Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter to Lead Two Major Forums on Veterans' Mental Health at The Carter Center

Contact: Paige Rohe, prohe@emory.edu; 404-420-5129

ATLANTA…The unique challenges for mental health care and community reintegration faced by National Guard and reserve veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will be the topic of two events being held by The Carter Center in the two weeks prior to Veterans Day.  Both events will be webcast live.

"National Guard and reserves make up approximately one-third of all military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and are more likely than other military to face multiple deployments. Yet, once their job is finished, guard and reserve service members return to civilian life instead of a military base, and do not have the same access to health care services as their active duty colleagues," said Dr. Thomas Bornemann, director of the Carter Center's Mental Health Program.

Nov. 3-4: Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy  
"A Veteran's Journey Home: Reintegrating Our National Guard and Reservists into Family, Community, and Workplace" (This event is invitation-only, but will be live webcast at www.cartercenter.org.)

View the agenda (PDF) >

Since 1985, the annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy has brought together national leaders in mental health to focus and coordinate their efforts on issues of common concern.  Speakers at this year's symposium include:

• Opening remarks by Rosalynn Carter
• Remarks by Congressman Patrick Kennedy, (D - Rhode Island)
• Keynote address by A. Kathryn Power, M.Ed., director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
• Major Mara Boggs, U.S. Army
• Bill Bonk, director, Health and Wellness, Lockheed Martin
• Daniel J. Conti, Ph.D., director, EAP and WorkLife, JP Morgan Chase
• Brian Flynn, Ed.D., associate director, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
• Liisa Hyvarinen Temple, M.S., freelance journalist and former Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism
• John Howard, M.D., director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
• Joyce Raezer, executive director, National Military Family Association          

Nov. 9, 7 p.m.: Conversations at The Carter Center   
"After the War: Mental Health and a Veteran's Journey Home" (Seats are still available for this public panel discussion; it also will be live webcast at www.cartercenter.org.)

The Conversations at The Carter Center series allows the public an opportunity to interact with Carter Center experts, policy-makers, and other special guests to discuss issues that shape our world and how individuals can contribute to positive change.

Key speakers include:

• Col. Thomas Carden, commander, 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard
• Thomas Bornemann Ed.D., director, Carter Center Mental Health Program
• Kelly Kennedy, reporter, Times News Service, and former Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism

Following their discussion, panelists will take questions from the audience.

Editor's Note:

• The Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy is one of the major program activities of the Carter Center's Mental Health Program, which was founded in 1991 by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. The Mental Health Program works to promote awareness about mental health issues, reduce stigma and discrimination against those with mental illnesses, and achieve greater parity for mental health in the U.S. health care system.

Learn more about the Center's Mental Health Program

Learn more about Conversations at The Carter Center 2010-2011 series

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