Washington, DC / October 10, 2017 – On Friday, October 13, 2017, former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) will join hundreds of mental health advocates, community members, and government officials in San Francisco for a day-long forum devoted to tackling one of today’s most pressing health issues: mental health.
Kaiser Permanente is hosting the forum as part of its continuing work to become the country’s leader in promoting mental health and wellness. A recent Kaiser Permanente poll showed that despite a growing openness toward mental health issues and conditions, stigma and misperceptions still exist that may prevent people from speaking up and getting help. The national consumer poll and this week’s forum are part of Kaiser Permanente’s national public health awareness effort, “Find Your Words.”
The event will feature conversation with some of the country’s leading advocates and thought leaders on mental health, including former U.S. Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, author Gayathri Ramprasad, and other Kaiser Permanente leaders and mental health experts.
About Patrick J. Kennedy:
Former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) is a lifelong mental health advocate and member of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. He is the founder of The Kennedy Forum, a convening think tank tackling mental health and addiction issues and co-founder of One Mind, a global leader in open science collaboration for brain research. In 2015, he co-authored A Common Struggle, a New York Times best seller, which details his personal journey and provides a roadmap for the future of mental health policy. Mr. Kennedy is pushing for full enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. He was the lead sponsor of this groundbreaking legislation, which requires health plans cover mental health, eating disorder, and addiction care health benefits the same way they cover physical health benefits. To learn about Mr. Kennedy’s efforts, please visit www.patrickjkennedy.net.