July 16, 2025 • 26 mins
What does it take to transform mental healthcare for millions? Dr. Hodzic of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation offers a vision where mental wellness is accessible to all, regardless of background or location.
The conversation opens with a compelling exploration of mentorship's power in psychiatry. "Having leaders and mentors that they can see actually doing the work is really important for our young people," Dr. Hodzic explains, highlighting how visible role models help future generations envision themselves in mental health careers. This representation matters tremendously in a field often overlooked by students considering healthcare pathways.
At the heart of mental health equity lie multifaceted challenges - from provider shortages in both rural and urban settings to persistent stigmas preventing people from seeking help. Dr. Hodzic's background in emergency psychiatry offers unique insights into these barriers. Working in high-risk, fast-paced environments taught her to assess information quickly while maintaining compassion when faced with profound human suffering - skills that now inform her leadership approach managing over 200 fellows.
Perhaps most fascinating is the discussion around generational trauma's biological impacts. "Trauma does actually change your body. It changes the way that your DNA actually functions," Dr. Hodzic reveals, explaining how traumatic experiences alter gene expression patterns that can be inherited. Psychiatry offers unique opportunities to address these cycles by bringing multiple generations together for healing work that impacts not just current patients but future generations.
Technology emerges as a powerful force for expanding access. From telehealth reaching previously underserved communities to AI algorithms analyzing social media patterns to predict relapses, innovation is revolutionizing care delivery. The Foundation's Mental Health Care Works campaign further builds on these advances, spreading awareness that mental health conditions are common, treatable, and that care is accessible.
The conversation concludes with practical wisdom through the Notice-Talk-Act framework - a simple yet profound methodology helping people identify concerns early through normalized conversations. As Dr. Hodzic emphasizes, "Mental health is really a societal issue... how can we all partner together to create a mentally healthy nation for all?"
Ready to be part of the solution? Visit apaf.org to discover how you can contribute to building a more compassionate, accessible mental healthcare system for everyone.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to the IdeaGen Global Future Summit.
Here live at the NED inWashington DC, Incredibly
honored to have with me DrHodgik from the American
Psychiatric AssociationFoundation.
Dr Hodgik, welcome.
Thankiatric AssociationFoundation, Dr Hodgik welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You know, I'm so familiar with the work that you
do and it's so critical,especially at this time, and in
addition to that you have a newrole which actually focuses
heavily on fellowships,mentorship and medical education
.
Dr Hodgick, how do you seementorship shaping the future of
(00:50):
psychiatry and mental healthleadership?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So I think mentorship is really important in any
field, but particularly thehealth sciences, since there are
so many subdivisions you canreally go into.
With psychiatry in particular,a lot of folks don't really
think about it as a careeroption.
So having leaders and mentorsthat they can see actually doing
the work, I think is reallyimportant for our young people.
(01:17):
I've had a range of mentorsmyself and you learn different
things from each one and reallypiece together what you would
like to see yourself doing inthe future.
So I think the first componentof it is just raising awareness
of what are options.
So whether that's psychiatry, adifferent health care field,
(01:37):
being aware of what you can dobut then also seeing the people
who are doing it that you canrelate to, that you can see
yourself.
Oh, in a couple of years Icould be doing this.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
That's right, and you know, being able to vision that
is so critical, and so healthequity mental health equity is a
critical theme for this summit.
What are the biggest challenges?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
and opportunities that you see in expanding access
to quality mental health care,especially among underserved
communities.
So access, I think there are alot of different angles you can
look at it from.
So one can be the actualproviders.
So do we have clinicians in theareas that we need them to be
in?
So there's a huge shortage ofhealthcare providers all across
the country.
But that is different indifferent regions, right, so
(02:33):
it's not necessarily okay.
Inner city, maybe there's alack there.
It can also be rural, so thenext provider is over a hundred
miles away.
So we definitely have firstthat basic of is there a clinic
there?
And with some of the underservedpopulations it can be a
challenge because sometimes whenpeople are creating clinics,
(02:55):
setting up where they're goingto be there may be perceived
visions of maybe the clinic willbe more successful in a
different setting.
So they're still not beingplaced in the areas that need
them.
Then you can think of it fromthe actual population
perspective and some of thebiases that are still out there.
So people not really wanting toseek mental health treatment,
(03:18):
thinking that maybe they want it, but their family members, the
people around them, they'regonna look down on them for
getting care.
So we have to battle thosethings.
And then there's also very realaccess issues in terms of maybe
people don't havetransportation, so there is a
clinic that's five miles away.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
How do you get to it?
One of the things about IdeaGenGlobal is that we are focused
on cross-sector collaboration,and have been since the
inception of this companyBetween healthcare technology,
education policy, etc.
How can we help to break downbarriers in mental health
(03:59):
treatment and innovation?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
So I think that education is the key part of all
of that, because all thoseareas you really need the
education piece to disseminateinformation.
So technology is the one thatwill bridge the gap between what
healthcare needs and, forexample, you know, the advocacy
piece, the policy makers gettingit in front of people who make
decisions.
So getting them educated,getting the public educated.
(04:24):
So so I think technology can bevery powerful in getting these
messages out, but the core isreally education making people
aware that awareness is critical, and I know how much you all
are doing at the AmericanPsychiatric Association
Foundation.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It's just awe-inspiring, to be honest, and
you have a strong background inemergency psychiatry and crisis
services.
