Who
American Psychological Association President Donald N. Bersoff, PhD, JD, and APA CEO Norman B. Anderson, PhD, will join President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for the National Conference on Mental Health.
What
President Obama and Vice President Biden are hosting the conference to discuss how government, citizens’ groups, professionals and others can collaborate to eliminate mental health stigma so that the millions of Americans suffering from mental health problems will not hesitate to seek help. The conference will bring together representatives from state, local and tribal governments, mental health advocates, educators, health care providers, faith leaders and individuals who have struggled with behavioral health issues.
When
Monday, June 3, 2013
Where
The White House. The conference can be viewed live from 9:40 a.m. to approximately 2:45 p.m. (EDT) at whitehouse.gov/liveopens in new window.
Background
A national conversation to increase understanding and awareness of mental health is part of Obama’s plan to reduce gun violence. “As the administration has repeatedly emphasized, the vast majority of Americans with a mental health problem are not violent and, in fact, they are more likely to be the victims than perpetrators of the crimes. While millions of Americans struggle with mental health problems, those who need help are too often afraid to ask — to seek it, rather, because of the shame and secrecy associated with mental illness,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said at a White House press briefing May 15.
As part of this national collaboration, APA and the Association of American Medical Colleges will also announce a partnership to expand a free, online collection of mental health educational resources for health care professionals and medical students.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 134,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.