For over 20 years Margot Dashiell has served as her son’s primary caregiver. During this time she pieced together her own network of organizations, support and services to ensure her son’s survival. When she found few safe spaces to talk about race and severe mental illness, she created her own organizations. Currently she is on the board of the African American Family Outreach Project, which helps family members of loved ones with a diagnosis of mental illness and Substance Use Disorder access resources through their “You Are Not Alone” Workshops series. Margot shares her journey of challenges and successes which all were sparked from the same aspect of her identity - advocating for a loved one with severe mental illness while black. 

As a family member and Senior Family Liaison, Kathy Day knows about the learning curve, she knows how earth shattering it can be when severe mental illness suddenly enters the family. Caregivers of individuals with a diagnosis of severe mental illness are struck with an overwhelming learning curve and zero resources. As the guest expert of episode three, Kathy adds perspective to Margot's story and shares her expertise on today's broken system and how to best navigate it. 

"Make Them Hear You" is an original podcast from Treatment Advocacy Center - the oldest national non-profit dedicated to eliminating the barriers to treatment for severe mental illness. In this podcast series, Treatment Advocacy Center's Senior Legislative and Policy Counsel, Sabah Muhammad, is the host and leads listeners through courageous conversations which uplift the voices of some of our most vulnerable members of society: individuals of color with a diagnosis of severe mental illness.

Visit Treatment Advocacy Center's website to learn more: treatmentadvocacycenter.org.

Direct media inquiries to press@treatmentadvocacycenter.org.

"Make Them Hear You" is hosted by Sabah Muhammad.

Produced by Bill Retherford, Sabah Muhammad, and Shannon Zogran.

Written and edited by Sabah Muhammad, Shannon Zogran, Lisa Dailey, and Michael Gray.

Music "Let The Rain Fall Down" by Kirk Osamayo.