How have these incredibleexperiences influenced your
approach To what we talked about?
Education and leadershipdevelopment?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
So emergency services are very acute settings.
It's very high risk, very fastpaced, so you have to really
learn to assess information andthink quickly so you're not just
blindly making decisions.
You are actually going throughthe process of triage, making
decisions, making a sounddecision, but doing it in a
(05:18):
rapid pace.
It's also an environment whereyou're really seeing people that
are dealing with a lot ofdifferent emotional issues.
You're seeing the most severesuffering humanity knows and
being able to compassionatelydeal with that situation while
sticking to that kind offast-paced timeline.
(05:39):
So I think that teaches you alot of different skills about
people management.
But also, you know everysetting that I've worked in has
really been a teaching hospital.
So how do you still also do theteaching, the training, so
finding moments and right now Ioversee over 200 fellows so
there is a limited amount oftime that we can have contact.
(06:01):
So how do you make the most ofthat?
I think the other importantpiece is that an emergency room
is really a team environment, sodifferent than maybe a
psychiatrist who's working bythemselves in an outpatient
setting.
This is really a true teamapproach and you are the leader
of that healthcare team.
So you have nurses, socialworkers, obviously the trainees
(06:22):
and students, occupationaltherapists, different substance
counselors, so you're reallymanaging all of that and making
sure that your team is on pointwith the same goal.
So the same kind of approachyou have to take in some of the
leadership goals it's, it's justincredible.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And that team approach in 200 people, 200
fellows, that's not easy tomanage, is it no?
So this summit emphasizesinclusion and general
generational uh equity, uhequity.
How can the psychiatric fieldbetter serve diverse populations
across?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
different generations .
So, as I mentioned earlier,there are a lot of underserved
populations and with ourtraining programs we really try
to expand access and opportunityto everyone across the country.
A lot of our programs have atleast 35, if not over 40
different states representeddifferent environments,
different cultures, differentethnic backgrounds.
So we try to create a diverseworkforce and what we're really
(07:32):
battling is generational trauma.
So, psychiatry does have a bitof a dark history, with many
populations that still have abias towards us.
So you know you can look atracial differences but also
individuals with disabilities.
So there is still that fear ofseeking help.
And having providers who arefamiliar with those populations
(07:57):
is going to be beneficial toeveryone, since they will help
increase that awareness and Ithink the really unique position
of psychiatry, with kind ofgenerational trauma and being
able to change that is.
So just to kind of go back withgenerational trauma, you can
think of it as some of thosehistorical traumas that have
(08:17):
happened and have been kind ofpassed on.
But trauma does actually changeyour body.
It changes the way that yourDNA actually functions.
So traumatic experiences canshape how genes are turned on
and off and that can be passeddown by generations.
But also if you are, let's say,a mother who has had a trauma,
(08:39):
you may be having differentmental health issues.
Let's say you're more depressedand absent.
Your child is not going to havethe same care that if mom was
not depressed.
So in that instance it's notonly kind of the true genetic
component but also theenvironment that's going to
shape that next generation andhow they're going to live their
(09:01):
lives and parent in the futureas well.
So psychiatry has the potentialof you can actually get the two
generations together in a room.
You can do therapy with theseindividuals family therapy and
really try to improve theirrelationship, potentially heal
both and have an impact onfuture generations interesting,
(09:24):
but you said something I reallywasn't aware of.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
So there's a genetic component to all that in terms
of like passing it down.
So when one, one generationactually experiences a trauma
and whatever, whatever they, youknow, say, the World War II
generation went through thattrauma.
So they would pass on.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Most of it is actually done through the
modifier, so it's the piecesthat control which genes are
turned on and off.
So it'll signal to the DNA likehey, actually you need to be on
high alert.
So those individuals will endup being more anxious.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Got it.
Got it so interesting.
So we'll be talking a lot aboutAI today and just something
that I think is ubiquitous witha lot of the folks that we deal
with every day with IdeaGen, andI know, I know that your
leadership, including yourself,are focused on AI and utilizing
these tools to help better servethe people that actually need
(10:20):
the assistance, in whatever waythat is.
And so what role does AI, doesinnovation, does all of this
play in what you're doing tohelp serve so many people, from
teenagers to elderly folks thathave mental health issues?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
So I mean AI.
There's no way of gettingaround it.
It's our future, it's more.
How do we actually navigate it?
And I think with healthcare youdo have to tread carefully.
But there are definitelyadvances on both the clinician
side, but then on the actualindividual and patient side.
So, for example, I mean it'sbeen probably a decade that most
(11:03):
places have switched over toelectronic medical records and
now there are a lot ofcooperative agreements where if
you were, let's say, being seenregularly in Maryland, you go to
vacation somewhere else in theUS, they may have an agreement
that that doctor can pull upthose records and so you end up
in an emergency room in adifferent state.
They can still see what you'redealing with.
(11:25):
I think the innovation there.
Doctors really struggle with howlong it takes to do these notes
.
So how do we make that morestreamlined?
Because the less time you'redoing notes, the more time you
can spend with an individualpatient or the more patients you
can see.
