Community Forums to Increase Awareness of

Mental Health IssuesCenter for Civic Life at Ashland University

A group of citizens committed to citizen solutions to issues that concern them.

Host deliberative forums for the public Hold Community Conversations Help to recruit volunteers related to

issue(s) Consult with agencies and organizations Hold moderator trainings. Introducing

a certificate program.

Who We Are & What We Do

Held two forums, in cooperation with the MHRB in Ashland County:

Prescription Drug Abuse: A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight?

Are We Overmedicating Our Children: How Should a Community Respond to Emotional and Behavioral Issues in Children and Youth?

Our Involvement in Mental Health

Issues in Ashland County

Community Conversations, which resulted in two working groups:

Prescription Drug Abuse – article series in Times-Gazette, starting of a Families Anonymous chapter

Are We Overmedicating Our Children? – four committees working on online parenting recordings; workshop series for teachers and parents; family therapy group(s); healthy activities for young people

Forum Results

Purposes of Forums

To work toward solutionsTo engage citizens in problem

solving To learn about how to talk

together about issues that concern us all

To consider at least three options fairly

To discuss what we value, possible actions, benefits, and trade-offs

Identify a common problem Title should be broad, stated a

problem, in a neutral way Research issue Interview a diversity of people Framing:

Identify 3 or more options for solutions (based on research and interviews)

Each option should have possible actions

Each option should have potential trade-offs

Steps to Deliberative

Forums

Framing Workshop: You Try It!

Moderator remains neutral, clarifies points, asks questions, leads discussion

Recorder remains neutral, captures essence of comments. Notes are used to inform stakeholders.

Participants are encouraged to participate

Keep remarks focused on options Focus on your own experiences

and values Listen carefully to others and seek

to understand them No one should dominate. Please

keep remarks brief. Everyone should above all be

respectful.

Forum Guidelines

Personal stakeConsider Options (by

deliberation)Possible actionsBenefitsTrade-offs

Actions we can agree onTrade-offs we are willing

to acceptNext steps

Forum Structure

Resources

Community Conversations about Mental Health: Planning Guide, http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Community-Conversations-About-Mental-Health-Planning-Guide/SMA13-4765 Everyday Democracy, www.everyday-democracy.org Kettering Foundation, kettering.orgDayton Office200 Commons RoadDayton, OH 45459937.434.7300800.221.3657 National Issues Forums, www.nifi.org