tony mantor: why not me the world

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We talk with Iowa State Representative Ann Meyer about how mental health legislation gets built and why access to care still fails families in crisis. 

We dig into provider shortages, the fight for mandatory follow-up after commitment, and how constituents can move lawmakers with personal stories and local relationships. 
• her path from nursing to the Iowa House and why constituent stories changed her focus 
• why access to mental health care breaks down during a crisis and what “waiting” really means 
• the provider shortage problem and steps to grow psychiatry and therapy capacity 
• incentives that help recruit and retain clinicians in rural states 
• why 30 days of treatment is often not enough for severe mental illness 
• the case management follow-up bill that passed the House then stalled in the Senate 
• how law enforcement and ERs absorb the cost when the system fails 
• homelessness, shelter rules, and the overlap with substance use disorder 
• how to speed change through education, budgeting strategies, and persistent advocacy 
• why reaching out to your state legislator works and how to do it with a personal story 
If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. 
One last thing spread the word about why not me. 

INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. Wild

Mantor Music BMI

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intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

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We sit down with Connecticut State Senator Christine Cohen and advocate Denise Paley to unpack how mental health legislation gets built, watered down, and sometimes rescued through strategy and coalition work. 

We focus on crisis intervention training, prison mental health care, and the hard questions around rights, re-entry, and what real accountability looks like. 
• Senator Cohen’s personal path into mental health advocacy 
• why mental health bills stall between chambers and committees 
• compromise as a necessity and a long-term risk 
• budget priorities and the fight to fund care 
• stigma around mental illness and incarcerated people 
• how advocates and legislators build trust and momentum 
• crisis intervention team training as a practical reform 
• re-entry realities and why untreated illness drives recidivism 
• staffing shortages for corrections officers and mental health providers 
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment and the ethics of forced care 
• anosognosia and why refusal is not always choice 
• prevention through school-based mental health support 
• coalition building and making marginalized people visible 
If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at whynotme.world. 
One last thing spread the word about why not me. 

INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. Wild

Mantor Music BMI

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

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We sit down with Massachusetts Senator Cindy Friedman to talk about how mental health laws change real access to care, and why families still hit walls even when “parity” exists. We dig into AOT, crisis diversion, insurance limits, and the practical fixes that keep people out of ERs and jails. 
• her personal path into serious mental illness advocacy and why systems matter 
• what changed after the Mental Health ABC Act 2.0 and why outpatient demand rises 
• why reimbursement rates still skew against behavioral health despite parity laws 
• how crisis-first funding leaves ongoing care underpaid and hard to find 
• trauma as a driver of worsening illness and the gap in trauma-informed support 
• why Massachusetts has no AOT law and how old legal standards shape treatment today 
• addressing fears of coercion while explaining least restrictive court-ordered services 
• co-responder teams that pair police with social workers for de-escalation 
• restoration centers as an alternative to ER screening and quick discharge 
• mental illness inside county jails and how sheriffs can shift outcomes 
• rural mental health access challenges plus telehealth parity and community clinics 
• why psychiatric meds are not one-size-fits-all and how insurers resist trial periods 
if you know someone who has a story to share tell them to contact us at whynotme.world one last thing spread the word about why not me our conversations our inspiring guest the show you are not alone in this world 

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan Mail

We talk with Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra about why mental health care so often lands in the justice system and what it takes to change that through smart legislation and real implementation. 

We dig into funding, workforce, 988 crisis response, diversion programs, and how communities can push practical mental health reform that actually reaches people. 

• her path from prosecutor work to mental health court and forensic mental health 
• why jails and prisons function as default mental health hospitals 
• the biggest legislative roadblocks: funding levels and views of individual liberty 
• assisted outpatient treatment in Washington and why implementation varies by county 
• how Washington built a stakeholder-driven model to implement 988 
• oversight, metrics, and the workforce shortage that blocks care even with funding 
• rural mental health access, telehealth, and consultation lines like PAL 
• diversion options from first law enforcement contact through jail re-entry supports 
• sharing best practices across states through conferences, data, and evidence 
• community-driven policymaking and contacting elected officials with solutions 

If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. 
One last thing spread the word about why not me. 

INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. Wild

Mantor Music BMI

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Send us Fan Mail

We sit down with former Congressman and psychologist Tim Murphy to show how mental health laws really get made and why “good ideas” often get changed or stripped before they ever help families. 

We dig into Medicaid rules, treatment access, psychosis risks, and the hard truth that silence is how broken systems stay in place. 
• the real path of a bill from idea to compromise to final vote 
• why mental health policy creates intense conflict between groups 
• assisted outpatient treatment as an alternative to repeated hospitalization 
• how “gravely disabled” standards shape who can get care 
• Medicaid payment rules that discourage psychiatric beds and longer stays 
• why Congressional Budget Office scoring can derail reforms 
• what happens when severe mental illness is handled in jails 
• solitary confinement as a driver of worsening symptoms and suicide risk 
• high potency marijuana and the rising risk of psychosis 
• the estimated $340B to $380B annual cost of schizophrenia 
• families left holding the system together without guidance 
• HIPAA and confidentiality blocking parents from sharing critical history 
• why large organizations lose focus and stall action 
• how autism and schizophrenia advocacy can find common ground 
• practical steps to educate legislators through emails letters and visits 
If you know someone who has a story to you, tell them to contact us at why notme.world. 
One last time, spread the word about why not me. 

INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. Wild

Mantor Music BMI

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)