For this episode, we handed the podcast studio over to one of our UCLA interns from the Luskin School of Public Affairs, Mei-Mei Barnhardt. She interviews Marc Novick who brings a wealth of lived experience to his role as a case manager for Project 180, a program that is focused upon diversion and reentry programs for people involved in the criminal justice system.

Since late last year, Heart Forward has been involved in a Hilton Foundation-funded project which involves taking a deeper look at the residential ecosystem that is connected to LA County’s Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR). This program, working in concert with Superior Court judges in the criminal and mental health courts, offers programs that divert individuals with serious mental, physical or behavioral health needs from jail into community-based care, housing and supportive services.

The Heart Forward team, as part of this project, has been visiting various service providers who staff these residential placements, and when we visited Project 180’s Crescent House last fall, one enthusiastic member of the case management team captured our attention. That was Marc. Mei-Mei, in particular, was drawn to his positive energy and asked if she could meet with him to learn more about his life.

As she relayed back to us the substance of their three-hour meeting – where he candidly shared his challenges with family trauma and addition, starting at a very young age, we thought he would be a great candidate for an interview. And, in the spirit of promoting student learning, we offered Mei-Mei the opportunity to take the reins in the podcast studio.

His journey out of addiction is inspirational, and undergirds the role he plays as a peer supporter with other men facing similar life challenges.

With special recognition to our key sponsors:

• Presenting Sponsor, Tony Hale
• Community Impact Sponsor, Peter Lizotte

And a special thank you to those who have helped to make this season possible:

Sarah Dusseault, Brian Folb, Dave Pilon, Nick Halaris, Jae Lee and David Israelian.

This season starts off with a wonderful conversation with Dr. Gordon Flett, Professor Emeritus in Psychology at York University in Canada and the author of the 2018 book, The Psychology of Mattering: Understanding the Human Need to be Significant. Dr. Flett’s research into “mattering” – which he started in the 1980’s -- seems to be finding a contemporary relevance in the 21st century as our society trends toward social isolation and loneliness.

His work resonates with Heart Forward because of our belief that the human posture of coming alongside people, and practicing radical hospitality in our relationships, can be transformative for all involved. Flett, who is considered one of the global experts on this topic, believes that the experience of mattering is critical for human well-being and a sense of flourishing. As you will hear, this is not the same as a sense of belonging or self-esteem. People need to feel seen and heard and they yearn to know that they are making a difference or add value in some way.

Dr. Flett has been busy in his so-called retirement from academic life and has appeared on several podcasts and interviews in the past year. Here are some helpful links:

Hidden Brain podcast: Do you Feel Invisible (Feb 2026)

Hidden Brain podcast: A Secret Source of Connection (June 2026) Dr. Flett responds to listener questions and comments sparked by the February podcast)

The Oprah Podcast: How Mattering to Yourself & Others Can Change Your Life with Oprah, Jennifer Wallace & Ina Garten (January 2026)

Books and publications

The Psychology of Mattering: Understanding the Human Need to be Significant. Dr. Gordon Flett. Published 2018.

The Healing Power and Potential of Mattering. APA PsycNet.

Other resources

Mattering in Action | Making Schools More Human

Why ‘Mattering’ Is a Key Part of Mental Health - The New York Times

Ted Talk Des Moines Nov 2021 Angela Maiers – You Matter Gordon L. Flett. 2026

With special recognition to our key sponsors:

• Presenting Sponsor, Tony Hale
• Community Impact Sponsor, Peter Lizotte

And a special thank you to those who have helped to make this season possible:

Sarah Dusseault, Brian Folb, Dave Pilon, Nick Halaris, Jae Lee and David Israelian.

Welcome to Season Six of Heart Forward Conversations from the Heart. After dedicating all of Season Five to voices from Trieste, for the next 10 episodes we’ve returned home. I am excited to share with you some amazing people and their work from which I know you will draw inspiration and hope.

We will explore this simple question:

What if the way we treat people is just as important as the services we provide? Or, perhaps, more important?

As you know, if you’ve been on this journey with us so far, we characterize this culture of coming alongside fellow human beings as Radical Hospitality.

It is fundamentally simple:

We see you. We hear you. You are safe here. Your voice matters.

This season we'll explore what happens when those values move beyond philosophy and become everyday practice. We'll talk with researchers, practitioners, advocates, and people with lived experience who are challenging the way we think about recovery, belonging, addiction, community, and what it means to truly matter.

You'll hear conversations with Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, psychologist Dr. Gordon Flett, experts in diversion and recovery, and others who press for system change and ask us to reimagine how we care for one another.

If you believe there is a more humane way to approach mental health care, you’re in the right place.

If you are interested to partner with Heart Forward as one of our sponsors, which helps us to avoid monetization and the pop up of annoying ads mid-sentence, please explore our sponsorship package HERE. A direct link to our Donor Portal is provided HERE.

Subscribe now, and join us for Season Six of Conversations from the Heart. New episodes begin in August.

With appreciation always to our technical producer, Aaron Stern of Capstone Audio.