The State of Mental Wellbeing: A Podcast on Mental Health and Substance Use

National Council for Mental Wellbeing
  • 4.0 (4)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

The State of Mental Wellbeing: A Podcast on Mental Health & Substance Use is a weekly series from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that explores the people, policies and systems influencing mental health and substance use care across the United States. Hosted by Mohini Venkatesh, chief of staff at the National Council, the podcast brings together leaders, practitioners and advocates working every day to strengthen mental wellbeing in their communities and advance the field. Stream our latest episode wherever you listen to podcasts.

  1. 4d ago

    How Growing Strong Leaders Improves Behavioral Health Care

    Strong leadership is essential to the future of mental health and substance use care. This week, host Mohini Venkatesh talks with Tami Lewis-Ahrendt, president and CEO of CenterPointe, about building leaders, strengthening organizational culture and helping teams thrive amid workforce challenges, change and growing community needs.  Mohini and Tami discuss practical lessons on leadership development, psychological safety, feedback and growing through change. From preparing clinicians to become supervisors, to navigating mergers, to supporting staff through uncertainty, the conversation explores how mental health and substance use care organizations can invest in people at every level. Listen for candid insights on how stronger leaders lead to better care for communities.  Listeners will learn:  Why leadership development matters for employee engagement, retention and quality of care.  How psychological safety helps emerging leaders learn from mistakes.  Why strong clinicians still need training to become effective supervisors.  What leaders can learn from mergers, workplace culture change and community context.  Tami Lewis-Ahrendt has spent more than 15 years in leadership roles at CenterPointe. She has helped transform the organization’s culture, led the acquisition of the Campus for Hope, and guided the rollout of innovative programs CenterPointe's CCBHC.  Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

  2. Sep 2

    Why Investors Are Banking on Behavioral Health

    Behavioral health is entering a new era of innovation, and impact investing is helping shape what comes next. This week, host Mohini Venkatesh and Anjlee Joshi explore impact investing, mental health innovation, behavioral health technology and the evolving relationship between providers, startups and investors working to improve care, strengthen organizations and expand community impact.  Anjlee Joshi, principal consultant for the impact investing initiative at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, shares how investors evaluate behavioral health startups, what founders often misunderstand about community-based care, and why provider perspectives matter in technology development. From workforce challenges and operational efficiency to AI, reimbursement and patient outcomes, this conversation offers practical insights for behavioral health leaders, entrepreneurs and anyone who’s invested in the future of mental health and substance use care.  Listeners will learn:  Why investors, startups and providers are increasingly working together to address mental health and substance use challenges.  How the National Council serves as a bridge between behavioral health organizations and emerging technologies.  What it takes for behavioral health innovations to deliver both financial sustainability and meaningful community impact.  Anjlee Joshi leads the impact investing work for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, which prioritizes investing in solutions that drive impact and innovation for members, strengthening member innovation capabilities, and enabling technology companies to better understand and serve them.  Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

  3. Aug 26

    Can GLP-1s Transform Addiction Treatment?

    GLP-1 medications are changing how we think about addiction. This week, an addiction medicine physician outlines the emerging science linking these drugs to reduced cravings, improved impulse control and recovery support, and shares why they may represent a major shift in addiction treatment and prevention.  In this episode, Mohini talks with Dr. Steven Klein about the growing evidence that GLP-1s may help treat addiction by reducing cravings and interrupting addictive behaviors. Drawing on both research and clinical experience, Dr. Klein explores the connection between obesity, substance use disorders and the brain’s reward system. He also discusses what these medications could mean for alcohol use disorder, impulse control, stigma reduction and the future of recovery care as this rapidly evolving field continues to develop.  Listeners will learn:  How GLP-1s may reduce cravings and substance use by acting on the brain's reward pathways.  What current research reveals about GLP-1s and alcohol use disorder, as well as emerging evidence across other substances.  Why concepts like agency, impulse control and dopamine regulation are becoming increasingly important in addiction treatment.  Dr. Steven Klein is a compassionate and highly accomplished physician-scientist specializing in addiction medicine. Dr. Klein is dedicated to advancing innovative, evidence-based approaches to support recovery for teens, young adults and individuals facing relapse challenges.  Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

  4. Aug 19

    Safe, Supported, Expected, Rewarded: A Road Map for AI Adoption

    Before behavioral health organizations can transform with AI, they first need the confidence to start. In this episode, AI expert Trent Gillespie shares practical insights on building trust, driving experimentation and helping teams embrace change while keeping people, purpose and mission at the center of AI adoption.  Mohini and Trent explore how organizations can move beyond AI experimentation and build lasting adoption. Drawing on lessons from his time as an executive at Amazon and his work with leaders across industries, Trent shares a practical framework for making AI use safe, supported, expected and rewarded. The conversation covers AI leadership, change management, workforce adoption, behavioral health innovation and how AI can expand access to care while helping organizations prepare for the future.  Listeners will learn:  Why AI should be treated as an organization-wide leadership strategy, not simply an IT project.  Practical ways to foster experimentation, share AI learnings and build an organizational culture of continuous improvement.  How AI can help behavioral health organizations expand access to care, reduce administrative burden and create more meaningful human connections.  Trent Gillespie is a former Amazon executive who left one of the world's most powerful AI companies to serve the organizations it was disrupting. He translates that insider perspective into something you can act on immediately. Not someday. Monday morning.  Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

