Farr's panel, "Mental Health Online," is one of 14 to be featured at the one-day conference in Washington, D.C. Joining Farr as co-moderator will be Commissioner William Kennard, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
"One in four families in America will have need of mental health care at some point. If we match that to the fact that nearly one in two households has access to the Internet, we find that the information super highway can become a highway for help," said Farr. "If access to information is the first step to wellness, then the key to improving the lives of our loved ones with mental health could be sitting in our very living rooms."
Topics to be discussed by this panel are: What opportunities does the revolution in information technology create for mental health services? Does the anonymity of the Internet provide for a greater degree of freedom in accessing sensitive and personal information? Or does it create more privacy concerns? How can the Internet be used most effectively to educate people seeking resources relating to mental health?
The Conference seeks to create a dialogue that will highlight cutting-edge treatments and resources, dispel myths about mental illness by bringing together consumers, providers, advocacy groups, business leaders, community mental health resources, and local, state and national elected officials as well as leaders in mental health research and pharmacology, service delivery and insurance coverage. The historic conference aims to create an environment where mental health is given the same level of importance as physical health.
"Breakthroughs in science, research and medicine have taught us more than ever before about the brain, including finding a direct link between mental and physical health," explained Farr, "yet despite these advances, there still exists a widespread stigma and discrimination toward mental health, based on a lack of understanding and plain, outright fear."
Mrs. Gore and the Vice President chose Farr to speak on "Mental Health Online" because of his demonstrated interest in mental health issues in Congress, including his participation in a bipartisan task force geared toward improving the federal response to mental health care and parity issues; his initiative in rewriting the code addressing mental health care issues while he was in the California State Legislature; and his knowledge of the high tech industry in California.
"Dealing with mental illness could potentially result in a life and death situation, as we saw in the death of Charles Vaughn Sr. Since that sad episode I have been fighting for federal funding to be directed toward the training of police crisis intervention teams," said Farr. Charles Vaughn, Sr., a retired school teacher diagnosed with schizophrenia, was fatally shot by Seaside police during an attempt to have him hospitalized on May 19, 1998. Farr has asked Mrs. Gore to highlight this incident in making the case for crisis intervention and police training.
The White House Conference will take place at Howard University and will be chaired by Tipper and Vice-President Gore. President Clinton and the First Lady will also be in attendance. Portions of the conference will be available live via satellite, including a direct downlink to an audience in Santa Cruz.