On the patient side, I meantelehealth has been huge and
(11:45):
great in providing access reallyto places that didn't have it
before, but also some of theapps where people can track
their mood, track symptoms, helpwith reminders for medications.
I think there's also a wholerange of what is going to be
more kind of the preventativeportion and what can be sent
(12:07):
back to the doctor to reviewbefore someone relapses.
So I mean I'm sure there areway more advances now, but even
I'd say about five years ago Iactually worked with the
researchers at the MarylandPsychiatric Research Center on a
study where they were lookingat some of those social media
posts and if you can look atsome of the language there to
(12:27):
predict how someone was doingand if they were headed for a
relapse they were going to comepsychotic so that was five years
ago.
Can you imagine what it's liketoday that?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
is is incredible.
It's incredible to hear because, like, even with a pitch for
the whoop and I'm not a this isa whoop device you ever hear
this?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
thing.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Actually, I have it tracks everything that you do,
your sleep, your, you knowmovements, your even tells you
what time to go to sleep andwhether you recovered from that
sleep.
So pitch for the whoop there,because I think it's helpful to
(13:05):
understand what, what, uh, evenyour resting heart rate, which
is kind of cool.
Um, so the next generation ofpsychiatrists and mental health
professionals how will they, andhow will you and your team and
the infrastructure around theAmerican Psychiatric Association
Foundation, help to tackle allof these evolving challenges in
mental health, including whatyou alluded to earlier?
But we didn't say the wordstigma and resource limitations?
(13:28):
And I want to also put a finerpoint on what you said earlier,
which is the notion oftelemedicine and telehealth.
You know, I wish, when I was,you know, a little bit younger,
with younger kids, that we hadtelehealth and the doctor could
pop up on your phone when thekid one of them had an ear
(13:49):
infection, instead of going tothe doctor's office with all the
other sick kids, you know, andthen if you weren't sick, you'd
get sick that you could justfigure it out with a
telemedicine and not disruptyour entire day too.
So, how are you dealing with allof this change and how are you
tackling all these challenges?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
So I'll start with the foundation goals as a whole.
So we have a three-yearstrategic plan and the main part
of that is what we call theMental Health Care Works
campaign.
So this is really a positivemental wellness PSA campaign
where we're trying to just raiseawareness that mental health
conditions are common.
Trying to just raise awarenessthat mental health conditions
(14:34):
are common, that they'retreatable and that there is
access to care available.
So we have a number of personasthat are based on real
individuals and the stories thatthey shared with us and those.
We have different formatswhether it's video or static
image that we can share to tryto just get the message across
about some of the more commonissues depression, anxiety,
(14:54):
alcohol use disorder or some ofour popular ones.
So really getting the messageacross.
And it's also one of thosethings where we're trying to
emphasize that no matter whereyou go in the healthcare system,
that is the right place tostart.
You don't have to necessarilystart trying to get to a
psychiatrist, right.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
That's an interesting point you want to expand upon
that, because I find that reallyfascinating, because I think a
lot of the stigma and the issuesaround mental health are oh,
I've got to go to a psychiatristbecause I'm having a challenge
or whatever.
But you can go to your pastor,your priest, your rabbi you know
whoever it is and have aconversation.
And the other thing that RaulAndres Jr, your executive
(15:35):
director, talks a lot about isyou know, when you see someone,
you ask them, for example, howare you doing?
And rather than saying I'm goodthey say well, I'm OK, and
that's a.
That's a trigger for you to belike well, what do you mean by
that?
And that's a trigger for you tobe like well, what do you mean
(16:03):
by that?
Or how can you?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
maybe you can be there to listen a little bit
more and not overlook whatsomeone's going through, because
everybody goes throughsomething.
It yes A lot of our programs arebased on this.
So, for example, the schoolsand justice team.
They have a Notice Talk Act atschool training, and so that's
meant for all school staff tolearn how to actually
communicate with students, getsome of these mental health
(16:27):
issues really brought up, how tohave these conversations but
then also refer them to careappropriately.
Similarly, our Center forWorkplace Mental Health has the
same type of framework, but fora work environment and in
development is actually forfaith and that they will be able
to use the same frameworkbecause there's already a faith
(16:49):
guide for our leaders indifferent religious sectors that
they can use to be more awareof mental health issues and
recognize when they do need torefer out, but really more of
trying to formalize that into atraining.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
And notice talk acts, so play it out for a moment.
So how does it work?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
So the first piece is to notice.
So are there changes thatyou're noticing in someone?
So if you're a teacher and youknow this is someone who comes
to class on time pretty muchevery day, and then all of a
sudden you know back to backthere are a couple of days that
they're not coming into school,so it's really you've noticed
that there's a change.
(17:27):
Now you have a conversationwhere you're not attributing
anything of why this ishappening, you're just going to
the student and saying what youpointed out.
So hey, I noticed that the pastthree days in a row you've been
late.
Can you tell me what's going onwith that?
And they'll give you an answer,whether it's, you know,
actually the truth or not.
It may take a couple times, butjust noticing those patterns
(17:51):
and just opening theconversation.
And then in the trainingthere's some more motivational
interviewing techniques andthings you'll get into.
But if they do decide that thisis someone that you know just
needs to have a conversation, isit something that we need to
bring back to parents, socialwork or what have you, or is
this an actual mental healthconcern that we have to get
(18:12):
professional?
