A new book aims to equip families of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) with practical knowledge about emerging technologies that are transforming psychiatric care. 'Connected Care: A Practical Guide to Technology for Serious Mental Illness,' by Nicole Drapeau Gillen, is now available on Amazon. The guide organizes digital tools, AI applications, and financial assistance programs into an accessible resource for caregivers and families, not clinicians or researchers.
Gillen, whose daughter has SMI, wrote the book after her first publication, 'Schizophrenia & Related Disorders: A Handbook for Caregivers,' became an Amazon bestseller. She identified a second gap: families lack awareness of technology-based solutions that can enhance care. 'Connected Care' addresses this by detailing 42+ vetted digital tools, 60 pharmaceutical portals across 16 companies, six types of financial assistance programs, 10 AI use cases in psychiatric care, and 19 practical checklists.
The book has received endorsement from Dr. Akira Sawa, Director of the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Center, who stated that it 'fills the potential gap between them with language that families can actually act on, without sacrificing accuracy.' SMI affects an estimated 14 million Americans, with tens of millions of caregivers. Yet, until now, no single resource has compiled mental health technology for this audience.
Key topics include pharmaceutical patient assistance programs and co-pay portals that can reduce medication costs; passive sensing apps and wearables that detect behavioral shifts preceding relapse; AI tools used in psychiatric care; FDA-cleared prescription digital therapeutics; telehealth platforms; legal rights technology such as psychiatric advance directives; and strategies to fight insurance denials, which occur at rates 85% higher for mental health claims than for comparable medical claims.
The book also addresses health equity, highlighting that families from Latino, Black, and rural communities often face additional barriers. It covers AI algorithmic bias, multilingual telehealth platforms, culturally competent care resources, and financial programs for underserved populations. Maria Case, founder of Kompashion and NAMI National Speaker, noted, 'My family spent ten years searching for answers for my mother's schizophrenia... I wish Connected Care had existed then.'
Gillen is available for media interviews and speaking engagements. The book is available in print and digital formats on Amazon. More information can be found at ResourcesForSMI.com.
