A new book aims to equip families of people with serious mental illness with knowledge of 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 and is designed to fill a critical gap for caregivers who often struggle to find practical information about digital tools, financial assistance, and AI applications in mental health.
Serious mental illness (SMI)—including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder—affects an estimated 14 million Americans, with millions more family members serving as caregivers. Despite the growing role of technology in psychiatric care, no single resource has organized this information for non-clinicians until now. 'Connected Care' delivers 42+ vetted digital tools, 60 pharmaceutical portals across 16 companies, 6 types of financial assistance programs, 10 AI use cases in psychiatric care, and 19 practical checklists, all explained in plain language.
The book addresses a health equity crisis within the mental health crisis. Families who already know how to navigate the system are more likely to access technology, while Latino, Black, rural, and other underserved populations face compounded barriers. The book covers AI algorithmic bias, multilingual telehealth platforms, culturally competent care resources, and financial programs designed for these groups.
Gillen, whose daughter has serious mental illness, wrote the book after her first work—'Schizophrenia & Related Disorders: A Handbook for Caregivers'—became an Amazon bestseller with a 4.9-star rating, signaling a strong demand from underserved caregivers. 'Connected Care' focuses on practical tools families can use immediately, such as pharmaceutical patient assistance programs that can reduce or eliminate medication costs, passive sensing apps that detect behavioral shifts preceding relapse, and FDA-cleared prescription digital therapeutics rarely prescribed. It also covers legal rights technology, including psychiatric advance directives and tools to fight insurance denials, which occur at rates 85% higher for mental health claims than comparable medical claims.
Endorsed by Dr. Akira Sawa, Director of the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Center, the book is described as a resource that 'belongs in the hands of every family and everyone involved in mental healthcare.' Maria Case, founder of Kompashion and NAMI National Speaker, noted that her family spent a decade searching for answers for her mother's schizophrenia, facing language barriers and a system not built for them—and wished 'Connected Care' had existed then.
The book is available in print and digital formats from Amazon. More information can be found at ResourcesForSMI.com.