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Which is the act part .
Yeah, that's profound and Ithink for the audience, for the
millions of people who watchthis globally, I think there's
an opportunity really to thinkabout the simplicity of that but
, at the same time, the overallimpact.
I mean, we're all going throughlife and we're moving, at
whatever speed, but yet, youknow, take a moment, you know if
(18:36):
you're talking to a friend or acolleague or someone and say
you know how are you doing?
You know you notice adifference or something going on
, and I think that that makes anincredible difference as to
whether or not that person endsup in the emergency room or
perhaps not.
Right?
And the other thing again thatI really love about what you all
(18:58):
are doing is you're sayingyou're taking away the stigma
and you're saying you can talkto a friend, you can talk to a
coach, you can talk to yourpastor rabbi, you can talk to
your pastor rabbi, whoever it isthat you look up to or have a
good relationship with andaddress any challenges that
you're having without the stigmaof whatever that may be, and
(19:22):
you're removing these stigmas.
So thank you for that.
In terms of initiatives andprograms within the APA
Foundation, what are you mostexcited about.
I mean, there are so many, butlet's just talk about a few.
What is that program?
We've talked about a fewalready.
What wakes you up in themorning, you know, like the
whoop and says I'm so excited todo this today.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Well, the main thing that I work on is the
fellowships and other awardsthat we have, and for over 50
years we've had differentfellowships in the foundation
and there are nine differentopportunities, as I mentioned,
200 fellows.
But what I'm really excitedabout is last year we launched a
program that we call PASSPsychiatry Ambassadors and
Student Scholars.
(20:05):
So these are opportunities formedical students and other
residents to really come join usat annual meetings.
So our annual meeting has over500 scientific sessions, access
to all the leaders that they cankind of think of, so providing
the opportunity for medicalstudents who are, you know, at
that point in quite a bit ofdebt, to be able to travel and
(20:27):
come to our annual meeting andcome to our annual meeting and
at the same time we teach themabout the work the foundation
does in our different programsand involve them when we're
doing local activities as well.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
You know that's incredible and you're dealing
with it.
And so let's talk about you.
How do you personally staygrounded and maintain wellness?
I mean, you're moving at warpspeed and you're helping all of
these fellows 200 fellows.
You're dealing with real lifesituations and, at the same time
(20:59):
, you're trying to help buildthis infrastructure of
individuals that can helpmillions of people.
I mean, it's a big burden but abig opportunity and, I'm sure,
something you're inspired byevery day.
And so, yeah, how are you doingthat in such a demanding and
vital field?
Like, what is your secret?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Most people, I think, really learn during residency
training how to start balancingsome of these things, especially
in psychiatry that can be veryemotionally taxing.
So the first piece I would justpoint out is really kind of
boundaries, so between work andhome.
The next is human connectionand again I want to highlight
(21:41):
two different pieces of that.
So one, my own mentorship.
So it's always good to turn topeople that you know and trust,
that have done similar thingsand can give you perspectives on
the issues that you'veencountered.
But then it's also reallywonderful to have just other
people in your life to talkabout non-work things.
So those are kind of the twokey pieces.
(22:02):
Um, the other thing is just,you know, doing the best that
you can in terms of, uh, healthyliving, so sleep, exercise,
diet, um, hobbies uh, I reallylike to travel.
I think Raul will tell you.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Raul will tell you Right, but that keeps you
excited, that keeps you and itchanges the scenery.
And it changes, you know, givesyou new perspectives.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
So I'm a big proponent of a change of scenery
.
I'm not someone that can justsit for hours at a desk, so even
if it's a five minute break, gooutside, get some fresh air.
Fresh air, come back, do youthink that's for everybody?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
yes, yes, even if someone's sitting on the floor
of the stock exchange andthey're, that's their job, they
and they love it.
What if they love it and theywant to be there all day and
they just don't want to gooutside?
Speaker 2 (22:51):
still, periodically you need to take breaks and you
know whether that's just gettingup and moving or that kind of
change in scenery, getting awayfrom noise.
Your mind is going to be alittle bit more refreshed.
A lot of things are reallygoing to be based in mindfulness
and just being present in thatone moment, not worrying about
the past, not worrying about thefuture.
(23:12):
But where am I right now?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Love it, because, after all, my motto is life is
just a series of moments, andhow do you want to spend those
moments?
And so, speaking of moments,what is your final call to
action?
Your call to action toindividuals that have listened,
have been inspired and maybewant to help in some way.
How can they find out more?
(23:35):
What's your call to action?
What would you say?
Speaker 2 (23:37):
So first I'd start with Mental Health Care Works.
You can learn more about thatcampaign on our website, but it
is something that, whether it'sfor yourself or someone that you
know, getting people connectedto the care that they need is
really important.
I think it's not a clinicalissue just mental health, is
(23:59):
really a societal issue andtackling it from a number of
different ways.
You were mentioning innovation,ai, like how can we all partner
together to create a mentallyhealthy nation for all?
And finally, just if you're aleader, lead with purpose.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Lead with purpose.
There's one thing I don't wantto leave aside because it's kind
of personal to me.
I think about the technologypiece, because we didn't talk
about the other side oftechnology and teenagers and
some statistics that havestartled me for several years
now.
