With the help of its outreach partner in Nebraska, NIMH held its 6th annual meeting of the Outreach Partnership Program in Omaha. The program enlists national and state organizations in partnerships to help bridge the gap between research and clinical practice by disseminating the latest scientific findings, informing the public about mental disorders, alcoholism, and drug addiction, and reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with these illnesses.

State Sen. Jim Jensen, an NIH Council of Public Representatives member, opened the recent meeting by welcoming the 51 outreach partners. His assertion that "we must remove the stigma of mental illness and empower mental health consumers" resonated with the audience of representatives of national mental health organizations and state and local partners. Two years ago, Jensen began to address this problem by introducing a bill to increase community- based services that would allow people with mental illnesses to more easily live in their communities where they have support systems.

Nebraska State Sen. Jim Jensen, a member of the NIH Council of Public Representatives, opened the recent NIMH outreach meeting.	NIMH deputy director Dr. Richard Nakamura meets with an attendee.

Dr. Richard Nakamura, NIMH deputy director, began the formal program by providing an update on NIMH research advances. Throughout the meeting, attendees learned about the latest advances and treatments for mental illnesses and substance abuse from NIMH and NIDA staff, grantees and other experts.

Some of the topics covered in the meeting included media outreach, evidence-based treatments and practice, and reaching out to minority and underserved populations. The plenary sessions can be viewed at http://videocast.nih.gov.