Building a System
That Cares.

Together, we can strengthen the way our communities respond to severe mental illness. NSSC brings together families, individuals with lived experience, clinicians, and community partners to advance a more compassionate continuum of care—one where severe psychiatric crises are recognized as medical emergencies and individuals receive timely, appropriate support.

From Crisis to Care.
Where No Family Stands Alone.


​The National Shattering Silence Coalition is moving beyond awareness to create meaningful change in how severe mental illness is understood and addressed. Through our work, we have documented the challenges families face when they encounter “The Void”—the gaps in understanding, support, and access to care—and we have built “The Bridge” to help connect families, professionals, and communities with solutions.

Now, our national alliance is bringing these experiences and solutions into conversations with policymakers and leaders to advance thoughtful, compassionate approaches to care. We are not only sharing stories---we are working to ensure that severe psychiatric illnesses are recognized with the same medical urgency as other serious health conditions, including stroke and cardiac emergencies.
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Phase 3: the mandate
From Tactical Blueprints to Legal Enforcement

.Awareness was the beginning; action is what moves us forward. As NSSC works to expand from 31 to 50 states, we are strengthening a national network of State Directors dedicated to advancing better care for individuals and families affected by severe mental illness. Through state-specific education, collaboration with community leaders, and thoughtful policy engagement, our network works to address barriers to care and promote solutions that improve outcomes.
The Oregon Strategy: Advancing state funding for ORS 426.133 to expand Assisted Outpatient Treatment and help individuals receive care before a crisis requires a hospital bed.
River Act: Erasing the deadly boundaries of "legal geography" and deploying the River Alert in Alabama to treat psychiatric emergencies with immediate medical urgency.
Dismantling Barriers: Redefining "gravely disabled" in Indiana so that documented clinical decline triggers immediate medical care instead of a revolving door.
Centers of Excellence: Fighting for a specialized medical infrastructure in Florida that treats biological brain crises with the same focus as cancer or cardiac disease.
National Framework: We are building a 50-state framework that brings together families, individuals with lived experience, clinicians, and policymakers to strengthen systems of care and advance thoughtful, evidence-informed policy solutions for severe mental illness.

Help us build a future where no-fault brain diseases are recognized and treated with the same medical urgency as any other serious health condition—protecting every individual's Right to be Well.

Help Build A Better Path To Care

Phase 2: THE BRIDGE
From crisis to care

Awareness is where change begins—but awareness alone does not help families navigate a psychiatric crisis. Crossing the gap between fragmented systems and meaningful support requires practical resources, trusted partnerships, and a clear path forward.

The NSSC Bridge Series highlights how our State Directors are working alongside families, individuals with lived experience, clinicians, and community partners to strengthen local systems of care. Across the country, they are sharing education, building relationships, and advancing solutions that help individuals access treatment earlier while reducing unnecessary involvement with the criminal justice system.

Through state-specific navigation resources, caregiver education, and trained Family Navigators, NSSC is helping families better understand available pathways to care and prepare for the challenges of severe mental illness. Together, these efforts create a bridge from crisis to treatment, support, and recovery.
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This is the Crisis-to-Care (C2C) Pilot in action.

Holly Strayer (AL) | Breaking the HIPAA wall by teaching families to engage hospital Risk Management with the same urgency as a medical stroke.
Breanna Smith (OR) | Replacing the "Google search" phase of a crisis with a professional Peer Navigator to save time and lives.
David Doerner (IN) | Leveraging documented clinical history to divert loved ones from the justice system and into medical beds.
Jack Wood (FL) | Proving the C2C Pilot works by using veteran navigation to secure treatment and bypass criminalization in real-time.
Ann Corcoran (Executive Director) | "The Architecture of Care." Mobilizing our 31-State Alliance to turn emotional ground-truth into forensic evidence the system cannot ignore.

Build the Alliance. Strengthen the Path to Care.

Our 31-State Directors are already proving that the C2C pilot works. They are connecting families with trusted resources, sharing state-specific guidance, and expanding access to education and support for those navigating severe mental illness. Through the support of our community, NSSC is building a national network of informed families, individuals with lived experience, and partners committed to improving pathways to care. Together, we can help ensure that families are not left searching for answers alone during their most difficult moments.

Help Build The Bridge To Care

Phase 1: THE VOID
The Human cost of gaps in care

Awareness is an important first step, but awareness alone does not provide a pathway to care. Families like Joshua’s, Jack’s, and Breanna’s have experienced the devastating impact of gaps in understanding, access, and support when a loved one is living with severe mental illness.
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Today, the NSSC 31-State Alliance is moving beyond awareness to document the real-world experiences of individuals and families navigating fragmented systems of care. Through stories, education, and lived experience, we are shining a light on the challenges families face and the urgent need for stronger pathways to support.
Meet the NSSC State Directors who are helping bridge the gap between families, communities, and solutions. These are the voices from across the country working to transform crisis into care.
David Doerner (IN): The Ejection Protocol -- When gaps in care leave individuals with severe mental illness at the intersection of crisis and the criminal justice system. 
​​​Holly Strayer (AL): Breaking through the HIPAA Barrier - Helping Families and Providers navigate communication challenges in severe mental illness care. 
​Breanna Smith (OR): The Danger Threshold - How Oregon’s "danger" threshold transformed a medical crisis into a 20-year sentence.
​Jack Wood (FL): The Silo Trap - How Florida’s fragmented system abandoned a father to manage a violent crisis alone.
Ann Corcoran (Executive Director): The Architecture of Care - Building a National Framework for timely, compassionate care in severe mental illness.

