Treatment Advocacy Center

06/17/2026

Recent research confirms that loneliness and social isolation are big challenges for many people living with severe mental illnesses (SMI) like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The Clubhouse model is one way people with SMI can find and build community. Learn more about Clubhouse International by watching the AOTLN webinar Clubhouses & the Importance of Shared Community for People with SMI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jALp5CXeRSE

06/16/2026

In 2024, Treatment Advocacy Center launched a 15-session, eight-week Advocacy Bootcamp training, empowering grassroots advocates to turn lived experiences into lasting change. Over 100 grads are now speaking up, shaping policy, and driving meaningful change for people living with severe mental illness (SMI). With your support, we can grow this movement even further. Donate during the Torrey Action Fund to support programs like this: https://www.tac.org/?form=FUNTUJMNQTQ

06/12/2026

In case you missed it: The June 10th TAC Problem-solving webinar series addressed competency solutions. The Washoe County, Nevada, program staff, including The Honorable Cynthia Lu, Herb Kaplan, Washoe County Deputy District Attorney, Heather Niel, Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program Supervisor, and Kris Riley, Washoe County Deputy Public Defender, presented on several innovative solutions to the competency restoration crisis including competency court, mental health court, and assisted outpatient treatment. Watch the webinar here:

Join the TAC Advocacy Team as we explore innovative approaches, sha...

06/11/2026

Mental health system change is challenging work, but anyone can become and advocate in their community. Our advocacy resource page has information and tips on how to get started in this important work: https://www.tac.org/resources/advocacy/

06/05/2026

People living with psychosis diagnoses have higher rates of PTSD, but trauma-focused therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and prolonged exposure therapy (PE) can help both trauma and psychosis related symptoms. Learn more about PTSD and psychosis here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40590118/ and here: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/papt.12499

06/04/2026

There are many barriers to housing for people who live with severe mental illness (SMI), including a lack of available housing, especially for those with complex medical needs, and symptoms that make finding, obtaining, and maintaining housing a challenge. Visit https://www.tac.org/resources/housing/ to learn about options for those with SMI who often cycle through homelessness instead of accessing safe and supportive places to live.

06/01/2026

TAC’s next Problem‑Solving Webinar features solutions for people incarcerated with severe mental illness who are unable to act in their own defense.

Join us Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 7 PM ET for a conversation on Competency Solutions, featuring Judge Cynthia Lu, Kristine Riley, Heather Neil, and the Washoe County (NV) AOT team.

TAC Advocacy Team problem-solving webinar series is focused on real world challenges and solutions for the SMI community.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dvFTtvDYTFCu2WMO1UDIfw #/registration

05/27/2026

SMI Research Digest is a monthly publication from Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC) that summarizes recently published research on topics related to severe mental illness (SMI). In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this month’s Digest seeks to raise awareness about the unjust discrimination that people with SMI experience.

Read the full issue here: https://www.tac.org/smi-research-digest-prejudice-and-discrimination/

05/22/2026

Treatment Advocacy Center is entering an important new chapter.

We’re grateful to Lisa Dailey for her leadership and contributions to advancing our mission to improve outcomes for individuals with severe mental illness.

We’re pleased to share that Nina Richtman has been appointed Interim Executive Director. Nina has been a key leader at TAC as Director of Advocacy, where she led nationwide policy and advocacy efforts, including legal consultation, education, and support through the TAC Helpline.

In this role, Nina will provide steady leadership while ensuring continuity and helping position TAC for its next phase — advancing impactful work and laying the groundwork for new initiatives across the field.

Please join us in welcoming Nina to her new role.

https://www.tac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leadership-Change-Announcement-May-2026-1.pdf

05/22/2026

In this month's episode of "SMI Spotlight," host Dr. Xavier Amador talks with Jerri Niebaum Clark, TAC Resource and Advocacy Manager and author of "Gone Before Gone: When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love."

Jerri's work at TAC is deeply personal, and her recently published book tells the story of her beloved son, Calvin, through the lens of survival strategies to cope with "ambiguous loss." Ambiguous loss is a term coined by y Dr. Pauline Boss, PhD, to describe a grief experience that occurs when closure is impossible because of the unresolvable nature of a loss. Jerri's book, part memoir and part self-help, guides readers to navigate grief that too often results from a system that was never built to support the most vulnerable individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) or those who love them.

The full episode is now available on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and for viewing on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Zm4dRHBlvIg

"Gone Before Gone" is available for purchase here: https://thesagergroup.net/books/gone-before-gone