Eric Smith, San Antonio

Eric Smith is a nationally recognized mental health advocate, public speaker, and consultant. At the invitation of Stanford professors Eric presented for Stanford law students on multiple occasions. Eric’s major media appearances include People magazine, Oprah Daily, National Public Radio, Dr. Drew’s podcast and live show, New York Daily News, and Yahoo! News.

Eric is the founder and owner of Eric W. T. Smith Consulting, LLC. Through lived experience, Eric offers consultation to families and individuals impacted by serious mental illness. In July 2024, Eric was voted in as a member of the Board of Directors with the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance.

A sample of Eric’s speaking engagements include the 2022 Judicial Summit on Mental Health in Texas and the first-ever Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health Summit in 2023. At the invitation of lawmakers and stakeholders Eric provided testimony in Texas, Virginia, California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Maryland. Part of Eric’s journey is in the book You Are Not Alone, written by National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth. Eric wrote a chapter about being incarcerated without treatment for mental illness in Navigating Bipolar Country, a book that reached #1 in Amazon’s New Releases in five categories. Eric is on the NAMI Texas Public Policy Committee and Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance Peer Advisory Committee.