And is there, do you see,something that will help address
(24:57):
that mental health issue,starting with COVID, into
technology et cetera, for allthese young people?
I mean, it's just so definitely.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
You know, the youth mental health crisis was there
before COVID and expandedprofoundly with COVID, but that
kept people at home and a lotmore people turned to social
interactions on social media andso really we're looking at how
is that impacting the youth?
You know, yes, there arepositives to social media, but
(25:30):
if you think about cyberbullying and you know if you're
in a school it's contained sortof to that environment.
Now it's 24-7.
Someone can kind of contact you.
So that is sort of early stagesthat we're working with
partners, including the DCoffice of the Attorney General.
(25:51):
They have their own campaignand we're trying to figure out
with them how to bestcommunicate some of these
concerns.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Fantastic so websites .
So American PsychiatricAssociation Foundation.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
APAForg.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And the mentalhealthcareworksorg.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Correct, dr.
Hodgick thank you, thank you.
Welcome to the IdeaGen Global Future Summit.
Here live at the NED inWashington DC, Incredibly
honored to have with me DrHodgik from the American
Psychiatric AssociationFoundation.
Dr Hodgik, welcome.
Thankiatric AssociationFoundation, Dr Hodgik welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You know, I'm so familiar with the work that you
do and it's so critical,especially at this time, and in
addition to that you have a newrole which actually focuses
heavily on fellowships,mentorship and medical education
.
Dr Hodgick, how do you seementorship shaping the future of
(00:50):
psychiatry and mental healthleadership?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So I think mentorship is really important in any
field, but particularly thehealth sciences, since there are
so many subdivisions you canreally go into.
With psychiatry in particular,a lot of folks don't really
think about it as a careeroption.
So having leaders and mentorsthat they can see actually doing
the work, I think is reallyimportant for our young people.
(01:17):
I've had a range of mentorsmyself and you learn different
things from each one and reallypiece together what you would
like to see yourself doing inthe future.
So I think the first componentof it is just raising awareness
of what are options.
So whether that's psychiatry, adifferent health care field,
(01:37):
being aware of what you can dobut then also seeing the people
who are doing it that you canrelate to, that you can see
yourself.
Oh, in a couple of years Icould be doing this.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
That's right, and you know, being able to vision that
is so critical, and so healthequity mental health equity is a
critical theme for this summit.
What are the biggest challenges?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
and opportunities that you see in expanding access
to quality mental health care,especially among underserved
communities.
So access, I think there are alot of different angles you can
look at it from.
So one can be the actualproviders.
So do we have clinicians in theareas that we need them to be
in?
So there's a huge shortage ofhealthcare providers all across
the country.
But that is different indifferent regions, right, so
(02:33):
it's not necessarily okay.
Inner city, maybe there's alack there.
It can also be rural, so thenext provider is over a hundred
miles away.
So we definitely have firstthat basic of is there a clinic
there?
And with some of the underservedpopulations it can be a
challenge because sometimes whenpeople are creating clinics,
(02:55):
setting up where they're goingto be there may be perceived
visions of maybe the clinic willbe more successful in a
different setting.
So they're still not beingplaced in the areas that need
them.
Then you can think of it fromthe actual population
perspective and some of thebiases that are still out there.
So people not really wanting toseek mental health treatment,
(03:18):
thinking that maybe they want it, but their family members, the
people around them, they'regonna look down on them for
getting care.
So we have to battle thosethings.
And then there's also very realaccess issues in terms of maybe
people don't havetransportation, so there is a
clinic that's five miles away.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
How do you get to it?
One of the things about IdeaGenGlobal is that we are focused
on cross-sector collaboration,and have been since the
inception of this companyBetween healthcare technology,
education policy, etc.
How can we help to break downbarriers in mental health
(03:59):
treatment and innovation?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
So I think that education is the key part of all
of that, because all thoseareas you really need the
education piece to disseminateinformation.
So technology is the one thatwill bridge the gap between what
healthcare needs and, forexample, you know, the advocacy
piece, the policy makers gettingit in front of people who make
decisions.
So getting them educated,getting the public educated.
(04:24):
So so I think technology can bevery powerful in getting these
messages out, but the core isreally education making people
aware that awareness is critical, and I know how much you all
are doing at the AmericanPsychiatric Association
Foundation.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It's just awe-inspiring, to be honest, and
you have a strong background inemergency psychiatry and crisis
services.
How have these incredibleexperiences influenced your
approach To what we talked about?
Education and leadershipdevelopment?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
So emergency services are very acute settings.
It's very high risk, very fastpaced, so you have to really
learn to assess information andthink quickly so you're not just
blindly making decisions.
You are actually going throughthe process of triage, making
decisions, making a sounddecision, but doing it in a
(05:18):
rapid pace.
It's also an environment whereyou're really seeing people that
are dealing with a lot ofdifferent emotional issues.
You're seeing the most severesuffering humanity knows and
being able to compassionatelydeal with that situation while
sticking to that kind offast-paced timeline.
(05:39):
So I think that teaches you alot of different skills about
people management.
But also, you know everysetting that I've worked in has
really been a teaching hospital.
So how do you still also do theteaching, the training, so
finding moments and right now Ioversee over 200 fellows so
there is a limited amount oftime that we can have contact.
