On September 18, Mental Health America held its 2024 Affiliate Day, an event held prior to the Mental Health America 2024 Main Conference. The event highlighted some of the most successful programs created by some of MHA’s 140 affiliates across the country and featured presentations by affiliate leaders.
Featured programs included: Mental Health America of Southeast Florida’s Local Outreach Team for Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) program; Mental Health America of Lancaster County’s Senior Adult Wellness Program; Mental Health Association of New York State’s CarePath program; Mental Health America – Wabash Valley Region’s Let’s Talk Service; Mental Health Association of East Tennessee’s Treatment Access Bank program; and Mental Health Association of Fauquier County’s Spiritual First Aid course.
During the event’s luncheon, the 2024 Richard Van Horn Innovation in Programming Award was presented, an award that recognizes excellence in mission-focused affiliate programming. East Tennessee Mental Health Association for its Treatment Access Bank program.
Treatment Access Bank Director Rose Patterson commented, “Our approach is unique in the way we focus on the ALICE (income-limited, asset-limited employed) population. We really wanted this to be something that everyone had a stake in.”
In addition to recognizing the impact of affiliate programs, the event also featured sessions from MHA national staff and other industry experts aimed at providing helpful information to the affiliate leaders in attendance. Topics included state and federal advocacy, workplace wellness, grant writing, software integration, and building communities of practice.
In the keynote session, U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Secretary Lisa Gomez, along with other panelists, updated affiliate leaders on how federal regulation, litigation, and health plans are evolving to improve access to mental health care.
While Affiliate Day is a full-day event geared toward MHA’s affiliate network and leadership, MHA affiliates and their programming will continue to be on display during the Mental Health America 2024 Keynote Conference, September 19-21.
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