Contact: MeenaD@thenationalcouncil.org or 301.602.8474

Free Live Broadcast: Linda Rosenberg, Don Berwick, Pamela Hyde

Dozens of presentations on new and emerging trends and treatments in addictions and mental health, speeches by President Bill Clinton and author Xavier Amador, and free Mental Health First Aid training highlight the National Council’s Mental Health and Addictions Conference, May 2-4, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, CA. May is Mental Health Month.

The free Mental Health First Aid Highlights training on May 2, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm pacific at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, is open to the public, and will teach people how to help someone who is in crisis or developing the signs of mental illness. The training, offered by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare in local partnership with Mental Health Systems and the Mental Health America of San Diego County, uses role playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis, select interventions, and provide initial help until appropriate support is engaged.

Linda Rosenberg, the National Council’s President and CEO, kicks off the conference on May 2, 8:00 am – 8:45 am pacific, with her annual “state of the union” speech by encouraging behavioral health and addiction professionals to “Be The Change” and continue to provide hope of recovery for all those with mental and addiction disorders. Rosenberg’s session will be broadcast live at www.TheNationalCouncil.org/Conference.

“21st century health care is holistic, integrated, and puts individuals at the center of their care,” says Rosenberg. With national health care reform, our field has secured what we’ve always wanted — to have mental and substance use disorders treated the same way as other illnesses. We are no longer a missing piece in the health care dialogue.  Behavioral health has truly become part of the nation’s health care system.” 

Other featured speakers:

• President Bill Clinton delivers the keynote on May 2, 12:00 pm –1:00 pm pacific, and will describe the challenge of globalization, emphasize our growing interdependence, and reflect on “Embracing a Common Humanity.”
• Don Berwick, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, speaks on May 3, 8:30 am–9:30 am pacific, on being an “Extremist for Patient-Centered Care.” The Harvard-trained pediatrician and founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is driven by the mission to give patients access to a system where they are cared for by people they trust. Berwick’s session will be broadcast live at www.TheNationalCouncil.org/Conference.
• Xavier Amador, author of the national bestseller I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need, speaks on  May 4, 8:30 am – 9:30 am pacific. A regular contributor on NBC’s Today Show, he explains why so many people with serious mental illness are in “denial” and refuse treatment, and how to build trust with a mentally ill person through LEAP—listen reflectively, empathize strategically, agree on common ground and partner on shared goals.
• Pamela Hyde, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, explains why “behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover.” Hyde speaks on May 2, 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm pacific and her session will be broadcast live at www.TheNationalCouncil.org/Conference.
• In his national bestseller CRAZY: A Father’ Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, former Washington Post reporter Pete Earley, described his attempts to help his son Mike, after Mike was denied treatment during a psychotic break. He discusses improvements in the system in his session, titled Hopeless No More, on May 3, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm pacific, about successful recovery programs he visited during his domestic and international travel advocating for mental health reform.
• Harold Urschel’s New York Times bestseller, Healing the Addicted Brain: The Revolutionary, Science Based Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Program, describes what happens inside the brain of an addict and how to dramatically improve recovery rates for  persons with addiction disorders. The Chief Medical Strategist at EnterHealth discusses his findings on May 3, 1:00 pm –2:00 pm pacific.

The National Council represents more than 1,800 behavioral healthcare organizations nationwide that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addictions disorders.

Credentialed media may receive complimentary registration. To register or to
speak with mental health and addiction experts during the conference, contact Meena Dayak,
301.602.8474, MeenaD@thenationalcouncil.org. To view the live broadcasts, go to www.TheNationalCouncil.org/Conference.

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) association of 1,800 behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addictions disorders to nearly six million adults, children and families in communities across the country. The National Council and its members bear testimony to the fact that medical, social, psychological, and rehabilitation services offered in community settings help people with mental illnesses and addiction disorders recover and lead productive lives.