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Seminar: From Mental Illness To Mental Wellness

Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA) - 7/14/2014

Staff Writer

mpontz@lnpnews.com

When you envision excellent mental health and wellness in Lancaster County, exactly what does that entail?

A group of about 100 participants imagined a detailed vision of this sort on Wednesday at "A Vision for Mental Well-Being," sponsored by Lancaster General Health.

The event, held at Eden Resort and Suites in Lancaster, was "the next step after last month's mental health summit," explained LGH Director of Community Health and Wellness Alice Yoder.

Last month's event welcomed around 400 participants who delved into the creation of a SWOT - a thorough outline of "strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats."

Yoder said Wednesday, "This morning we hope to create a vision of good mental well-being in Lancaster."

Participants included mental health providers and consumers, physicians, CEOs, educators and members of the criminal justice field.

Kate Konkle, a Harrisburg native and community coach with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program, led the exercises.

Konkle scattered cards featuring random photographs (a hot air balloon, a bowl of cereal, etc.) around the room.

Participants spent 10 to 15 minutes selecting an image that best represented mental health in their eyes. They then formed 12 groups for open discussion of the photographs and mental health.

"We deliberately assign people to different seats so that they don't come in and sit with their best friends," Yoder explained. "It allows everyone to learn another person's perspective on mental well- being."

Participants reconvened, and Konkle led a discussion to narrow the many ideas to a list of 10 to 15 buzzwords.

That list eventually will turn into a clearly stated goal for the future and subsequent plan for the county.

"There are many different benefits to visioning," Konkle said. "Everyone is working together and moving to a common endpoint."

This process "pushes people to have vision," Yoder said. "I keep reminding everyone that we still have to dream. We're not making an action plan yet."

Yoder believes that the process allows for increased creativity and encourages participants to get very personal, very quickly.

"I heard some really fantastic conversations at the tables today," Konkle said of the event. "There has been open and honest discussion about the positive things happening here, as well as where we still have to go."

As ideas were discussed, Pittsburgh-based visual artist Leah Silverman silently translated the conversation into real-time graphics.

These colorful drawings helped participants to see their thoughts, on hanging mural paper.

Those key ideas and central themes will be used as a focus for action teams in the next several months, as they design mental wellness action steps and a timeline.

As a local mental health consumer and a peer educator for Mental Health America of Lancaster County, Marty Mohn saw a great deal of positive momentum at Wednesday's conference.

"Sitting here with my providers reminds me that people can and do recover from mental illness," Mohn said. "Consumers and providers being here together helps to move us from mental illness to mental wellness, which is the ultimate goal."