UNC Symposium Offers Mental Health Professionals Training to Integrate Psychiatric, Medical Treatment for Schizophrenia

Online, March 7, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Integrating Psychiatric and Medical Care for Persons with Schizophrenia will be the focus of discussion at the 18th Annual STEP Symposium sponsored by the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health. The event will take place on Sat., March 26, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m, at the William and Ida Friday Center, 100 Friday Drive in Chapel Hill.

"As North Carolina braces for budget cuts, and affordable health care legislation is phased in at the national level, the integration of psychiatric and medical care has become an urgent issue that deserves a renewed emphasis," said Dr. John Gilmore, director of the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health, and the Thad & Alice Eure Professor of Psychiatry and Vice Chair for Research and Scientific Affairs in the Department of Psychiatry. "At the Center, we know that taking a holistic view of our patients is an effective method of treatment, but it is not always easy to implement. By bringing professionals and stakeholders in the mental health community together, we can reinforce our resolve at the Center and invite others to join us in improving the overall health outcomes for persons with schizophrenia and related disorders."

The Symposium will spotlight the medical problems commonly experienced by persons with schizophrenia and clinical, system, and personal barriers to addressing them, as well as practical approaches to improving the health of persons with schizophrenia through nutritional strategies and healthy lifestyle changes. In addition, strategies to develop integrated physical and behavioral health care in the primary care practices of Community Care of North Carolina will be discussed.

Registration for the STEP Symposium is $25. The cost for an optional lunch is $10. Continuing education credits for physicians and other mental health professionals are available for an additional cost. Pre-registration is encouraged. For additional information or to register, visit www.unccmh.org or contact Janice Linn at 919.966.8990 or [email protected].

About STEP
STEP (Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program) is a specialized treatment program located in the Department of Psychiatry at the UNC Neurosciences Hospital and in Carrboro, N.C., for adults with schizophrenia and other severe mental disorders. For almost 20 years, STEP has helped people and families dealing with serious mental illness make strides towards health and recovery. The Annual STEP Symposium offers mental health professionals, advocates, and people and families living with schizophrenia an annual learning opportunity focused on innovative treatment approaches.

About UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health
The UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health fosters partnerships among state, academic, and community programs to enhance quality of care and workforce development issues in North Carolina's mental health system. Backed by outstanding psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, researchers, and other mental health professionals, the Center offers specialized treatment programs for people with mental illness, conducts leading-edge academic research and trains the next generation of community mental health professionals. Founded in January 2009, the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health is part of the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is supported by a three-year grant from The Duke Endowment, as well as Cross Area Services Program (CASP) funds. For more information about the Center, visit www.unccmh.org or email [email protected].
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Media Contact, 18th Annual STEP Symposium:
Janice Linn
UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health
Department of Psychiatry, CB 7160
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160
Phone: 919.966.8990
[email protected]

Media Contacts, UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health:
John H. Gilmore, MD, Director
UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health
Department of Psychiatry, CB 7160
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160
Phone: 919.966.6971
[email protected]

Bebe Smith, MSW, LCSW Co-Director
UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health
Department of Psychiatry, CB 7160
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160
Phone: 919.843.3794
[email protected]