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 Crisis
Check 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 Justice
Explore the intersection between mental health and criminal justice.

https://thejusttrust.org/

https://campaignzero.org/#vision

Support Our Guests
Learn 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.

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 Crisis Check 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.
<a href="https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/What-to-Do-In-a-Crisis">https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/What-to-Do-In-a-Crisis</a>
<a href="https://jedfoundation.org/mental-health-resource-center/">https://jedfoundation.org/mental-health-resource-center/</a>
Mental Health x Criminal Justice Explore the intersection between mental health and criminal justice.
<a href="https://thejusttrust.org/">https://thejusttrust.org/</a>
<a href="https://campaignzero.org/#vision">https://campaignzero.org/#vision</a>
Support Our Guests Learn 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. 
<a href="https://www.themileshallfoundation.org/">https://www.themileshallfoundation.org/</a>
<a href="https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/mh-first-oakland">https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/mh-first-oakland</a> 
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.

In times of need, who do you turn to? What systems do you believe are there to catch you if you fall? Is there a way to interrupt generations of trauma and family violence? What might the world look like if we decriminalized mental illness, substance use disorder, and poverty?  Call Declined follows the lives of two extraordinary women, Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman, and the captivating story of how they fell through a frayed safety net and how resilience, friendship, and the power of creativity enabled them to survive the grim walls of the Dayton Correctional Institution. It is a story of how art became their north star and inspiration for what was to come when they finally were released from prison.

Call Declined is hosted by Melissa Beck, the executive director of the Sozosei Foundation.

To learn more about our country's mental health system, check out the episodes in this feed marked Call For Help, hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs, which explores the promise and perils of the nationwide rollout of the 988 hotline.

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.

Please note that this podcast contains mature content, including explicit language and discussions about drug use and other potentially sensitive topics. The views expressed are solely those of the participants and do not reflect the opinions of the Sozosei Foundation, podcast host or sponsors. Listener discretion is advised. This content is intended for mature audiences and is not suitable for all listeners.

In times of need, who do you turn to? What systems do you believe are there to catch you if you fall? Is there a way to interrupt generations of trauma and family violence? What might the world look like if we decriminalized mental illness, substance use disorder, and poverty?  Call Declined follows the lives of two extraordinary women, Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman, and the captivating story of how they fell through a frayed safety net and how resilience, friendship, and the power of creativity enabled them to survive the grim walls of the Dayton Correctional Institution. It is a story of how art became their north star and inspiration for what was to come when they finally were released from prison.
Call Declined is hosted by<a href="https://t.sidekickopen23.com/Ctc/I6+23284/cW0lK04/JkM2-6qcW6N1vHY6lZ3n9W4-qLY14xfbx9V5cbH-1svWFGW55J7gS51Ns-QW4LcHtY8bFvMzW8254MD6P_mBSW3hM0TH6VGjj1W8hKb7S6D9PxGN8hDnTcfYzz9W3JVw074tcM1ZW4mDjDF4wfTjGW6YN-kH9b5gMDW4J0d4w8dZ7GhW2gf5hh4LGq2yW8sPNY14sKQNbN8pW1JFqNWD4W3YSxtQ5Ns5kYW1phv6P7S_gbcW4Hxl2X4s18w0N4DmFGbTybWfW8hPNBT93KTg1W61PD4Q50Yj9gW7Kt-pG6RL1DYf1p_7Yj04"> Melissa Beck</a>, the executive director of the<a href="https://www.sozoseifoundation.org/"> Sozosei Foundation</a>.
To learn more about our country's mental health system, check out the episodes in this feed marked Call For Help, hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs, which explores the promise and perils of the nationwide rollout of the 988 hotline.
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 <a href="http://www.sozoseifoundation.org">www.SozoseiFoundation.org</a>. 
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 <a href="http://www.thereturningartistsguild.org/">www.thereturningartistsguild.org</a>.
Please note that this podcast contains mature content, including explicit language and discussions about drug use and other potentially sensitive topics. The views expressed are solely those of the participants and do not reflect the opinions of the Sozosei Foundation, podcast host or sponsors. Listener discretion is advised. This content is intended for mature audiences and is not suitable for all listeners.

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