Brandon Staglin

Employing people with lived mental health experience benefits both individuals and organizations. So why are most workplaces still unprepared to support them?⁠ ⁠ In our latest Lived Experience Blog post, One Mind Co-Founder and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer @brandonstaglin opens with a candid account of navigating corporate culture while recovering from schizophrenia, then turns to what One Mind and a growing community of organizations are building to change that.⁠ ⁠ His piece spotlights the Flourish@Work initiative, developed through more than a year of research, led by Lead Researcher Priya Chirayil, in collaboration with Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance (@sczaction ), @studentswithpsychosis , @fountainhouse , and @cureszfoundation .⁠ ⁠ "No organization can single-handedly untangle the landscape of employment," Brandon writes, but together, we can clear the thicket.⁠ ⁠ The Flourish@Work pilot workshop launches May 19 at the One Mind at Work Global Forum, and will be co-presented by Brandon alongside One Mind Lived Experience Council members Tracie Ibrahim, LMFT, CST (@tabootracie ), Linea Johnson, MHL (@linea.johnson ), and Uma R. Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS (@umarchatterjee ).⁠ ⁠ Read the full post (link in bio) 🔗⁠ ⁠ #LivedExperience #MentalHealthAtWork #WorkplaceInclusion #MentalHealthAdvocacy #FlourishAtWork

🌟I’m ecstatic to share that our paper, “Breaking Barriers: Centering Researchers with Lived Experience (RWLE) in Psychiatric Neuroscience,” is *officially* published in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology’s journal, NPP-DPN @dpn_journal ! 🧠

I truly cannot describe what this paper means to me. As a PhD student researching AND living with serious mental illnesses (SMI), navigating this field openly has been incredibly painful & challenging. The stigma, the discrimination, & the deeply outdated belief that people like me do not belong in research, are incapable of being scientists, & will be excluded if they disclose, has shaped every stage of my career. Yet, despite decades of these barriers… over just this past year, a small handful of us psychiatric neuroscience RWLE found each other – & that solidarity sparked a movement that has grown with a speed & force I could never have imagined. Now, our message is published by the world’s leading organization on mental illness research.

I’m endlessly grateful to our entire authorship team who brought this to life: my brilliant co-first authors, Drs. Maya Schumer & @deffinger –both of whom have been my first + only role models of open RWLE in psychiatric neuroscience & catalyzed this movement; Drs. Nev Jones & @NoelVest –2 of the only open RWLE faculty + principal investigators whose pioneering leadership paved our path; @BrandonStaglin , whose trailblazing advocacy for lived experience inclusion in research powered this movement; And my incredible thesis advisor, Dr. Michael Cahill @cahill_lab , & Dr. Eric Nestler–two principal investigators who, despite not being RWLE, have long been rare allies & mentors to RWLE in psychiatric neuroscience & role models to the field. To ACNP & @dpn_journal : thank you for platforming this message & leading w/ courage! This paper is the first of its kind… & the beginning of SO much more for our movement–including our inaugural presentation at ACNP Conference 2026! My deepest hope is that every RWLE of mental illness knows that they belong here–not in spite of who they are, but BECAUSE of who they are. 🫶🏾 ✨Read the FULL paper 👉🏾 tinyurl.com/rwle-paper + link in bio! 🔗

💥How @OneMindOrg is harnessing lived experience to REVOLUTIONIZE mental health—the Lived Experience Council❗️🧠 ⚡️THRIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA: Revolutionizing Brain Health, Co-founding One Mind, & Leading with Lived Experience with @BrandonStaglin 🚀 Ep. 52 @AChatWithUma out now! 🌟
 On ep. 52, I sit down with my dear friend, @BrandonStaglin M.S.—co-founder & Chief Advocacy + Engagement Officer of ⁠@OneMindOrg , the world’s leading brain health nonprofit. For nearly 3 decades, Brandon has transformed lived experience into leadership: co-creating a global org, raising 100s of millions for research, & pushing society toward a future where mental health=physical health. But behind the impact is a deeply personal story—one that began with a diagnosis of schizophrenia at 18 & a fight to reclaim his life, voice, & purpose. We walk through his journey from the terror of psychosis, through recovery & relapse, to finding meaning in advocacy. He shares the cost of stigma, the reality of treatment, the lifeline of family, & the radical belief that worth is inherent—not earned. Topics discussed include👇🏾 🚀 Early cracks in reality: existential questions & his 1st episode of psychosis 🚀 6 yrs until the word “schizophrenia” 🚀 Medication side-effects, $u!c!d@l !ty, & rebuilding around values 🚀 The horrific schizophrenia stigma (ft. shoutout to Kody Green @SchizophrenicHippie ’s advocacy!) 🚀 How ⁠@OneMindOrg ⁠ was cofounded w/ his parents @GarenS @ShariStaglin to accelerate brain-health solutions 🚀 One Mind ecosystem at a glance: ⁠Accelerator ⁠(mental-health startups), ⁠One Mind at Work⁠ (workplace mental health), ⁠Rising Star Academy⁠ (funding+training scientists), & ⁠Lived Experience Initiative⁠ (Council+Community Advisory Network) 🚀 Building the ⁠Lived Experience Initiative⁠: giving lived expertise real power alongside scientific & governance bodies 🚀 Our Lived Experience Council: consulting for+advising startup founders, research scientists, & Fortune-level leaders 🚀 Annual ⁠One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health ☀️ Subscribe, rate, review, & SHARE to support the show 🫶🏾 🔗 Link in bio, or search ‘A Chat with Uma’ on all platforms to listen!