  5. Aug 12

    Mental Health First Aid: A Global Movement

    Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) has become a global movement, helping people build the confidence to recognize mental health challenges, reduce stigma and support one another. This week, leaders from Canada and Ireland share lessons on growth, adaptation and the power of human connection.  Host Mohini Venkatesh speaks with Donal Scanlan of MHFA Ireland and Shane Silver of the Mental Health Commission of Canada about how MHFA has expanded across countries and cultures. They discuss national partnerships, workplace and community engagement, context-aware adaptations and the critical role instructors play in sustaining momentum. The conversation also explores what countries can learn from one another and why courage, vulnerability and connection remain essential to mental wellbeing.  Listeners will learn:  How Mental Health First Aid expands mental health literacy across countries and communities  The importance of partnerships, instructors and context-aware adaptations  Why confidence, vulnerability and human connection are central to reducing stigma  Donal Scanlan is head of MHFA Ireland, with over 27 years of professional experience and study dedicated to mental wellbeing. Shane Silver is a VP at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, leading national initiatives to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma.  Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

  6. Aug 5

    Transforming Rural Mental Health Care: The Promise of CCBHCs

    What does it take to make mental health and substance use care accessible in some of the nation’s most rural communities? This week's episode covers how Westbrook Health Services is rethinking behavioral health care delivery in West Virginia, and why a new approach to funding is creating opportunities for lasting change.  In this episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing, host Mohini Venkatesh sits down with Kevin Trippett, president and CEO of Westbrook Health Services, to discuss how the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model is expanding access to mental health and substance use care across rural West Virginia. Their conversation explores whole-person care, workforce challenges, community partnerships, innovations in crisis response, and how sustainable funding is helping providers move from survival mode to long-term impact.  Listeners will learn:  How CCBHCs expand rural mental health and substance use care  The importance of care coordination, peer support and partnerships  How prospective payment supports whole-person care and innovation  Kevin Trippett has served as President and CEO of Westbrook Health Services since 2017. He has been with Westbrook since 1999, previously serving as accountant and CFO. In 2018, he received West Virginia Executive magazine’s Sharp Shooters Award.  Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

  7. Jul 22

    How New York Is Expanding Mental Health First Aid

    In this episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing, host Mohini Venkatesh chats with Katie Oldakowski of the Mental Health Association in New York State and Tramaine EL-Amin of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing about practical ways to expand mental health education in your community.  How can your community turn Mental Health First Aid from training into a movement? Mohini, Katie and Tramaine explore Mental Health First Aid, New York’s statewide approach to mental wellbeing, the power of local champions and partnerships, and a new implementation road map designed to help communities scale sustainable, evidence-informed change. They examine New York’s statewide Teen Mental Health First Aid initiative for 10th graders and share how trusted local voices strengthen training.  Listeners will learn:  How states can start small, build partnerships, learn from setbacks and embed MHFA into a larger public health strategy  New York’s Teen MHFA campaign, which aims to reach approximately 186,000 10th-grade students over five years  About the forthcoming Humana-funded Communitywide MHFA Implementation Road Map  Katie Oldakowski is the senior director of training and programs at the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS), where she leads statewide mental health initiatives focused on literacy, policy and advocacy.   Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

  8. Jul 15

    Innovation in Addiction Treatment: Where the Field Is Going

    Guest host Philip Rutherford and John Driscoll, president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, discuss evidence-based addiction treatment, the role of brain health, and emerging innovations like GLP-1 medications and AI-assisted care.  What does the future of addiction treatment look like? In this episode, guest host Philip Rutherford sits down with Caron Treatment Centers President and CEO John Driscoll to explore how addiction care is evolving through brain-based science, objective outcome measures and emerging innovations. They discuss everything from GLP-1 medications and AI-assisted care to gambling addiction and the ongoing fight against stigma — while making the case for treating substance use disorder like any other chronic health condition.  Objective measures of brain health may improve outcomes, reimbursement and clinical decision-making.  Emerging innovations include GLP-1 medications, AI-assisted care, precision medicine and neurological assessment tools.  Prevention and early intervention could be the next frontier for behavioral health.  John Driscoll is president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers. He currently serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and has over 30 years of experience in the addiction treatment field.    Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.

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The State of Mental Wellbeing: A Podcast on Mental Health & Substance Use is a weekly series from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that explores the people, policies and systems influencing mental health and substance use care across the United States. Hosted by Mohini Venkatesh, chief of staff at the National Council, the podcast brings together leaders, practitioners and advocates working every day to strengthen mental wellbeing in their communities and advance the field. Stream our latest episode wherever you listen to podcasts.

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