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Both Alexis and Steve were diagnosed with schizophrenia. This is the story about how meaningful, paid work plays a role in their recovery.
Featuring:
- Paul Miller, co-coordinator of the Green Mountain Workforce, Washington County Mental Health
- Louis Josephson, president and CEO of Brattleboro Retreat
- Alexis Kyriak, artist
- Steve, culinary worker
This show is part of a seven-part series I produced for Vermont Public Radio called They Are Us, which features personal stories from inside the state’s mental healthcare system.
Comments: Please make a comment or share a story if you’ve got one. Comments and conversation are part of the point!
Credits:
Series Advisor: Dillon Burns, mental health services director at Vermont Care Partners
Series Associate Producers: Clare Dolan, Mark Davis
Series Executive Director: Sarah Ashworth
VPR Advisors: Franny Bastian and John Dillon
Mixing: Chris Albertine
Digital Producer: Meg Malone
Series Logo: Aaron Shrewsbury
Music for this series is by two excellent Montreal-based bands:
Godspeed You! Black Emporer and Esmerine. Special thanks to the awesome Bruce Cawdron
Photo of Alexis by Diana Gonsalves
For more information about the series, visit VPR. You’ll find the series schedule and resources.
Very big thanks to the following people for their knowledge, time and advice: M.T. Anderson, Melissa Bailey, Gretchen Brown, Seleem Choudhury, Anne Clement, Jimmy Dennison, Isabelle Desjardins, Laurie Emerson, Deb Fleischman, Laura Flint, Al Gobeille, Alix Goldschmidt, Gary Gordon, Keith Grier, Heather Houle, Jenniflower, Karen Kurrle, Lt. Maurice Lamothe, Sabrina Leal, Fran Levine, Martie Majoros, Jack McCullough, Mark McGee, Megan McKeever, Betsy Morse, Bess O’Brien, Roxanne Pearson, Julie Potter and her beautiful daughter, Malaika Puffer, Michael Rousse, Marla Simpson, Montpelier Senior Activity Center, Sandy Steingard, Tony Stevens, Cindy Tabor, Gloria Vandenberg, Konstantin von Krusenstiern.
Thanks, Erica, for another wonderful show. Listening to Alexis talking about not having enough money, I thought about that line ‘poverty is the worst form of violence’ which, turns out, gets attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. And I don’t mean to make this into a quote-fest, but John Lennon said ‘work is life, you know, without it, there’s nothing but fear and insecurity’. Locking people out of work because of mental illness is just such a bad plan, because it keeps people in poverty and in fear and in security. I’m so happy to hear Alexis and Steve’s stories of hope. thank you, Erica and VPR, for sharing them with us, Stan.
Erica, long time listener, first time caller. Thank you so much for this extremely important series on mental health. I believe this is the most important topic that needs our national and personal attention today. I love the last episode on work. In our family we often say “your brains just different from mine” but we each have our work to do. Thanks again. Linda
Erica, this series is really well done. With VPR, you’re shining a very precise light on the personal side of this issue, while clearly laying out the technical, bureaucratic problems in addressing it. Engrossing, educational, and inspiring.