Call Declined

Many wonderful people helped make and inform the Call Declined podcast. In this special bonus episode, we hear from three people who are very important in the stories of Aimee’s and Kamisha’s lives–their parents. Through our conversations across generations we hear echoes of trauma, abuse, and incarceration. And we see a system that too often declines calls for help. But we also find hope for a world where those calls are answered. Additional Resources: Kamisha Thomas’s Portfolio: https://thomaskamisha.myportfolio.com/ (portfolio) https://www.instagram.com/kdenee_614/ (Instagram) Aimee Wissman’s work: https://aimeewissman.myportfolio.com/work (portfolio) https://www.instagram.com/aimeeinks/ (Instagram) Pens to Pictures: https://wexarts.org/education/pens-pictures Call Declined is hosted by Melissa Beck and 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…

Starting a non-profit is a challenging and confusing process that also, sometimes, includes joyful shenanigans. In this episode, we get a behind-the-scenes look at how Aimee and Kamisha approached building The Returning Artists Guild. We learn how they met and formed a relationship with Melissa and we hear from a variety of philanthropic funders about why the arts are important to ending mass incarceration. Kamisha and Aimee speak candidly about their vision for the future and what it will take to get there. Additional Resources: Kamisha Thomas’s Portfolio: https://thomaskamisha.myportfolio.com/ (portfolio) https://www.instagram.com/kdenee_614/ (Instagram) Aimee Wissman’s work: https://aimeewissman.myportfolio.com/work (portfolio) https://www.instagram.com/aimeeinks/ (Instagram) Ohio Prison Arts Connection: https://wexarts.org/education/ohio-prison-arts-connection-online The Wexner Center for the Arts: https://wexarts.org/ California Lawyers for the Arts: https://www.calawyersforthearts.org/ Marking Time:…

Leaving prison can be overwhelming. The need to navigate societal and technological changes, rebuild relationships, find employment, and find housing can be disorienting and alienating. And the stigma we place on those who have been incarcerated is significant both in human interaction and in policies that make it hard to secure employment, housing, and reconnect with one’s community. In this episode, we learn what the process of reentry was like for Aimee and Kamisha. And we learn how they're using their knowledge, experience, and art to blaze a trail that makes the process easier for other people in similar situations. Additional Resources: Court-Issued Fines And Fees Frequently Undermine Health Equity (Kathleen Noonan) https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/court-issued-fines-and-fees-frequently-undermine-health-equity Mass Supervision (Vincent Schiraldi) https://thenewpress.com/books/mass-supervision The Ohio Justice and Policy Center: https://ohiojpc.org/ Call Declined is hosted by Melissa Beck…

Why is it important to learn about prison from people who have been directly impacted? Well, in this episode, Aimee and Kamisha share their own stories about incarceration – and what they tell us reveals a lot about community services, mental health and substance use treatment, intergenerational family trauma, and mass incarceration in our country. Aimee and Kamisha also explain how they got started making art in prison and talk about the people and opportunities that inspired them to create The Returning Artists Guild. Additional Resources: Incarcerated Women and Girls (The Sentencing Project): https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/05/Incarcerated-Women-and-Girls-1.pdf Pens to Pictures Panel Discussion (Chinonye Chukwu and others): https://wexarts.org/education/pens-pictures For They Know Not (Aimee Wissman’s Pens to Pictures Film): https://vimeo.com/356550411 BANG! (Kamisha Thomas’s Pens to Pictures Film): https://vimeo.com/356291769 Story Chain (Jonathan Platt): https://story-chain.org/…

Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman are extraordinary–they are brilliant artists and the founders of The Returning Artists Guild, a non-profit organization that supports artists that have been in prison and some who are still inside. But they have had long and difficult journeys to get to this point. In this first episode of our four-part series, Aimee and Kamisha share their personal stories. From where they grew up and the art they loved as kids to the ways that poverty, abuse, racism, and addiction shaped their lives…and ultimately, how they ended up in prison. Additional Resources: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/ They Followed Doctors’ Orders. Then Their Children Were Taken Away (NYT Mag): www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/magazine/pregnant-women-medication-suboxonbabies.html Incarceration Trends in Ohio (Vera): https://www.vera.org/downloads/pdfdownloads/state-incarceration-trends-ohio.pdf Mass Incarceration Trends (The Sentencing…

