In this three-part series hosted by NAMI Mass’s Executive Director, Eliza T. Williamson, nationally renowned experts will talk about new and evolving options that people with significant mental health challenges and their families are finding can make a major difference in their lives. In lively conversations, speakers and moderators will share personal experience and solid evidence, followed by Q&A and optional break-out sessions. We encourage participants to join all three sessions, though registration is welcome even if you’re only able to attend one or two.
For any questions, please contact policy@namimass.org
Session One: Is the Medical Model Enough? Rethinking What It Takes to Heal
Speaker: Thomas Insel, MD
Moderator: Bevin Croft, PhD
When Thomas Insel, MD, began his 13-year tenure as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), he believed that research into brain chemistry was going to conquer mental illness. However, he gradually concluded that it takes more than medical treatment, requiring also a combination of what he learned to call “people, place, and purpose.” Now a leading consultant and innovator, Dr. Insel will describe his journey in a conversation with Bevin Croft, PhD, MPP, a senior researcher at the Human Services Research Institute where she studies the efficacy of behavioral health systems across the country.
Details:
- Tuesday, February 24, 2026
- 7:00 – 8:30 PM
- Zoom
TOM INSEL
Tom Insel, MD, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, is a national leader in mental health research, policy, and technology. From 2002-2015, he served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). He is the author of Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health (Penguin Random House, 2022).
Since leaving federal service, he has been actively involved in promoting advocacy and technology in the service of mental health. He has cofounded Mindstrong Health, Humanest Care, Vanna Health, and Benchmark Health, among others. He also served as a special advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous national and international awards and honorary degrees in the U.S. and Europe. He has served on a number of boards, and is currently on the board of Fountain House, the nation’s oldest clubhouse providing peer services. More information at www.thomasinselmd.com.
BEVIN CROFT
Bevin Croft, MPP, PhD, is a Senior Research Associate and Director of the Behavioral Health team at the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI), where she holds principal roles in behavioral health systems change research. She focuses on helping government agencies and initiatives improve systems using strategies that are data-driven, values-based, and informed by principles of self-determination, human rights, and the structural factors that shape health and wellbeing. Her research on peer respites and on self-directed care has been published in leading journals.
Prior to joining HSRI, she co-directed the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems and served as Quality Management Coordinator at Cascap, a psychiatric rehabilitation provider in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She holds a PhD in Social Policy and a Master of Public Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University. More here.
Session Two: Is the Medical Model Enough? Let’s Talk about Psychosis
Speaker: Mark Ragins, MD
Moderator: Danna Mauch, PhD
After completing a traditional medical school education and training in psychiatry, Mark Ragins, MD, took a road less traveled. He spent his career treating people in the community who were diagnosed with psychosis and other serious mental health conditions at the Village in Long Beach; at California State University, Long Beach; and on the streets of Los Angeles County.” He will describe his innovative approach in conversation with Danna Mauch, PhD, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH), widely known for her broad knowledge of ways to improve mental health systems nationwide.
Details:
- Tuesday, March 3, 2026
- 7:00 – 8:30 PM
- Zoom
MARK RAGINS
For 40 years, Mark Ragins, MD, has provided psychiatric care for people living in the community in Long Beach, California, where he developed an award-winning model of recovery. His service has included 27 years as Medical Director at the widely known Mental Health America Village in Long Beach, counseling at the student health clinic at California State University at Long Beach, and working with unhoused people on the streets throughout Los Angeles County.
His book, Journeys Beyond the Frontier: A Rebellious Guide to Psychosis and Other Extraordinary Experiences (2021), describes his innovative understanding of how psychosis emerges and how people can engage and succeed despite its symptoms. He was also featured in The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, And The Redemptive Power of Music, by Steve Lopez. He has received numerous awards and honors, including from the American Psychiatric Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness California. More at markragins.com.
DANNA MAUCH
Danna Mauch, PhD, is President and CEO of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH). She brings organizational leadership, operations management, evaluation research, and strategic consulting experience to her public policy, knowledge dissemination, and legislative advocacy work. Throughout her career, her work has focused on providing community housing and services support to people who are otherwise at risk of homelessness, incarceration, and institutionalization.
She also presently serves as Court Monitor for the U.S. District Court of Western Washington, and her prior service includes leadership positions at Abt Associates, Comprehensive NeuroScience, Magellan Public Solutions, Integrated Health Strategies, MAMH, and Cambridge Somerville Community Residences. She has served on several governing boards, and has authored many government and foundation publications. She holds a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University. More here.
Session Three: Is the Medical Model Enough? The Power of Relationships
Speaker: Chyrell Bellamy, PhD, MSW
Moderator: Paolo del Vecchio, MSW
Chyrell Bellamy, PhD, MSW, is a Professor and the Director of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health within the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. Her highly regarded research and activism explore pathways to wellness and recovery through innovative services, including those that are faith-based, led by people with lived experience, and focused on cultural responsiveness. She is joined in conversation by Paolo del Vecchio, MSW, who was at the forefront of developing programs that supported the peer recovery movement for more than three decades at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), and is now an independent advocate on national and international levels.
Details:
- Tuesday, March 10, 2026
- 7:00 – 8:30 PM
- Zoom
CHYRELL BELLAMY
Chyrell D. Bellamy, PhD, MSW, is a Professor at Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Director of Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, where she is the Director of Peer Support Services & Research and Director of the Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy. Dr. Bellamy is also a Senior Policy Adviser for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Her research and practice includes examination of peer support effectiveness; organization and leadership transformation with a focus on antiracism, cultural humility, and responsiveness; and community-based participatory research/co-design methods.
Dr. Bellamy considers her personal experience not just a part of her work, but the heart of it. She openly identifies as a person with lived/living experience of multiple marginalized and minoritized identities, including mental illness, trauma, and addictions. She holds a PhD in Social Work and Social Psychology from the University of Michigan, and has received numerous prestigious awards and honors. More here.
PAOLO DEL VECCHIO
Paolo del Vecchio, MSW, a person in long-term recovery from mental health and addictions, has been a leader in the peer recovery movement for 40 years. He recently completed a 30-year career at the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) where he served in multiple roles including the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services and the founding Director of the Office of Recovery.
He is now an independent advocate working to advance recovery-oriented policies and practices on national and international levels. He holds an MSW from Temple University. More here.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS:
This webinar series was developed by independent mental health advocates living in Massachusetts who are also family members–Julie Huber, Monica Luke, Rae Simpson, and Phyllis Vine— in consultation with Michelle Ward-Gilles and in collaboration with Eliza T. Williamson, Sophia Leggio, and Courtney Campbell at NAMI Mass. We welcome hearing from you.
