In honor of World Schizophrenia Awareness Day, observed annually on May 24, this session explores lived experience, storytelling, and stigma reduction within BIPOC communities impacted by schizophrenia. Maria Case, founder of Kompashion, reflects on her family’s experience navigating a parent’s schizophrenia and the importance of storytelling and open conversation within Spanish-speaking communities.
Ray Lay, NAMI board member and national advocate, shares his personal journey living with schizophrenia, homelessness, and incarceration, and speaks to how lived experience shapes his work in peer support, criminal justice reform, and policy advocacy.
Together, Maria and Ray offer powerful perspectives on support, healing, dignity, and access to care. Their stories help humanize schizophrenia, challenge stigma, and elevate voices too often excluded from the mental health narrative. Learn more…
