Governor Hassan, Senator Ayotte, and Other Leaders Attend
Concord, NH – Dr. Alexander “Sandy” Blount, professor of Clinical Psychology and a core faculty member at Antioch University New England led a panel on integrated care at the first annual NH Behavioral Health Summit held on December 3-4 at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth. The conference brought the state’s behavioral health community together for professional development, discussion of public policy goals, and networking.
The hosts of the event represented the leading voices in behavioral health in the state. They included: Bi-State Primary Care; the Foundation for Healthy Communities; NAMI-NH; New Futures; the NH Community Behavioral Health Association; the NH Hospital Association; the NH Providers Association; the NH Psychological Association; and MHM Services, Inc.
Governor Maggie Hassan, US Senator Kelly Ayotte, and Congressman Frank Guinta spoke, as well as representatives of the NH Attorney General’s Office, the University of NH Survey Center, the NH Department of Health and Human Services, the Disabilities Rights Center, as well as other healthcare and advocacy organizations. The keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Hogan, is a nationally recognized expert and leading voice on Zero Suicide in Health and Behavioral Health Care, who served as New York State Commissioner of Mental Health from 2007-2012.
Suellen Griffin, President and CEO of West Central Behavioral Health in Lebanon, and chair of the NH Community Behavioral Health Association, said, “We worked with the major behavioral health organizations and professionals in our state to organize this event to help break down the silos that have developed over the years in both state government and in healthcare. We need to develop real-world solutions to the mental health and substance use crises that are going on in NH, and we need to see action sooner rather than later.”
Kenneth Norton, Executive Director of NAMI-NH, the National Alliance On Mental Illness, said, “NAMI is glad to be partnering with other behavioral health organizations on the Summit, and we hope that the result is both an increased awareness of the need to restore a strong mental health system in New Hampshire and a specific plan for action. The Summit represents a significant step forward in advocacy, education and support for families and individuals struggling with mental illness.”
To register, visit this page: http://dupontgroup.com/events/eventsnhbehavioralhealthsummit/
