The District of Columbia Department of Mental Health Director Steve Baron will join with regional and local leaders in a conference on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 to develop recommendations to improve mental health care in the Washington Metropolitan area. Consumers of mental health services, mental health providers, consumer advocates and government officials from the District, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /?>Maryland and Virginia are expected to attend the day long conference which starts at 9 am, at The McClendon Center, located at 1313 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC. The event is free, but registration is required.

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Director Baron will talk about recent initiatives by the Department of Mental Health including the recent award of a $1.2 million dollar contract over five years to open the Ida Mae Campbell Wellness & Resource Center, a new consumer run center for mental health advocacy, work skills training and leadership development.

Other speakers include Dan Fisher, National Empowerment Center/ National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer-Survivor Organizations; Clarissa Netter, Director, Office of Consumer and Family Affairs, State of Maryland, Mental Hygiene Administration, and Michael Sterling, Advocate, Consumer Action Network.

Participants will discuss a wide range of issues including recovery education, multi-cultural/cultural competency, homelessness and housing, and jail diversion programs. The conference will focus on discussing ways to ensure that consumers play a leading role in their own recovery and are included in policy and decision making.

For more information and to register, email [email protected] or call (202) 236-7747.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. 

The conference is sponsored by a number of national and local consumer advocate groups and is funded by the Consumer Health Foundation.