a mental health crisis actually do to the brain? That question led to a full literature review at Centerstone, and what they found changed everything about how their teams approach people in and after crisis. Becky Stoll shares the story in this clip.

Full episode at the link in bio.

02/24/2026

Retention doesn't start at onboarding. It starts at the job posting. Becky Stoll, VP of Crisis and Disaster Management at Centerstone, breaks down the full continuum of what it actually takes to hire, support, and keep crisis workers. From how you advertise the role to how you build their skills over time, every step matters.

Full episode link in bio.

New episode: Who Supports the Crisis Workers? This week, Becky Stoll, VP for Crisis and Disaster Management at Centersto...
02/19/2026

New episode: Who Supports the Crisis Workers?

This week, Becky Stoll, VP for Crisis and Disaster Management at Centerstone, challenges how we think about staff wellness in mental health. She's spent nearly four decades building systems that actually work—and she has hard truths about what the industry has gotten wrong.

If you work in crisis services, lead a mental health organization, or are considering this career path, this conversation is for you. Learn how real system change happens, from hiring all the way through career development.

Episode link in bio.

In this solo episode, host Rachel Harrison examines how rising deductibles, increasing co‑pays, and shifting insurance m...
02/12/2026

In this solo episode, host Rachel Harrison examines how rising deductibles, increasing co‑pays, and shifting insurance models are changing access to mental health care in 2026.

Rachel explores the growing affordability gap affecting both clients and clinicians—and what can be done to make care more sustainable. Listen as she breaks down the data, shares insights from across the industry, and highlights ways the mental health community can adapt.

Episode link in bio.

In this solo episode, Rachel breaks down one of the most talked about and often misunderstood changes in mental health c...
02/05/2026

In this solo episode, Rachel breaks down one of the most talked about and often misunderstood changes in mental health care today: interstate licensure compacts.

As telehealth becomes a permanent part of care delivery, many clinicians are navigating questions around licensing across state lines, insurance reimbursement, and legal compliance. Rachel walks through where things currently stand for counselors, social workers, and psychologists, and what these changes could realistically mean for access to care and clinical practice.

This episode is especially relevant for clinicians who hold multiple licenses, are considering expanding their practice across state lines, or want a clearer understanding of how licensure compacts intersect with telehealth and insurance policies.

Listen now via the link in bio.

02/02/2026

“The mental health system isn’t broken — it’s still being built.”

That reframe matters.
Because building means learning, adapting, and creating something better — not just patching what failed.

In this episode of Mental Health Evolution, Sue Abderholden shares why hope, systems thinking, and long-term investment are essential if we want real change in mental health care.

Full episode link in bio

This week, Rachel is joined by Sue Abderholden, former Executive Director of NAMI Minnesota, for a deeply grounded conve...
01/29/2026

This week, Rachel is joined by Sue Abderholden, former Executive Director of NAMI Minnesota, for a deeply grounded conversation about how the mental health system has evolved — and what it still needs to become.

Sue brings more than four decades of experience in advocacy, policy, and systems-building to the conversation, offering a hopeful but honest perspective on early intervention, workforce challenges, parity, crisis response, and why the mental health system isn’t “broken,” but still being built.

If you care about access to care, policy, or the future of mental health — this episode is a must-listen.

Listen now → link in bio

01/23/2026

When Ryan Dewey Smith couldn’t find a merger partner that truly protected mission and culture, he didn’t force the wrong fit — he built a new model.

In this clip, Ryan shares the real behind-the-scenes pressures mental health and human service organizations face, and why strategic affiliation + shared services can be a way to scale sustainably without sacrificing outcomes or staff support.

Want to hear how this approach works at scale (and what it means for the future of mental health organizations)?

Listen to the full episode: Scaling Mental Health Organizations with Ryan Dewey Smith

https://pod.link/1724750091

New episode of Mental Health Evolution is live.In this conversation, Rachel Harrison sits down with Ryan Dewey Smith, Fo...
01/22/2026

New episode of Mental Health Evolution is live.

In this conversation, Rachel Harrison sits down with Ryan Dewey Smith, Founder and President of Inperium, to explore what it actually looks like to scale mental health and human service organizations responsibly.

Ryan shares how strategic affiliation and shared services can help organizations grow without sacrificing mission, culture, or clinician sustainability — and why workforce support and operational stability are no longer optional in today’s behavioral health landscape.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why behavioral health is still one of the most fragmented sectors in healthcare

How organizations can grow through partnership while protecting culture

The real operational pressures behind staffing and retention

What leaders can do now to build sustainability without burning out teams

Full episode link in bio.

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