Shared Agenda
Phase I, State-wide Forum
Phase I was completed with a Policymakers’ Shared Agenda Forum in Columbus on March 3, 2003. One hundred and twenty five policymakers attended the forum, including representatives from education, families, mental health and other child-serving systems and advocacy organizations. Nationally renowned experts Dr. Mark Weist, Director of the Center for School Mental Health Assistance at the University of Maryland, and Dr. Steve Adelsheim, Director of the New Mexico School Mental Health Initiative, were the keynote speakers who offered a national policy perspective. In addition, promising work in Ohio was showcased. Facilitated discussion during the forum was structured to create a collective vision among all stakeholders, build a sense of mutual responsibility for reaching the vision, and instill hope that systemic change is possible.