Shannon Coleman-Cryer is a former Federal Investigator with eight years of experience with the United States Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD). Shannon investigated and resolved issues and enforced compliance in cases related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Davis Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA), and the Service Contract Act (SCA). She conducted outreach training with firms, owners, managers, governmental agencies, and attorney representatives to ensure as well as maintain compliance with federal labor laws. Shannon specialized in detecting payroll violations of the Minimum Wage, Overtime, Record-Keeping, and Child Labor Laws.

Shannon’s career with the government began with the National Finance Center (NFC) and continued to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During her tenure with the federal government, Shannon assisted with answering and resolving equal employment and union disputes. She performed various roles within payroll. She created and enforced standard operating procedures, supported department heads in policy implementation, and ensured compliance for various federal agencies.

Prior to her government service, Shannon was employed for nine years within the casino industry in many departments. She held positions in security, table games, financial planning and analysis, risk management, and retail at the Grand Casino in Mississippi and at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans.

Dr. Sean Gibbs is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who currently serves as the Psychology Program Coordinator and Associate Professor of Psychology at Dillard University. He has over ten years of experience providing mental health services in outpatient and inpatient settings. Dr. Gibbs holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

Janet Hays, human rights advocate, is the founder of Healing Minds NOLA - a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring and creating alternatives to incarceration, homelessness and death for people with neuropsychiatric disorders. Through partnership building and collaboration, Ms. Hays leads her community on initiatives to remove legal barriers to treatment and care for serious mental illness. Current efforts include co-chairing an “Alternatives to Jail” criminal justice group, assisting parishes with implementing Louisiana’s under-utilized assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) law, educational seminars, legislative and policy work.

Robert Laitman, MD, and his wife Ann Mandel MD, were happily married personally and professionally. They both practiced Internal Medicine and Dr Laitman also was a Nephrologist and Gerontologist.  When their son developed Schizophrenia at the age of 15 not only was their son Daniel’s life trajectory changed but theirs as well.  They found that the psychiatric mainstream was uniformly nihilistic and pessimistic concerning Daniel’s future. Both Dr Laitman and his wife found this unacceptable and started to enlist the best and brightest especially the recently deceased Deborah Levy. They both voraciously and with Dr Levy’s help were able to start Daniel on the most effective antipsychotic clozapine.  Afterwards they realized that this most imperfect medication could be dramatically improved by adding certain other medications to ameliorate side effects and enhance benefits. In addition they took a holistic approach stressing diet and exercise.  Daniel as it turned out graduated on the Dean’s list from a SUNY.  He is presently living in NYC and is a stand-up comic.  He has a life of purpose and meaning.  Over the last 10 years we have used the lessons we originally learned with our son and treated over 200 individuals with psychosis spectrum disorders and have continued to have great success.  In 2010 we formed Teamdanielrunningforrecovery.org to spread the word that there is a correct approach to treating SMI. We need to engage, educate and then treat with the most effective medication always remaining available to both the patient and their loved ones.