108. The Geography of Institutional Exclusion: Warehousing the Marginalized on Ward's Island with Clinical Psychologist, Philip Yanos

In this episode of the Depth Work podcast, I speak with clinical psychologist, professor, and author, Phil Yanos about his powerful new book "Exiles in New York City" an exploration of how institutionalization creates barriers of exclusion and banishment in urban landscapes.

Phil shares his unique journey growing up on Ward's Island near Manhattan Psychiatric Center, where his father worked as a psychiatrist. Through his research and interviews with current residents, Phil reveals how Ward's Island has become a site of profound contradiction – simultaneously rebranded as a recreational space for privileged New Yorkers while functioning as a place of exile for those deemed too "mad" to belong in mainstream society.

In our conversation we explore concrete solutions for transforming Ward's Island into a more just and integrated community, a vision that seems more possible with the recent election of Zohran Mamdani who has emphasized housing justice. We also discuss the wins and losses in mental health advocacy in recent years, what we’ve learned from working with those labeled with “psychosis” or “schizophrenia”, and what clinicians can do better.

Bio:

Philip T. Yanos is professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center, City University of New York and Director of Clinical Training for the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at John Jay College. He is the author of "Exiles in New York City: Warehousing the Marginalized on Ward's Island" (2025) and Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential (2018). During his childhood in the 1970s, Yanos lived on the grounds of Manhattan State Hospital on Ward’s Island, where his father was a psychiatrist.

• Exiles in New York City: Warehousing the Marginalized on Ward's Island https://cup.columbia.edu/book/exiles-in-new-york-city/9780231212373/

• Exiles in the City Podcast https://rss.com/podcasts/exiles-in-the-city/

Resources:

• Find videos and bonus episodes: ⁠⁠DEPTHWORK.SUBSTACK.COM⁠⁠
• Get the book: ⁠⁠⁠Mad Studies Reader: Interdisciplinary Innovations in Mental Health⁠⁠
• Become a member: ⁠⁠The Institute for the Development of Human Arts⁠⁠
• Train with us: ⁠⁠Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum