We hope to see you at the Mississippi Joint Planning and Advisory Council this Thursday, August 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Hinds Behavioral Health (3240 Hwy 80 W Jackson, MS, 39209) in the Conference Center. You can enter the conference center from the east side of the building. If you have questions about the meeting or location, contact August Irving at 601-359-6204.
Attending this meeting is an excellent opportunity to learn more about substance use and mental health services in the state and express your ideas about what would most help people.
We will discuss the upcoming community needs assessment, which asks people throughout the state to say what supports and services are needed for people with mental illnesses or substance use disorders and their families. The council developed and piloted the survey in 2023. We are grateful to Dr. Kelsey Bonfils and her University of Southern Mississippi team for making it easier to navigate and working with the council to distribute it. You can view the full agenda here and review the minutes from the last meeting.
The council comprises people who use mental health and substance use services, their families, community members and people who work in mental health and related systems and agencies across the state. Federal law mandates that every state has a council. The council’s duties are to assess unmet mental health and substance use treatment needs and advise the state mental health system on using its federal block grant funds to meet these needs. Here is more information about the council’s 2023 needs assessment.
At this meeting, you will learn more about the DMH budget, policy issues, the block grant planning process and how you can be involved in planning mental health and substance use services in Mississippi. You can also learn ways to become involved in the council and join committees working on membership and a plan to ensure everyone gets to review and give input into how the state spends its block grant funds. The Mississippi Joint Planning and Advisory Council offers many opportunities to provide feedback and is a place where every voice and perspective is valued.
Please come to the meeting on Thursday, August 8, and participate. We want to get to know you and hear your ideas. We strongly encourage in-person attendance, but there is also a virtual option if you can’t make it in person. All meetings include time for public comments and announcements.
