Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
January 30, 2003, Vol. 03-4

DIALOGUE FOUR CORNERS: MENTAL HEALTH
A NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH (NIMH) PUBLIC HEALTH FORUM

The NIMH Office of the Director and Office of Rural Mental Health are planning a regional public outreach meeting, "Dialogue Four Corners: Mental Health," in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 24, 2003 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. There is no registration fee and everyone is welcome. Those who are interested in attending should register at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Outreach/fourcorners.cfm.

The all day meeting will focus on mental health issues in the frontier "Four Corners" area of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in small discussion groups to share information on the progress in mental health research. These exchanges will allow NIMH to hear from the public and gather vital information to be used to help shape the direction of future research priorities.

Important topics include:

• Disorders that co-occur with mental illnesses such as alcohol, substance abuse, and diabetes.
• Ethnic and cultural issues in mental health for American Indians and Hispanic peoples.
• Barriers to seeking and receiving treatment.
• Suicide.

Previous meetings in this series have been held in Alaska, Texas (Laredo and San Antonio), Pittsburgh, and Chicago. Each meeting has focused on mental illness (and co-occurring substance abuse) in minority populations (Alaska Natives, Hispanic Americans, and African Americans).

On April 23, 2003, prior to the public forum, NIMH and other Government partners will be conducting a workshop to help potential grantees build the skills necessary to apply successfully for NIH support and other funding opportunities. Please register separately for this workshop.

The Agenda will be available soon. Questions? Email: nimhfourcorners@mail.nih.gov.