Posted on 06/03/2013 7:40:57 AM PDT by mandaladon
President Barack Obama and members of his administration are holding a day-long mental health conference Monday at the White House--and they have asked Hollywood to help lend some star power.
Actors Bradley Cooper and Glenn Close are among those invited to participate in the meeting, which features a panel on negative attitudes toward mental illness moderated by Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius, a panel on mental health outreach moderated by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and opening remarks from the president and closing remarks from Vice President Joe Biden, Cooper and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Close in 2009 co-founded a non-profit organization dedicated to ending stigmas associated with mental illness after observing how it affected her sister and son.
The president is set to announce that the Department of Veterans Affairs will direct 151 of its health care centers to conduct mental health summits July 1 through Sept. 15. The summits, which will include local organizations, will focus on support for veterans and their families and increase awareness about available mental health programs.
Representatives from mental health organizations and mental health advocates, psychologists and messaging experts also will attend the White House conference.
The conference builds on the president's plan to hold a national conversation about gun violence following the deadly Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
His effort to pressure Congress to pass gun reform measures stalled in mid-April when the Democratic-controlled Senate failed to support an expansion of background checks on gun purchases.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Does this person look crazy?
Those who have portrayed mentally ill patients in movies are qualified experts./s
Bradley Cooper played someone with Bi-Polar disorder in ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ so he’s a real expert! That film’s idea of BPD was someone acting like a five year old.
A lot ought to be accomplished at THIS hand shaking orgy!
Makes sense to me. I think that most of Hollywood is mentally ill.
One would think if you were really serious about mental health problems in our country the last people you would want involved would be Hollywood celebrities. Most of them are basket cases and live in a world of make believe.
Hussein is finally talking to experts in the field.
There are plenty of mental health issues in the White House...among other things.
Congress should grab a copy of Fatal Attraction and play it for everyone. They would find the wrist slitting, boiling rabbit, knife attack and finally the shooting of the mentally ill woman interesting.
I’m sure Ms Close would love to answer any and all questions on WHY her character was SHOT and killed by a woman protecting her family. I would like to hear her answer myself.
Notice he is going all-out to distract from his myriad of scandals with showy nonsense like this.
A conference about crazy people planned and attended by crazy people. There you go.
Maybe Obama can get Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes to make keynote speeches.
Take an anti-depression med - banned from owning firearms.
Take ADHD meds - banned from owning firearms.
Why do people think these have become so “prescribed”?
60 million Americans immediately disarmed.
All these people buying into the pushing of these drugs are buying into the demise of personal responsibility and the right to bear arms.
Funny, I didn’t think the crazy Sandy Hook shooter was a vet.
Why is it the Hollywood crowd is so important to Obama? Most of the Hollywood crowd are nuts. Not a very impressive crowd of people to use...unless it is to show America the real crazies.
Hollywood is important because of the power they have to shape the low “information voters”.
It only proves how far over the proverbial edge he really is. He is a walking powerpoint presentation of the classic mentally ill person who there is simply no hope for.
Look at it this way... having Hollywood actors on the panel makes sense...Obama pretends to be a President and surrounds himself with people who pretend to be mental health experts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.