Episode #190 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Dr. Gary Tsai on Addiction in LA

LA County California

Gary Tsai, M.D. is a physician executive who is the Director of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, a division of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. In this role, he is responsible for leading nearly 500 staff with a budget of approximately $460M, overseeing a full spectrum of substance use prevention, harm reduction, and treatment services for the 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Dr. Tsai also serves on the Board of Directors of NAMI California and is a physician board certified in both general psychiatry and addiction medicine, after completing his medical training at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. Having experienced the stigma and criminalization that often accompanies serious mental illness as the son of a mother with schizophrenia, Dr. Tsai is a passionate advocate for improving our behavioral health systems. In his pursuit of meaningful change, he founded Forgotten Films, a film production company focusing on social issue projects, specializing in behavioral health. Its first film, Voices (www.VoicesDocumentary.com), premiered on public television in May 2015 for Mental Health Awareness Month and was awarded a SAMHSA Voice Award. He is also the award-winning author of Against All Odds: A Practical Guide to Successfully Navigate Psychosis and Behavioral Health Systems (www.AgainstAllOddsToday.com), which was published in July 2022.