• Ep. 25 - Reality Check - Dr Michael Garrett (SUNY Downstate Medical Center)
    Apr 20 2026

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Dr Michael Garrett.

    In 2003, Dr Garrett moved to SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, where he was formerly the Vice Chairman of Psychiatry for Clinical Services, and where today he is currently Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychiatry.

    Join us as we take a deeper dive into his long-standing interest in the provision of care to chronically psychotic individuals in the public sector. His academic interests include an effort to relate psychosis to ordinary mental life, and the importance of psychotherapy in the treatment of psychosis.

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    23 mins
  • Ep. 24 - Reality Check - Sage Hadley (Student Volunteer)
    Mar 18 2026

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.

    On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with student, volunteer Sage Hadley.

    Sage is an undergraduate Psychology student at Tulane University with a strong interest in mental health advocacy and education. In this podcast episode, she offers an insightful student perspective on mental illness and stigma, with a particular focus on psychosis. Join us as she reflects on the impact of language used by her peers and shares how understanding and education can transform attitudes toward those experiencing psychosis. Alongside her studies, she volunteers and is committed to supporting compassionate, informed approaches to mental health care.

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    22 mins
  • Ep. 23 - Reality Check - Dr Ramin Mojtabai (Tulane University)
    Mar 11 2026

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.

    On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Dr Ramin Mojtabai.

    Dr Mojtabai is a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, and mental health services researcher. Before joining Tulane, he taught at Johns Hopkins University, where he was a Professor at the Department of Mental Health of the Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD. He has also taught at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Columbia University in New York.

    Dr. Mojtabai is Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He has published over 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has served as Principal Investigator on several NIH R01 grants focusing on behavioral health services and psychiatric epidemiology.

    Join us as we learn more about his career from his early days studying at Tehran University in Iran, to his insightful research covering areas such as access, stigma, and measuring service systems that work and don't work.

    The importance of Researchers, Clinicians, and Advocates to improve care for patients.

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org


    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    34 mins
  • Ep. 22 - Reality Check - Cecilia McGough (Students with Psychosis)
    Feb 26 2026

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.

    On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Cecilia McGough, the Founder and Executive Director of Students with Psychosis.

    Cecilia is a New York City-based mental health activist, nonprofit executive director at SWP, VASTS mentor at NASA Langley, keynote speaker, co-author, consultant, and former pulsar astronomer. Although being autistic and having schizophrenia, she refuses to let her diagnoses define her. McGough is the founder and executive director of the global nonprofit Students With Psychosis, a 501(c)(3) organization empowering students and advocates worldwide through community building, service, and collaboration.

    Join us as we learn more about her journey and truly inspirational achievements.

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org



    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    29 mins
  • Ep. 21 - Reality Check - Dr Deirdre Hayes (Tulane University)
    Jan 15 2026

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.

    On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with clinical social worker, Dr Deidre Hayes, DSW, BCD, LCSW-BACS. Dr Hayes is the Director of Clinical in Community Focussed Curriculum and Training, and a Professor of Practice at Tulane University.

    Dr. Hayes is currently co-leading the Empowering Change Task Force, addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion within schools and facilitating connections between medical schools and inter-professional educational programs.

    Join us as we learn more about her incredible journey and the changes she has experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness over the years.

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org




    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    28 mins
  • Ep. 20 - Reality Check - A Parents Story (Sharing Lived Experience)
    Dec 29 2025

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.

    On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with a New Orleans mother about her experience with her son.

    Join us for this deeply emotive dive into her personal experience and the challenges of stigma when dealing with severe mental illness.

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    27 mins
  • Ep. 19 - Reality Check - Peter Westlake (Mindnumbers)
    Nov 24 2025

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.

    On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Peter Westlake, the Founder of Mindnumbers

    Peter is meshing together his professional background in clinical diagnostics and developing tests, with his family member's experience of psychosis, to create Mindnumbers. Mindnumbers is like an early warning system that can track multiple metrics, such as sleep, routines, tone of voice etc, to alert patients to any significant changes.

    Join us for this fascinating dive into how technology could help people recognise early warning signs.

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

    To find out more about Peter and Mindnumbers, visit - www.mindnumbers.net

    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    30 mins
  • Ep. 18 - Reality Check - Dan Jones (Fireside Films)
    Nov 17 2025

    Welcome to the Reality Check podcast. Psychosis is Real, so is Recovery.

    On this episode, Ashley Weiss and Serena Chaudhry speak with Dan Jones, the Founder of Fireside Films.

    As a writer, director, and cinematographer, Dan is a visual storyteller who has created a wide range of powerful work collaborating with Calm. He reflects on the creative journey across multiple projects with one common objective: to try and dismantle the stigma around mental health issues.

    To view the latest Choose your Delusion video referenced in this episode visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8MfGz1z0OU

    Subscribe for more episodes of Reality Check, where we uncover the truth behind mental health, one story at a time.

    For more information about Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM) and their Early Intervention Psychosis Program (EPIC NOLA), visit the website: www.calmnola.org

    Find out more about Dan and Fireside Films, visit - www.fireside-films.com

    Podcast produced by Red Rock Branding – www.redrockbranding.com

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    23 mins