The Sozosei Foundation hosted a virtual book club featuring authors and renowned psychologist, Dr. Joel Dvoskin and renowned psychiatrist, Dr. James Knoll in conversation with Sozosei Board Member Mary Chi Michael, about their chapter, “A Brief History of the Criminalization of Mental Illness” from the recently released book, “Decriminalizing Mental Illness,” published by Cambridge University Press.
Mental illness is an area that has been relatively underfunded by philanthropy when compared to the immense potential for impact. The Sozosei Foundation is helping reignite energy and push the philanthropic community in this area, with a specific focus on decriminalizing mental illness in America. The Foundation recently kicked off a series of Global Solution Labs to surface more knowledge and perspectives about how to create a future where mental illness is not treated as a crime.
The inaugural Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness was a three-day event in December 2020. We were honored to have more than 200 participants including thought leaders, people with lived experience, medical professionals, lawyers, judges, advocates, artists, and funders — all working to build a world where mental illness is not a crime.