❤️‍🩹 The moment Brandon realized his schizophrenia symptoms had RETURNED—and what he did next ⁉️🧠 ⚡️THRIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA: Revolutionizing Brain Health, Co-founding One Mind, & Leading with Lived Experience with @BrandonStaglin 🚀 Ep. 52 @AChatWithUma out now! 🌟
 On ep. 52, I sit down with my dear friend, @BrandonStaglin M.S.—co-founder & Chief Advocacy + Engagement Officer of ⁠@OneMindOrg , the world’s leading brain health nonprofit. For nearly 3 decades, Brandon has transformed lived experience into leadership: co-creating a global org, raising hundreds of millions for research, & pushing society toward a future where mental health=physical health. But behind the impact is a deeply personal story—one that began with a diagnosis of schizophrenia at 18 & a fight to reclaim his life, voice, & purpose. We walk through his journey from the terror of psychosis, through recovery & relapse, to finding meaning in advocacy. He shares the cost of stigma, the reality of treatment, the lifeline of family, & the radical belief that worth is inherent—not earned. Topics discussed include👇🏾 🚀 Early cracks in reality: existential questions & his first episode of psychosis 🚀 6 years until the word “schizophrenia” 🚀 Medication side-effects, $u!c!d@l !ty, & rebuilding around values 🚀 The horrific schizophrenia stigma (ft. shoutout to Kody Green @SchizophrenicHippie ’s advocacy!) 🚀 How ⁠@OneMindOrg ⁠ was cofounded w/ his parents @GarenS @ShariStaglin to accelerate brain-health solutions 🚀 One Mind ecosystem at a glance: ⁠Accelerator ⁠(mental-health startups), ⁠One Mind at Work⁠ (workplace mental health), ⁠Rising Star Academy⁠ (funding+training scientists), & ⁠Lived Experience Initiative⁠ (Council+Community Advisory Network) 🚀 Building the ⁠Lived Experience Initiative⁠: giving lived expertise real power alongside scientific & governance bodies 🚀 Our Lived Experience Council: consulting for+advising startup founders, research scientists, & Fortune-level leaders 🚀 Annual ⁠One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health ☀️ Subscribe, rate, review, & SHARE to support the show 🫶🏾 🔗 Link in bio to listen, or search ‘A Chat with Uma’ on all platforms to listen!

