Mental Health Systems Co-Sponsors Conference on Women’s Behavioral Health

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Fifth National CONFERence on Behavioral Health for Women and Girls will bring together leaders in the mental health field to participate in a dialogue about behavioral health issues and substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery for women and girls. Co-sponsored by Mental Health Systems (MHS), the conference theme is “It’s All About HERR: Health, Empowerment, Resilience and Recovery.” The event will be held from July 17-19 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis, 333 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.

“We are proud to participate in this important conference that puts the focus on women and girls”

MHS is a San Diego-based non-profit agency that operates community-based mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation programs. MHS programs deliver direct treatment to those in need, and beyond that, the organization’s outreach marketing and advocacy raises awareness of treatment options.

“We are proud to participate in this important conference that puts the focus on women and girls,” said MHS President/CEO Kimberly Bond, MFT. “Through presentations and workshops, leading behavioral health experts from around the country, including MHS and other organizations, will address important topics and present solutions to help forge a path to mental wellness for women and girls, their families and communities.”

The conference topics are among the most diverse and relevant in the field of mental health and substance abuse. They include, among others: prevention and community; interventions; trauma and violence; recovery supports; children and families; justice-involved women; adolescent girls; female veterans and military families; and workforce/workplace issues.

Ms. Bond will be among the speakers at a July 18^th plenary session “Health, Empowerment, Resilience and Recovery Occur in the Context of Women’s Lives.” In keeping with the SAMHSA conference’s educational goals, such sessions, like the workshops and presentations, are designed to:

Focus on Implementation: Effective practices and policies to improve outcomes for women and girls and the capacity to use them.
Build Alignment and Unity: Create a better shared understanding across prevention, mental health and addictions treatment and recovery fields.
Create a Learning Community Focused on Women and Girls: Exchange research and practice on what works. The conference embodies gender-responsive, recovery-oriented, culturally-competent, trauma-informed principles and practices and celebrates diversity.

For more information on the Fifth National CONFERence on Behavioral Health for Women and Girls, visit the conference webpage at: www.samhsawomensconference.org.

About SAMHSA

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

About Mental Health Systems

Mental Health Systems is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving lives in the communities they serve through mental health and substance abuse programs that provide prevention, education, treatment, and recovery services. The agency operates more than 90 programs in 70 geographic locations in California. To learn more about Mental Health Systems, please visit www.mhsinc.org.