SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The international mental health community will gather at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco February 18-20, 2015, marking the first time the International Together Against Stigma Conference will be held in the United States since its inception in 2001. It is hosted collaboratively by The California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), The California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association. The conference will serve as a platform for those working to advance mental health in the U.S. and around the globe to tackle challenges, share promising practices and spotlight innovation to promote mental health, prevent mental illness, and improve mental health care.
"Stigma and discrimination related to mental health problems are global challenges and need an evidence-based, concerted and long-term commitment to eradicate these forms of social exclusion," explains Dr. Graham Thornicroft, Program Co-Chair and former president of WPA and the European Psychiatric Association. "The international mental health community is inspired by the groundbreaking efforts in California to prevent suicide, improve student mental health, and eliminate the stigma and resulting discrimination associated with mental illness. The 7th annual conference is designed to harness the momentum of California's mental health movement to propel global solutions."
The international conference has even adopted the movement's moniker for this year's theme, "Each Mind Matters: Empowering Community Mental Health through Research, Practice, Policy and Advocacy." Attendees will hear keynote speeches from top researchers, media professionals, leading advocates and policymakers, and participate in three days of workshops focused on sharing global perspectives on stigma reduction, empowering the next generation and charting future opportunities to maximize impact and create change. Broader questions that will be addressed at this conference include:
- What can various countries commit to doing differently and in the future?
- How are we going to eradicate stigma together – globally?
- How are we going to mobilize our communities?
Registration is encouraged among those interested in mental health as it relates to reducing societal injustices, promoting cross-cultural collaboration, and advocating for improved quality of services through research, policy, and practice on a systemic and community level. Expected attendees include people with lived experience and their families, researchers, behavioral health professionals, advocates, criminal justice professionals, healthcare administrators and providers, primary care professionals, veteran service providers, educators and community leaders, among many others.
Program and registration information can be found at TogetherAgainstStigma.org.
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SOURCE California Mental Health Services Authority
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