Call Declined follows the story of two talented artists, Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman, whose lives became intertwined in prison after the systems in place to ensure their well-being failed them. This story of fortitude, friendship, and the power of creativity takes listeners along on the pathways that led Kamisha and Aimee to prison, how they survived incarceration, and the journey to freedom that led to the creation of The Returning Artists Guild. Call Declined is hosted by Melissa Beck and 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…

Stigma is one of 988’s biggest hurdles. The other is widespread fear of first responders that has increased with every report of another police killing. The latter has led to pervasive misinformation online about how 988 works. But even if we set the record straight, how can we get to a place of public buy-in? It’s one thing to implement a new system for crisis response; it’s another to completely shift culture. How does 988 earn the trust of the people it’s trying to help? In this episode, you’ll hear from actress Glenn Close, Zak Williams, and others working to change the national conversation around mental health. SHOW NOTES Connect With Glenn Bring Change to Mind creates peer support groups for high school students, find out if there’s a chapter near you! https://bringchange2mind.org/ Emergency Services for Deaf Users Read Steve Hamerdinger’s adapted paper on mental health needs for deaf people and learn more from the National Association of the Deaf.…

Last week, we saw what happens when a mental health emergency falls into the wrong hands. So what happens when a comprehensive system, run by well-trained mental health staff, is in place? Today, Stephanie visits a state that exemplifies the gold standard of crisis response: Arizona. Yes, really. While Arizona is typically known for messy politics and scandalous policing, they have been quietly building a best-in-class mental-health response plan since the 1980s. With the roll out of 988, what can other states learn from Arizona? We go inside a dispatch center and ride along with mobile crisis teams to find out firsthand. Plus, Zak is back with tips on how you can help make the Arizona model a reality everywhere. SHOW NOTES Become a Call Specialist Consider volunteering or getting a job with your local crisis hotline. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/jobs Share Your Story If you have lived experience, share your story with NAMI. https://nami.org/Get-Involved/Share-Your-Story Youth Mental Health Learn…

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 CrisisCheck 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…

For far too long, the United States has put mental healthcare on the back burner. Through enormous advocacy and the initiation and rollout of the 988 hotline, a theoretical lifeline is now at the fingertips of every American. But in a country with a deep history of criminalizing mental health, will 988 live up to its potential? Today, Stephanie explores how 988 came to be, along with all the promise and peril it carries. Weekly special correspondent Zak Williams shares his personal mental health journey, how stigma impacted his father, Robin Williams, and how the actor’s death inspired him to become a mental health advocate. We also meet Congressman Seth Moulton, mental health advocate Keris Myrick, Executive Director of the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline John Draper, and Director of the Sozosei Foundation Melissa Beck. SHOW NOTES Get to Know 988 Learn about your state’s plan for funding 988. https://reimaginecrisis.org/map/ Advocate Email your representatives and sign a petition to request crisis…

988 is being promoted as a 24/7 national hotline to handle mental health emergencies. In theory, it could reimagine crisis response in America, minimizing police contact and connecting callers to mental health, substance use, and suicidal crises services. In reality, most states aren't ready for 988. On top of that, decades of criminalizing mental illness have caused widespread wariness of trusting the hotline. Call For Help uncovers what crisis response looks like in America, and what it will take for 988 to work. Hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs with special correspondent Zak Williams and available on August 16. Presented by Sozosei Foundation, and supported by The Jed Foundation, NAMI, and The Just Trust. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, mental health has been criminalized and those in dire need of urgent support often don't receive it. Call For Help explores the gut-wrenching human stories that led to the new national 988 hotline for suicide prevention and mental health crises, now available from any phone in America. Hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs with special correspondent Zak Williams and available on August 16. Presented by Sozosei Foundation, and supported by The Jed Foundation, NAMI, and The Just Trust. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.