Acadia Healthcare and "Bedlam" Filmmaker Lead Mental Health Panel Discussion

Franklin, Tenn., Oct. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of Mental Health Awareness Week October 4-10, Acadia Healthcare is proud to partner with Dr. Kenneth Rosenberg, the director and producer of the PBS documentary "Bedlam," to facilitate a panel discussion featuring key thought leaders and policy advocates in the behavioral healthcare industry.

The panel discussion will be streamed via Facebook Live at 1 p.m. EST Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.

Dr. Rosenberg's documentary tells the story of people across Los Angeles County who are suffering from severe mental illness, including his own family. The panel discussion will focus on his work, along with topics related to the state of mental health in the United States.

Michael Genovese, M.D., J.D., chief medical officer of Acadia Healthcare, will moderate the conversation. He will be joined by Kevin Sevarino, M.D., Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, and former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy.

"This critical conversation is intended to shine a light on the many challenges Americans who have severe mental illnesses are facing," said Michael Genovese, M.D., J.D., chief medical officer of Acadia Healthcare. "Raising awareness of how mental health disorders are affecting a staggering number of people across the United States is a major step toward decreasing mental health stigma and getting people the help they deserve."

The panel will discuss:

• The state of mental health amid the coronavirus pandemic
• Barriers to accessing behavioral healthcare services
• Stigmas associated with severe mental illnesses
• Improvements to mental health support in the criminal justice system
• Behavioral health resources that are currently available to those in need

To learn more about the event or the panelists, click here.

About Acadia Healthcare 

Acadia Healthcare is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services. As of March 31, 2020, Acadia operated a network of 588 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 18,200 beds in 40 states, the United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico. Acadia provides behavioral health and addiction treatment services to its patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, specialty treatment facilities, residential treatment centers, and outpatient clinics. 

For more information about Acadia Healthcare, please visit www.acadiahealthcare.com. 

About "Bedlam"

Psychiatrist and documentarian Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, M.D., tells the stories of people across Los Angeles County who are suffering from severe mental illnesses. Shot over the course of five years, the PBS documentary "Bedlam" takes viewers inside a psychiatric emergency department, a jail that houses people who are struggling with mental health concerns, inside people's homes, and into homeless encampments, where many people are directly impacted by various mental health conditions. Dr. Rosenberg also interviews experts, activists, individuals living with various mental health concerns, and their families. To learn more about "Bedlam," visit https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/bedlam/ or check out the book Bedlam: An Intimate Journey Into America's Mental Health Crisis, now available through Penguin Random House. You can also stream "Bedlam" for free during the month of October via PBS.org.

Julie Hammond, TPS Marketing Manager
ACADIA HEALTHCARE
(847) 848-4130
Julie.Hammond@acadiahealthcare.com