Mayor Sly James, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Mayor Mark Holland, of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, will hold a community dialogue on mental health on Saturday, September 21st. Earlier this summer, President Obama challenged Americans to hold a national conversation to increase understanding and awareness about mental health. The Kansas City community is one of only 10 nationwide chosen to hold this day-long event. The Mayors are working with Consensus, a local nonprofit dedicated to weaving together public policy and community input, to plan and promote the dialogue.
“Mental health is an issue that impacts us all, regardless of city, county, or state lines,” said Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sly James. “I’m honored to work with Mayor Holland and Consensus on such a critical issue and look forward to the outcomes of the dialogue.”
“Mental health issues affect all of our families and communities, but as a society we struggle to have open and honest conversations about it,” said Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Mark Holland. “I am excited for the dialogue that the Kansas City region will create to raise awareness of mental health, and to help find community-based solutions to mental health needs.”
Three hundred residents will engage in this dialogue, forty percent of which will be individuals who are currently involved in the mental health system, including consumers, family members and service providers. The other 60 percent will be composed of interested citizens. Residents from the six-county metro area, including Jackson, Clay, Platte and Ray in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte in Kansas, are eligible to attend. In particular, the organizers are asking young people ages 14-24 to attend and make their voices heard. Participants will discuss effective ways to recognize, prevent and treat mental and behavioral health problems, especially in young people. The public is encouraged to register for the dialogue online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/
WHO: Mayor Sly James, of Kansas City, Missouri and Mayor Mark Holland, of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas
WHAT: Day-long community dialogue on mental health
WHEN: Saturday, September 21st, 2013 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
WHERE: Imperial Ballroom in the Muehlebach Tower of the KC Marriott Downtown, 1213 Wyandotte, Kansas City, Missouri.
###
