Coming Together for Action 2018
Coming Together For Action is an interdisciplinary conference on behavioral health, social justice, & healthier communities.
October 4-6, 2018
Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, Colorado
Now more than ever we need research, innovation, and action to promote behavioral health among individuals, families, and communities. Coming Together for Action 2018 brought together community members, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers who are passionate about behavioral health, social justice, and well-being promotion. Around 200 individuals came to Aurora, CO, to develop leadership capacity, learn about promising practices and policies, stimulate new and innovative ideas, and spark collaborative efforts. We had four thought-provoking plenary addresses, sessions aimed at policy and advocacy, 60+ stimulating presentations, and opportunities for discussion and networking.
Plenary sessions and workshops shared innovative research, practice, and policy ideas for:
- Preventing behavioral health challenges
- Promoting health and well-being
- Fostering responsive community systems
- Valuing wellness and healing knowledge of marginalized individuals, families, and communities
- Implementing well-targeted intervention and treatment
- Developing strategies for addressing social determinants of whole health
- Increasing equity across communities
Program
View the conference program including the full schedule with session descriptions and keynote speaker bios.
Opening Remarks
Watch Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City, deliver the opening remarks for Coming Together for Action 2018.
The Time to Act is Now
At Coming Together for Action 2018, Vikram Patel, recipient of the Global Alliance’s Presidential Citation for Lifetime Achievement Award, outlined a blueprint for reframing mental health. Developed by the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development, mental health exists along a continuum from positive mental health, mental distress, mental disorder, and psychosocial disability. This conceptualization of mental health balances mental health promotion and prevention with treatment, rehabilitation, care, and recovery.
Now more than ever, it’s critical that we focus attention on mental health. We all know the statistics! We also understand the relationship of an individual’s mental health to social and environmental conditions. Finally, we acknowledge the importance of mental health to overall health. Let’s come together and share ideas about how we can promote mental health, prevent mental health problems, improve treatment services, and support recovery!