(06:01):
So how do you make the most ofthat?
I think the other importantpiece is that an emergency room
is really a team environment, sodifferent than maybe a
psychiatrist who's working bythemselves in an outpatient
setting.
This is really a true teamapproach and you are the leader
of that healthcare team.
So you have nurses, socialworkers, obviously the trainees
(06:22):
and students, occupationaltherapists, different substance
counselors, so you're reallymanaging all of that and making
sure that your team is on pointwith the same goal.
So the same kind of approachyou have to take in some of the
leadership goals it's, it's justincredible.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And that team approach in 200 people, 200
fellows, that's not easy tomanage, is it no?
So this summit emphasizesinclusion and general
generational uh equity, uhequity.
How can the psychiatric fieldbetter serve diverse populations
across?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
different generations .
So, as I mentioned earlier,there are a lot of underserved
populations and with ourtraining programs we really try
to expand access and opportunityto everyone across the country.
A lot of our programs have atleast 35, if not over 40
different states representeddifferent environments,
different cultures, differentethnic backgrounds.
So we try to create a diverseworkforce and what we're really
(07:32):
battling is generational trauma.
So, psychiatry does have a bitof a dark history, with many
populations that still have abias towards us.
So you know you can look atracial differences but also
individuals with disabilities.
So there is still that fear ofseeking help.
And having providers who arefamiliar with those populations
(07:57):
is going to be beneficial toeveryone, since they will help
increase that awareness and Ithink the really unique position
of psychiatry, with kind ofgenerational trauma and being
able to change that is.
So just to kind of go back withgenerational trauma, you can
think of it as some of thosehistorical traumas that have
(08:17):
happened and have been kind ofpassed on.
But trauma does actually changeyour body.
It changes the way that yourDNA actually functions.
So traumatic experiences canshape how genes are turned on
and off and that can be passeddown by generations.
But also if you are, let's say,a mother who has had a trauma,
(08:39):
you may be having differentmental health issues.
Let's say you're more depressedand absent.
Your child is not going to havethe same care that if mom was
not depressed.
So in that instance it's notonly kind of the true genetic
component but also theenvironment that's going to
shape that next generation andhow they're going to live their
(09:01):
lives and parent in the futureas well.
So psychiatry has the potentialof you can actually get the two
generations together in a room.
You can do therapy with theseindividuals family therapy and
really try to improve theirrelationship, potentially heal
both and have an impact onfuture generations interesting,
(09:24):
but you said something I reallywasn't aware of.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
So there's a genetic component to all that in terms
of like passing it down.
So when one, one generationactually experiences a trauma
and whatever, whatever they, youknow, say, the World War II
generation went through thattrauma.
So they would pass on.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Most of it is actually done through the
modifier, so it's the piecesthat control which genes are
turned on and off.
So it'll signal to the DNA likehey, actually you need to be on
high alert.
So those individuals will endup being more anxious.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Got it.
Got it so interesting.
So we'll be talking a lot aboutAI today and just something
that I think is ubiquitous witha lot of the folks that we deal
with every day with IdeaGen, andI know, I know that your
leadership, including yourself,are focused on AI and utilizing
these tools to help better servethe people that actually need
(10:20):
the assistance, in whatever waythat is.
And so what role does AI, doesinnovation, does all of this
play in what you're doing tohelp serve so many people, from
teenagers to elderly folks thathave mental health issues?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
So I mean AI.
There's no way of gettingaround it.
It's our future, it's more.
How do we actually navigate it?
And I think with healthcare youdo have to tread carefully.
But there are definitelyadvances on both the clinician
side, but then on the actualindividual and patient side.
So, for example, I mean it'sbeen probably a decade that most
(11:03):
places have switched over toelectronic medical records and
now there are a lot ofcooperative agreements where if
you were, let's say, being seenregularly in Maryland, you go to
vacation somewhere else in theUS, they may have an agreement
that that doctor can pull upthose records and so you end up
in an emergency room in adifferent state.
They can still see what you'redealing with.
(11:25):
I think the innovation there.
Doctors really struggle with howlong it takes to do these notes
.
So how do we make that morestreamlined?
Because the less time you'redoing notes, the more time you
can spend with an individualpatient or the more patients you
can see.
On the patient side, I meantelehealth has been huge and
(11:45):
great in providing access reallyto places that didn't have it
before, but also some of theapps where people can track
their mood, track symptoms, helpwith reminders for medications.
I think there's also a wholerange of what is going to be
more kind of the preventativeportion and what can be sent
(12:07):
back to the doctor to reviewbefore someone relapses.
So I mean I'm sure there areway more advances now, but even
I'd say about five years ago Iactually worked with the
researchers at the MarylandPsychiatric Research Center on a
study where they were lookingat some of those social media
posts and if you can look atsome of the language there to
(12:27):
predict how someone was doingand if they were headed for a
relapse they were going to comepsychotic so that was five years
ago.
Can you imagine what it's liketoday that?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
is is incredible.
It's incredible to hear because, like, even with a pitch for
the whoop and I'm not a this isa whoop device you ever hear
this?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
thing.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Actually, I have it tracks everything that you do,
your sleep, your, you knowmovements, your even tells you
what time to go to sleep andwhether you recovered from that
sleep.
