A current focus of the Department’s Public Education program is a mental health film series called “Frames of Mind“. Its goal is to promote community education of issues pertaining to mental health and illness. This ongoing series consists of a once-a-month evening screening of a feature length dramatic film or documentary followed by an informal presentation related to the mental health issue depicted in the film. Speakers and panelists range from psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to representatives from mental health community-based and nonprofit organizations, cinema experts and mental health consumers and their family members. A moderated discussion concludes each evening, with full audience participation encouraged.
Other aspects of the series – now in its twenty-first year – include its rotating co-sponsorship by relevant community advocacy organizations and its ongoing evaluation by those who attend. To date, topics ranging from depression to schizophrenia to autism have now been successfully presented to over 20000 attendees. Please see the website.
Screenings are generally held at 7:00pm on the third Wednesday evening of each month at the Pacific Cinematheque Theatre, 1131 Howe Street.
BrainTalks is a series of talks designed to invite you to consider emerging research about the brain. Researchers studying the brain, from various disciplines including psychiatry, neuroscience, neuroimaging, and neurology, gather to discuss current leading edge topics on the mind. The talks include:
- dialogue around current topics in the news and popular press
- up-to-date reviews of current literature in academic press
- videos and/or film excerpts of relevant discoveries
- CME credits for select talks
For a list of lecture topics, and detailed descriptions, view the website.