Transformation

Real Voices Conference planners provide perspectives on the 2010 event

David Helling and Jeff Johnson, members of the Real Voices, Real Choices Consumer, Family, and Youth Conference planning committee, shared their thoughts on this year's conference in two separate videos. The conference, held August 22-24 at Tan-Tar-A Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks, hosted more than 340 mental consumers, family members, and youth participants. Video presentations of Helling's and Johnson's comments can be viewed on the MOMHTransformation YouTube channel.

According to Helling, self-sufficiency is a major goal for the conference, and he believes that people are invested in seeing it continue: "People plan their vacations around this conference" so that they can participate, he says. Johnson sees the conference as an opportunity to learn more about available resources and to share that information with others who may need help.

The 2010 Real Voices, Real Choices Consumer conference is Missouri's second such effort. The conference is sponsored by the Department of Mental Health, the Office of Mental Health Transformation, and the Missouri Mental Health Foundation.

Register now for the 2010 Consumer, Family, Youth Leadership Conference

Registration is now open for the 2010 Consumer, Family, and Youth Leadership Conference, scheduled for August 22-24 at Tan-Tar-A Conference Center in Osage Beach, Mo. Real Voices – Real Choices: Speaking for Ourselves features award-winning author Kelly Madigan Erlandson as keynote speaker. Erlandson, the author of Getting Sober: A Practical Guide to Making it Through the First 30 Days, will focus on accessing individual creativity to strengthen recovery.

Real Voices Real Choices Conference planners announce details

Plans are moving forward for a Consumer, Family and Youth Leadership Conference this summer. A steering committee of consumers representing persons with developmental disabilities and persons in recovery from mental illness and substance abuse is making the plans and has chosen August 23-25, 2009, as the dates, and Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach as the location. Tentative plans call for workshops and speakers on three different tracks: Consumer well-being, Building Consumer Networks, and Consumer Rights and Responsibilities. Each track will address physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs in these areas.

A conference registration brochure and a call for presentations form is now available. For  more information regarding the conference or for conference updates, you can visit the conference web site at www.missouridmh.typepad.com/realvoicesconference or go to www.dmh.mo.gov and click on the Consumer Conference link. The conference continues the theme of the consumer summit held November 2008 and is entitled Real Voices – Real Choices: Expanding Our Vision.

Leadership Summit provides forum for consumers, advocates

Using the theme “Real Voices, Real Choices,” a group of more than 120 consumers of mental health services, family members of consumers, and youth advocates from across the state gathered at St. Patrick Center in St. Louis November 5 and 6.  The Summit focused  on leadership and collaboration, with the goal of finding common ground in challenges that need to be addressed to improve the prevention and service system for people of all ages with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse problems.