So pitch for the whoop there,because I think it's helpful to
(13:05):
understand what, what, uh, evenyour resting heart rate, which
is kind of cool.
Um, so the next generation ofpsychiatrists and mental health
professionals how will they, andhow will you and your team and
the infrastructure around theAmerican Psychiatric Association
Foundation, help to tackle allof these evolving challenges in
mental health, including whatyou alluded to earlier?
But we didn't say the wordstigma and resource limitations?
(13:28):
And I want to also put a finerpoint on what you said earlier,
which is the notion oftelemedicine and telehealth.
You know, I wish, when I was,you know, a little bit younger,
with younger kids, that we hadtelehealth and the doctor could
pop up on your phone when thekid one of them had an ear
(13:49):
infection, instead of going tothe doctor's office with all the
other sick kids, you know, andthen if you weren't sick, you'd
get sick that you could justfigure it out with a
telemedicine and not disruptyour entire day too.
So, how are you dealing with allof this change and how are you
tackling all these challenges?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
So I'll start with the foundation goals as a whole.
So we have a three-yearstrategic plan and the main part
of that is what we call theMental Health Care Works
campaign.
So this is really a positivemental wellness PSA campaign
where we're trying to just raiseawareness that mental health
conditions are common.
Trying to just raise awarenessthat mental health conditions
(14:34):
are common, that they'retreatable and that there is
access to care available.
So we have a number of personasthat are based on real
individuals and the stories thatthey shared with us and those.
We have different formatswhether it's video or static
image that we can share to tryto just get the message across
about some of the more commonissues depression, anxiety,
(14:54):
alcohol use disorder or some ofour popular ones.
So really getting the messageacross.
And it's also one of thosethings where we're trying to
emphasize that no matter whereyou go in the healthcare system,
that is the right place tostart.
You don't have to necessarilystart trying to get to a
psychiatrist, right.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
That's an interesting point you want to expand upon
that, because I find that reallyfascinating, because I think a
lot of the stigma and the issuesaround mental health are oh,
I've got to go to a psychiatristbecause I'm having a challenge
or whatever.
But you can go to your pastor,your priest, your rabbi you know
whoever it is and have aconversation.
And the other thing that RaulAndres Jr, your executive
(15:35):
director, talks a lot about isyou know, when you see someone,
you ask them, for example, howare you doing?
And rather than saying I'm goodthey say well, I'm OK, and
that's a.
That's a trigger for you to belike well, what do you mean by
that?
And that's a trigger for you tobe like well, what do you mean
(16:03):
by that?
Or how can you?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
maybe you can be there to listen a little bit
more and not overlook whatsomeone's going through, because
everybody goes throughsomething.
It yes A lot of our programs arebased on this.
So, for example, the schoolsand justice team.
They have a Notice Talk Act atschool training, and so that's
meant for all school staff tolearn how to actually
communicate with students, getsome of these mental health
(16:27):
issues really brought up, how tohave these conversations but
then also refer them to careappropriately.
Similarly, our Center forWorkplace Mental Health has the
same type of framework, but fora work environment and in
development is actually forfaith and that they will be able
to use the same frameworkbecause there's already a faith
(16:49):
guide for our leaders indifferent religious sectors that
they can use to be more awareof mental health issues and
recognize when they do need torefer out, but really more of
trying to formalize that into atraining.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
And notice talk acts, so play it out for a moment.
So how does it work?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
So the first piece is to notice.
So are there changes thatyou're noticing in someone?
So if you're a teacher and youknow this is someone who comes
to class on time pretty muchevery day, and then all of a
sudden you know back to backthere are a couple of days that
they're not coming into school,so it's really you've noticed
that there's a change.
(17:27):
Now you have a conversationwhere you're not attributing
anything of why this ishappening, you're just going to
the student and saying what youpointed out.
So hey, I noticed that the pastthree days in a row you've been
late.
Can you tell me what's going onwith that?
And they'll give you an answer,whether it's, you know,
actually the truth or not.
It may take a couple times, butjust noticing those patterns
(17:51):
and just opening theconversation.
And then in the trainingthere's some more motivational
interviewing techniques andthings you'll get into.
But if they do decide that thisis someone that you know just
needs to have a conversation, isit something that we need to
bring back to parents, socialwork or what have you, or is
this an actual mental healthconcern that we have to get
(18:12):
professional?
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Which is the act part .
Yeah, that's profound and Ithink for the audience, for the
millions of people who watchthis globally, I think there's
an opportunity really to thinkabout the simplicity of that but
, at the same time, the overallimpact.
I mean, we're all going throughlife and we're moving, at
whatever speed, but yet, youknow, take a moment, you know if
(18:36):
you're talking to a friend or acolleague or someone and say
you know how are you doing?
You know you notice adifference or something going on
, and I think that that makes anincredible difference as to
whether or not that person endsup in the emergency room or
perhaps not.
Right?
And the other thing again thatI really love about what you all
(18:58):
are doing is you're sayingyou're taking away the stigma
and you're saying you can talkto a friend, you can talk to a
coach, you can talk to yourpastor rabbi, you can talk to
your pastor rabbi, whoever it isthat you look up to or have a
good relationship with andaddress any challenges that
you're having without the stigmaof whatever that may be, and
(19:22):
you're removing these stigmas.
