The State of Mental Wellbeing: A Podcast on Mental Health and Substance Use
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.
Episodes
For this week’s bonus episode, we’re sharing Mohini's appearance on the America Trends podcast. She joins host Larry Rifkin to examine why mental health and substance use care remains so difficult to access, and how more connected systems can help people get support when they need it most.
Their conversation moves from the human toll of fragmented care to practical paths forward. Mohini explains how state-by-state ...
Alcohol use is evolving in ways that affect public health, clinical care and recovery. In this episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing, host Mohini Venkatesh sits down with Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, to discuss alcohol use disorder, emerging research and opportunities to improve treatment.
Drawing on decades of research, Dr. Koob explores changing alcohol use trends, t...
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...
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...
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 t...
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 A...
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 Commissio...
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 Venk...
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? M...
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 Presid...
Mohini Venkatesh and Shankar Vedantam explore how the hidden brain shapes the way we think, respond to uncertainty and decide what actions are within our control.
Recorded live at NatCon26, this episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing features Shankar Vedantam, founder of Hidden Brain Media, in conversation with host Mohini Venkatesh. Together, they explore the unconscious forces that influence our th...
Former National Council President and CEO Linda Rosenberg joins Chuck Ingoglia, current President and CEO, to discuss the evolving landscape of behavioral health. Together, they share insights on leadership, innovation and advocacy for advancing mental health care.
Host Mohini Venkatesh sits down with Linda Rosenberg and Chuck Ingoglia to explore behavioral health leadership, nonprofit strategy and innovation. Drawing on d...
On this episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing, MohiniVenkatesh sits down with Natalie Cook from Missouri Behavioral Health Council to explore how Missouri became a national leader in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). Natalie shares how Missouri expanded statewide access to mental health and substance use treatment throughschool-based services, jail partnerships, data-driven advocacy and a prospective paymen...
In this episode, Mohini Venkatesh sits down with Steve Appleton of the Global Leadership Exchange (GLE) and Chuck Ingoglia of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to explore how global collaboration can strengthen mental health care, substance use treatment and behavioral health systems. They discuss workforce shortages, task sharing, peer support, crisis response, leadership development and cross-sector innovation, ...
On this episode, special guest host Philip Rutherford, VP of Growth and Substance Use Strategy at the National Council, speaks with John Kelly, PhD, a leading addiction recovery researcher at Harvard Medical School, about the future of youth substance use prevention, treatment and recovery. They explore recovery science, recovery support services, adolescent substance use disorder, early intervention, high-potency ca...
On this episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing, we sat down with Andi Smith from Ballmer Group’s Washington team to explore how the capitalization of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) is fundamentally changing the way community and behavioral health care is delivered in America.
During this episode, Mohini Venkatesh and Andi Smith discuss the ...
Dr. Nitin Gogtay joins Mohini Venkatesh to discuss the future of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and how a more scientific, flexible and person-centered approach could reshape psychiatric diagnosis, behavioral health practice and mental health care.
On this episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing, Mohini sits down with Dr. Ni...
Join host Mohini Venkatesh and Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current, for a conversation about what it will take to create a more sustainable social sector and the Five & Rising initiative. They explore leading through constraint, changing how the social sector is valued and funded, and building a bold vision for the future.
In this episod...
In this episode, host Mohini Venkatesh speaks with Chuck Ingoglia, President and CEO, and Reyna Taylor, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, about the federal landscape of mental health and substance use policy. They explore current challenges and emerging opportunities shaping behavioral health care nationwide.
This conversation focuses on federal mental health and substance use polic...
For more than 20 years, our Middle Management Academy (MMA) has equipped behavioral health leaders with the tools,confidence and community they need to thrive. In our Dec. 10 episode of The State of Mental Wellbeing podcast, we sat down with program lead Jeanne Supin, MA, to explore MMA’s origins, evolution and lasting impact. Tune in to learn how MMA continues to empower the leaders at the heart of our health care system.
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