⚡️THRIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA: Revolutionizing Brain Health, Co-founding One Mind, & Leading with Lived Experience with @BrandonStaglin 🚀 Ep. 52 @AChatWithUma out now! 🌟
 On ep. 52, I sit down with my dear friend, @BrandonStaglin M.S.—co-founder & Chief Advocacy + Engagement Officer of ⁠@OneMindOrg , the world’s leading brain health nonprofit. For nearly 3 decades, Brandon has transformed lived experience into leadership: co-creating a global org, raising hundreds of millions for brain health research, & pushing society toward a future where mental health is prioritized like physical health. But behind the impact is a deeply personal story—one that began with a diagnosis of schizophrenia at 18 & a fight to reclaim his life, voice, & purpose. We walk through his journey from the terror of psychosis, through recovery & relapse, to finding meaning in advocacy. He shares the cost of stigma, the reality of treatment, the lifeline of family, & the radical belief that worth is inherent—not earned. This ep is a testament to courage, connection, & healing at scale. Topics discussed include👇🏾 🚀 Early cracks in reality: existential questions & his first episode of psychosis 🚀 6 years until the word “schizophrenia” 🚀 Medication side-effects, $u!c!d@l !ty, & rebuilding around values 🚀 The horrific schizophrenia stigma (ft. shoutout to Kody Green @SchizophrenicHippie ’s advocacy!) 🚀 How ⁠@OneMindOrg ⁠ was cofounded w/ his parents @GarenS @ShariStaglin to accelerate brain-health solutions 🚀 One Mind ecosystem at a glance: ⁠Accelerator ⁠(mental-health startups), ⁠One Mind at Work⁠ (workplace mental health), ⁠Rising Star Academy⁠ (funding+training scientists), & ⁠Lived Experience Initiative⁠ (Council+Community Advisory Network) 🚀 Building the ⁠Lived Experience Initiative⁠: giving lived expertise real power alongside scientific & governance bodies 🚀 Our Lived Experience Council: consulting for+advising startup founders, research scientists, & Fortune-level leaders 🚀 Annual ⁠One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health ☀️ Subscribe, rate, review, & SHARE to support the show 🫶🏾 🔗 Link in bio to listen, or search ‘A Chat with Uma’ on all platforms to listen!

On May 17, 2025, One Mind Co-Founder and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer, Brandon Staglin embarked on a 2.5 mile hike through the idyllic vineyards of Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards (@almarosawinery ) for the annual Peace of Mind Walk in support of mental health awareness and research.⁠ ⁠ Throughout the walk, Brandon was delighted to hear from participants as they shared their own personal stories and their mutual appreciation for the work One Mind does in harnessing the power of science and lived experience to improve outcomes for individuals, families, and society.⁠ ⁠ "Though my purpose was to raise money for One Mind, I also immensely appreciated learning the lived experiences of fellow walkers," Brandon said. "I feel tremendous gratitude to all those who walked, not only for their support for our organization, but also for sharing generously of themselves as we talked."⁠ ⁠ One Mind extends a heartfelt THANK YOU to Alma Rosa Winery proprietors Barbara and Bob Zorich, whose generous matching funds have accelerated One Mind's impact across the walk's six years, Debra Eagle, for organizing this year's walk with great devotion, and to the walk's generous sponsors: Rio Vista Chevrolet, Specialty Construction, WineDirect Fulfillment, and C&D LLP. ⁠ ⁠ The walk's fund matching is still active through Friday 5/23! Support One Mind by making your donation today. (LINK IN BIO) 🔗

Wow—what an unforgettable 30th Annual One Mind Music Festival for Brain Health! Together, we raised a record-breaking $3.56 million to accelerate brain health solutions. 🎉⁠ ⁠ Hosted on September 7th and presented by @bankofamerica and @bristolmyerssquibb , the festival brought over 400 guests from the worlds of science, philanthropy, and entertainment to Napa for an extraordinary celebration of One Mind’s three decades of mental health innovation. 💡⁠ ⁠ The day was filled with inspiring moments—from a powerhouse performance by @elleking , to moving speeches by CA Governor @gavinnewsom and Congressman @repmikethompson . 🍷🍴 @chefpaulbartolotta also treated us to a culinary experience that was just as unforgettable as the event itself.⁠ ⁠ A huge thank you to all of our donors, supporters, and attendees. Your commitment to our mission means the world, and together, we’re making real strides toward brain health for all. 🙏💙⁠ ⁠ Read more about this milestone event—link in bio! 🔗⁠ ⁠ #Music4BrainHealth #MentalHealth #MusicFestival #OneMind #BrainHealth #Napa #Wine #Music #Science

Thank you to everyone who joined @brandonstaglin and participated in the fifth annual Peace of Mind—10,000 Steps in the Right Direction fundraiser! This year’s event was a wonderful success, raising at least $70,500 for One Mind, thanks to the generous support of our community. Special thanks to Bob and Barb Zorich of @almarosawinery , who pledged to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to the first $70,000. Their incredible generosity, along with the contributions from 23 dedicated donors, made a significant impact in advancing mental health awareness and research. Your support is crucial in our ongoing efforts to promote mental health awareness and research. Together, we are moving towards a world where mental health is prioritized and stigma is eliminated. Stay tuned for more events and ways to get involved! #ThankYou #MentalHealthAwareness #OneMind #WalkForWellness #MentalHealthMatters #EndStigma #CommunitySupport #MentalWellness #AlmaRosaWinery #TogetherWeCan #FundraisingSuccess #PeaceOfMind #MentalHealth

Happy to share my feelings on the future of #mentalhealth. #realitycheck