So thank you for that.
In terms of initiatives andprograms within the APA
Foundation, what are you mostexcited about.
I mean, there are so many, butlet's just talk about a few.
What is that program?
We've talked about a fewalready.
What wakes you up in themorning, you know, like the
whoop and says I'm so excited todo this today.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Well, the main thing that I work on is the
fellowships and other awardsthat we have, and for over 50
years we've had differentfellowships in the foundation
and there are nine differentopportunities, as I mentioned,
200 fellows.
But what I'm really excitedabout is last year we launched a
program that we call PASSPsychiatry Ambassadors and
Student Scholars.
(20:05):
So these are opportunities formedical students and other
residents to really come join usat annual meetings.
So our annual meeting has over500 scientific sessions, access
to all the leaders that they cankind of think of, so providing
the opportunity for medicalstudents who are, you know, at
that point in quite a bit ofdebt, to be able to travel and
(20:27):
come to our annual meeting andcome to our annual meeting and
at the same time we teach themabout the work the foundation
does in our different programsand involve them when we're
doing local activities as well.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
You know that's incredible and you're dealing
with it.
And so let's talk about you.
How do you personally staygrounded and maintain wellness?
I mean, you're moving at warpspeed and you're helping all of
these fellows 200 fellows.
You're dealing with real lifesituations and, at the same time
(20:59):
, you're trying to help buildthis infrastructure of
individuals that can helpmillions of people.
I mean, it's a big burden but abig opportunity and, I'm sure,
something you're inspired byevery day.
And so, yeah, how are you doingthat in such a demanding and
vital field?
Like, what is your secret?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Most people, I think, really learn during residency
training how to start balancingsome of these things, especially
in psychiatry that can be veryemotionally taxing.
So the first piece I would justpoint out is really kind of
boundaries, so between work andhome.
The next is human connectionand again I want to highlight
(21:41):
two different pieces of that.
So one, my own mentorship.
So it's always good to turn topeople that you know and trust,
that have done similar thingsand can give you perspectives on
the issues that you'veencountered.
But then it's also reallywonderful to have just other
people in your life to talkabout non-work things.
So those are kind of the twokey pieces.
(22:02):
Um, the other thing is just,you know, doing the best that
you can in terms of, uh, healthyliving, so sleep, exercise,
diet, um, hobbies uh, I reallylike to travel.
I think Raul will tell you.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Raul will tell you Right, but that keeps you
excited, that keeps you and itchanges the scenery.
And it changes, you know, givesyou new perspectives.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
So I'm a big proponent of a change of scenery
.
I'm not someone that can justsit for hours at a desk, so even
if it's a five minute break, gooutside, get some fresh air.
Fresh air, come back, do youthink that's for everybody?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
yes, yes, even if someone's sitting on the floor
of the stock exchange andthey're, that's their job, they
and they love it.
What if they love it and theywant to be there all day and
they just don't want to gooutside?
Speaker 2 (22:51):
still, periodically you need to take breaks and you
know whether that's just gettingup and moving or that kind of
change in scenery, getting awayfrom noise.
Your mind is going to be alittle bit more refreshed.
A lot of things are reallygoing to be based in mindfulness
and just being present in thatone moment, not worrying about
the past, not worrying about thefuture.
(23:12):
But where am I right now?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Love it, because, after all, my motto is life is
just a series of moments, andhow do you want to spend those
moments?
And so, speaking of moments,what is your final call to
action?
Your call to action toindividuals that have listened,
have been inspired and maybewant to help in some way.
How can they find out more?
(23:35):
What's your call to action?
What would you say?
Speaker 2 (23:37):
So first I'd start with Mental Health Care Works.
You can learn more about thatcampaign on our website, but it
is something that, whether it'sfor yourself or someone that you
know, getting people connectedto the care that they need is
really important.
I think it's not a clinicalissue just mental health, is
(23:59):
really a societal issue andtackling it from a number of
different ways.
You were mentioning innovation,ai, like how can we all partner
together to create a mentallyhealthy nation for all?
And finally, just if you're aleader, lead with purpose.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Lead with purpose.
There's one thing I don't wantto leave aside because it's kind
of personal to me.
I think about the technologypiece, because we didn't talk
about the other side oftechnology and teenagers and
some statistics that havestartled me for several years
now.
And is there, do you see,something that will help address
(24:57):
that mental health issue,starting with COVID, into
technology et cetera, for allthese young people?
I mean, it's just so definitely.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
You know, the youth mental health crisis was there
before COVID and expandedprofoundly with COVID, but that
kept people at home and a lotmore people turned to social
interactions on social media andso really we're looking at how
is that impacting the youth?
You know, yes, there arepositives to social media, but
(25:30):
if you think about cyberbullying and you know if you're
in a school it's contained sortof to that environment.
Now it's 24-7.
Someone can kind of contact you.
So that is sort of early stagesthat we're working with
partners, including the DCoffice of the Attorney General.
(25:51):
They have their own campaignand we're trying to figure out
with them how to bestcommunicate some of these
concerns.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Fantastic so websites .
So American PsychiatricAssociation Foundation.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
APAForg.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And the mentalhealthcareworksorg.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Correct, dr.
Hodgick thank you, thank you.
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