Overcoming the challenges posed by mental health requires innovative approaches to meeting needs. It also takes cooperation among local experts and organizations. In meeting these objectives, the Urban Health Pathway at UC sponsored an all-day Mental Health Action Summit on October 12.

Featuring a mix of academic, professional, and community representatives, the summit used Nippert Stadium’s third-floor open space to inspire collective thinking and creativity around a series of mental health topics.

Specifically, the day featured a series of presentations from researchers and practitioners presenting data analysis on topics ranging from improving access to behavioral healthcare, stress management techniques, health care outreach to minority communities, and overviews of the state of research on trauma and stress.

Speakers addressed themes familiar to most in attendance, including the trauma-based effects children can encounter, challenges with health care access for lower-income residents, and COVID-19’s lingering mental health impacts on both individuals and communities.

Summit organizers recognized that research-based insights are best translated into on-the-ground action through working relationships between academics and practitioners. And it was the practitioners who took center stage in the summit’s afternoon break-out sessions. These sessions, split between separate focuses on children and adults, included speakers Melissa Powers (Judge Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Court), Kevin Jamison (Assistant Superintendent of the Princeton City School District), Tiphanie Galvez (Cincinnati Police Department), and Dorothy Smoot, (Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio) (among others).

Spectrum News 1 Ohio filmed portions of the Summit for inclusion in its special series “Building Resilient Communities,” airing throughout the state in November.
The Summit’s final session gave participants brainstorming opportunities to outline next step possibilities in focusing efforts with the region’s critical needs and formed a Mental Health Collaborative Working Group.

The article was written by Brian Calfano, Interim Head, Department of Journalism, Professor of Political Science and Journalism

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