Gaps in Georgia's Mental Health Services is Focus of Rosalynn Carter Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jon Moor
404-420-5107

May is National Mental Health Month:
Read Dr. Thom Bornemann's statement and watch Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on WebMD video.

ATLANTA….A study released last year reveals that overall in 2004, Georgia's public mental health services supplied through the Division of Mental Health reached less than a third of people estimated to have a serious mental illness or a serious emotional disturbance. This gap and two others will be tackled by state leaders and mental health advocates and consumers participating in the 11th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum at The Carter Center on Friday, May 19.

According to Dr. Thomas Bornemann, director of The Carter Center Mental Health Program, "The state of Georgia ranks 43rd nationally in per capita expenditures for mental health services. It is no wonder that so many citizens do not receive the mental health services they need."

Registration is open to the public at a $20 fee by contacting ccmhp@emory.edu and requesting a registration form. All those attending will participate in the development of an action agenda to improve access to mental health services for all Georgians.Two other findings in the Georgia Mental Health Gap Analysis that will be addressed at the forum are:

• State hospitals appear to fill the void of community-based crisis services: Does privatization work?
• There is a fragmented vision for an improved mental health system

View the full agenda for the 11th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum (PDF).

Media Opportunities:

Coverage of the proceedings is open to credentialed news outlets. Interviews are available upon request, using the contact information above.

The 11th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum is a collaboration of The Carter Center Mental Health Program, the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN), the Georgia Parent Support Network (GPSN), the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Georgia (NAMI-GA), and the National Mental Health Association of Georgia (NMHAG).

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The Carter Center has observed 62 elections in 25 nations, helped farmers in 15 African countries double or triple crop yields, worked to control or eradicate diseases in Africa and Latin America, and strived to diminish the stigma against mental illnesses.