WINNER, 2009 FOLIO AWARD (Autism)
WINNER, 2007 TELLY AWARDS; 3 SILVER; 1 BRONZE

Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
Encores Tuesdays at 11:30 p.m.

WLIW21 New York Public Television launches season two of its award–winning mental health series HEALTHY MINDS Sundays at 9:30 am beginning November 2. The series aims to remove the stigma that can prevent patients and their families from seeking help for mental disorders. Each half–hour episode humanizes a particular mental health condition through inspiring personal stories, and features leading researchers and experts from the National Institute of Mental Health, Columbia University Medical Center, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Winthrop University Hospital, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. HEALTHY MINDS is hosted by Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, CEO and Medical Director of Holliswood Hospital in Queens, NY, and Chair for the Section on Psychiatry at the New York Academy of Medicine.

As Dr. Borenstein explains, “Everyone is touched by psychiatric conditions, either themselves or a loved one. Our goal is to share cutting edge information from experts along with personal experiences from people who live with psychiatric conditions. Recently, national legislation was passed to bring about parity or equality of mental health benefits — now more than ever it is important to reduce stigma and encourage people who have a psychiatric condition not to suffer in silence but to seek help. I want people to know that with help, there is hope.”

The second season of HEALTHY MINDS begins with a two-part special on autism in which five families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Long Island families in Commack, Lynbrook, Roosevelt and Williston Park, share their personal journey from diagnosis and discovery to early intervention and treatment. Authors Karen Simmons (Chicken Soup for the Soul, Special Needs Children) and Karen Siff Exkorn (The Autism Sourcebook) also appear with their sons. Researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory near Huntington and Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola discuss the latest in diagnostics and cutting edge research, and experts examine new ways of training pediatricians and teachers to work with autistic children, as well as the vaccine debate. Part two focuses on the importance of early intervention and treatment, and features the Variety Child Learning Center in Syosset, dedicated to children with developmental and learning disabilities.

Additional episodes in the 13–part series will cover schizophrenia, recovery from abuse, eating disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), chemical dependency, post–tramatic stress disorder (PTSD), neurogenesis and troubled teens. Special guests include author William Cope Moyers (Broken), son of Bill Moyers, NY1 journalist Dominic Carter, Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel, M.D. Dr. Judy Rapoport, Senior Investigator, National Institute of Mental Health; author Sharon Begley (Train Your Brain, Change Your Mind); and author Elyn R. Saks (The Center Cannot Hold).

HEALTHY MINDS is made possible in part by New York Academy of Medicine , NARSAD , the van Ameringen Foundation , the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene . Executive Producer for Local Production: Theresa Statz–Smith. Producer: Mary Puma. Associate Producer: Samantha Renison. ST and CC.

National distribution of Healthy Minds is made possible in part by the American Psychiatric Foundation.