8 Jul 2026 10:00
722. Stories to Fill the Hope Gap: Storytelling That Turns Crisis Into Action - Dr. Lisa Hunter Romanelli, The REACH Institute
There are 12 million kids in the U.S. with a mental health concern, and four out of five never get treatment — not because the care doesn't exist, but because it takes an average of 15 years for proven research to reach the providers families actually visit.
Dr. Lisa Hunter Romanelli has spent her career closing that gap. As CEO of The REACH Institute — and its very first employee 19 years ago — she's helped train nearly 10,000 primary care providers in evidence-based children's mental health care, with a goal of 16,000 by 2027. 🧠 But this conversation is really about storytelling. Lisa has taken a public health crisis and made it feel solvable, and she shares exactly how she does it with donors and partners.
In this episode, you'll hear:
- Why leading with the solution — not the broken thing — is what actually moves donors to act
- The "train the trainer" multiplier model: how reaching one pediatrician reaches hundreds of kids a year
- How a single trained provider in Oklahoma City recognized a teenager's hidden anxiety and changed the course of her life
- Where a leader 19 years into the work still finds hope — and the "whole leader" practice keeping her grounded
- Why generosity shows up as far more than cash, and how to recognize every currency your community offers
You'll walk away with a more hopeful, more honest way to tell your own organization's story. 🩵
Episode Highlights:
- Meet "little Lisa": From her mom's depression to child psychology (2:56)
- One psychologist isn't enough: Meeting Dr. Peter Jensen and building REACH (3:02)
- The 15-year research-to-practice gap and REACH's mission (5:50)
- Why pediatricians are the front line for kids' mental health (6:22)
- The story of "Mia": How one trained doctor changed a life (8:13)
- Lead with the solution: Telling donors a story that creates hope (10:33)
- Where a 19-year leader still finds her hope (11:40)
- Generosity beyond cash: A board member's quiet gift (13:17)
- One good thing: The "whole leader" and finding moments of presence (15:16)
Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/722
Series Hub: https://www.weareforgood.com/hopegap
//Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com