The $343 Billion Impact of Delayed Care

We are already paying for severe mental illness—but too often, we are paying for crisis responses instead of early intervention, treatment, and long-term support.

Across the country, individuals and families experience the consequences when timely care is not available. The human impact is profound, and the financial impact reaches communities through increased emergency response, hospitalizations, homelessness, and involvement with the criminal justice system.

The path forward is clear: investing in a stronger continuum of care that prioritizes early support, compassionate intervention, and better outcomes for individuals living with severe mental illness and the families who support them.
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It is time to build the architecture of care.

Invest in the Bridge to Care.

The $343 Billion impact of delayed care is an indictment of a failing system. Your support funds the Crisis-to-Care Off-Ramp—connecting families to trained Peer Navigators to secure medical treatment and stop the cycle of criminalization.

Build the Bridge. Expand Access to Care.

THE EVIDENCE VAULT: Blueprint For Change

Meaningful change requires more than stories—it requires knowledge, data, and practical solutions. The NSSC Evidence Vault brings together research, lived experience, and evidence-informed resources to help families, advocates, policymakers, and community partners better understand the challenges surrounding severe mental illness and identify pathways to improve care. These resources help bridge the gap between The Void —the moments when individuals and families struggle to find support—and advance The Mandate for a more effective, compassionate standard of care. Equip your advocacy with the facts.

The 2026 Strategic Roadmap

National Blueprint

Our strategic roadmap to dismantling the $343B Neglect Tax through medical accountability and federal mandates.

Download Roadmap →

Crisis to Care (C2C) Initiative

Tactical Framework

A tactical framework for diversion and clinical follow-through to ensure those in crisis are met with care, not handcuffs.

View Initiative →

Bipolar Void: We Want to Live

Forensic Analysis & Peer Perspective

Senior VP Kerry Martin’s forensic analysis of the Bipolar I "Right to Life" and the demand to be seen.

Download PDF →

SMI Caregiver's Guide

Navigational Tool

A strategic handbook providing forensic resources for families navigating the void of systemic neglect.

View Guide →

Take Away My Rights

Peer Perspective

A forensic peer perspective on why "liberty" without treatment is a fatal abandonment of medical rights.

Read Perspective →

Rosa DeGout’s Truth

Victim Impact Statement

Ground-truth forensic evidence of the near-fatal cost of clinical abandonment in State of MA.

Read Statement →

SUPPORT THE MANDATE. END THE SILENCE.

For too long, families affected by severe mental illness have been left searching for answers during moments of crisis—often waiting until situations escalate before meaningful support becomes available.

The time for a more responsive approach is now. NSSC is building a national alliance of families, individuals with lived experience, clinicians, advocates, and partners committed to advancing a stronger continuum of care.

Your support helps bring lived experience, evidence-informed solutions, and family voice into conversations with communities and policymakers. Together, we can address gaps in care and build a future where individuals experiencing severe mental illness receive timely, compassionate support.

Don't just witness the gaps. Help build the path to care.

Build the bridge. Advance the change.

​We are documenting the real-world impact of gaps in care and elevating the voices of individuals and families affected by severe mental illness. Your support helps NSSC expand education, strengthen resources, and bring lived experience and evidence-informed solutions to communities across the country.

Build The Future Of Care: Choose Your Role in the Movement

For too long, individuals and families affected by severe mental illness have struggled to find the understanding, resources, and support they need. Together, we can change that. Join our rapidly expanding coast-to-coast coalition for no-fault brain disease.

Strategic Growth:
Join as a Monthly Partner to ensure our 50-state expansion never slows down.

$50
LIFELINE Powers "Ground-Truth" resources for families navigating severe mental illness.
$100
ADVOCATE Equips our alliance to move treatment from jail cells back to medical care.
$500
REFORMER Fuels the regional infrastructure needed to break through systemic barriers.
$1,000
ARCHITECT Drives our coast-to-coast expansion and mandates medical accountability.

Advance the Mandate: Choose Your Role

The evidence is clear. The Roadmap is ready. Now, we need the collective power of the people to advance a stronger standard of care for severe mental illness.

SMI Peer Alliance

For those living with Bipolar I, Schizophrenia, and no-fault brain disease ready to lead the movement.

Join Alliance

Join the Coalition

For families, advocates, and citizens ready to stand with us in state houses across the nation.

Join Movement