The Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) will welcome stakeholders to the inaugural Music City Behavioral Health and Wellness Summit on April 23 and 24 at Riverside Nashville. The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy, a former U.S. Representative and a longtime advocate for mental health, will deliver the keynote address. The summit aims to gather local leaders and stakeholders in the mental health world to discuss challenges facing the community, possible solutions to problems, and opportunities for collaboration.
Dr. Gill Wright, Director of Health, emphasized the importance of the summit, stating, “The Metro Public Health Department is making a big investment in the mental health of our community. With expanded mental health services soon being offered through MPHD, we feel it is important to invite community stakeholders to gather to ensure we all understand our roles and how we can work together to help more people protect, improve and sustain their health.”
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The summit will be divided into two separate days. April 23 will feature addresses from Patrick J. Kennedy, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, and others. On April 24, various workshops will be offered to attendees, covering topics such as Xylazine and Fentanyl, harm reduction, and the epidemiological impact of substance misuse.
Mayor O’Connell emphasized the importance of the summit, stating, “Most of us know someone who has been impacted by a mental health or substance use challenge, but in that moment of crisis, may not know what to do or where to turn for support. In 2023, more than 700 of our neighbors, friends and family members died from a suspected drug overdose. Those deaths were preventable. Conversations like the one we will have at the Music City Behavioral Health and Wellness Summit are critical components to increasing awareness of the resources and support available in our community and creating a more resilient, healthy Nashville where preventable deaths are prevented.”
Registration is open and recommended for attendees at no cost. Those in need of an accommodation are encouraged to email [email protected].
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