WHAT: Speaker Karen Bass will address the Carter Center Symposium on Mental Health Policy. The 2008 symposium is titled, ‘Unclaimed Children Revisited: Fostering a Climate to Improve Children’s Mental Health.’ Bass will speak on barriers to providing mental health care for children, which include the current economic crisis. Bass is expected to reiterate her call for federal aid to states as a way of preserving vital programs provided by states and their counties, including Medi-Cal and mental health services. While in Atlanta Bass will also participate in Big 5 budget meetings via conference call and continue to talk with Assemblymembers and staff regarding potential budget solutions.

WHO: California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and more than 200 other mental health advocates, policy makers, practitioners and researchers.

WHEN: The two-day symposium begins at noon Thursday, November 20th. On Friday, November 21st at approximately 7:45 a.m. PST, Speaker Bass will participate in the third panel named ‘Policy Barriers and Opportunities.’ The event is closed to the public, but portions will be webcast live online at www.cartercenter.org.

WHERE: The Carter Center. 435 Freedom Parkway, NE, Atlanta, GA, 30307.

Click onto the following link for the website of Speaker Karen Bass: www.asm.ca.gov/speaker.