Effectively meeting the mental health needs of our communities depends upon our ability to connect with them and understand what those needs are. But how do you know when you have effectively connected with your community? Join us for this two-part series exploring community engagement and needs assessment and their application in your setting. Whether you are new to these topics or you are looking to improve your existing practices, this series is for you! We encourage you to bring a small group of key players from your organization; consider including those who are instrumental in preparing, implementing, and sustaining practices. Please plan to attend both sessions within a topic or have at least one person from your organization in attendance, as the content from Session 1 is built upon in Session 2.

Session 1 will include a topical overview, followed by group collaboration and exploration of resources. Attendees will be invited to apply these resources to their program or system context.

Session 2 will allow for a deeper dive into your application of community engagement and needs assessment resources from Session 1 and feedback from the Northeast Atlantic and Caribbean Hub of CMHIS and from fellow participants. Attendees will identify ways to deepen their connection to their community and implement services that meet their needs.