The unique challenges for mental health care and community reintegration faced by National Guard and reserve veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will be the topic of the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, taking place November 3-4. Tom Ferro, LCPC, president of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), will attend the invitation-only symposium led by the former first lady.
11.2.10
November 2, 2010 ñ Atlanta, GA ñ The unique challenges for mental health care and community reintegration faced by National Guard and reserve veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will be the topic of the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, taking place November 3-4. Tom Ferro, LCPC, president of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), will attend the invitation-only symposium led by the former first lady. "AMHCA is delighted to maintain and enhance its special relationship with Mrs. Carter and the Rosalynn Carter Center Symposium on Mental Health Policy," said W. Mark Hamilton, AMHCA's executive director and CEO.
Titled "A Veteran's Journey Home: Reintegrating Our National Guard and Reservists into Family, Community, and Workplace," the symposium will take place at the Carter Center in Atlanta and will be live webcast at www.cartercenter.org.
"National Guard and reserves make up approximately one-third of all military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and are more likely than other military to face multiple deployments. Yet, once their job is finished, guard and reserve service members return to civilian life instead of a military base, and do not have the same access to health care services as their active duty colleagues," said Dr. Thomas Bornemann, director of the Carter Center's Mental Health Program.
Since 1985, the annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy has brought together national leaders in mental health to focus and coordinate their efforts on issues of common concern. Speakers at this year's symposium include:
Rosalynn Carter
Congressman Patrick Kennedy, (D - Rhode Island)
Kathryn Power, M.Ed., director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Major Mara Boggs, U.S. Army
Brian Flynn, Ed.D., associate director, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Brandon Friedman, director, New Media, Department of Veterans Affairs
Joyce Raezer, executive director, National Military Family Association
Learn more about the Carter Center's Mental Health Program