By KHI NEWS SERVICE

PARK CITY — More than 200 people with serious mental illnesses are expected to gather here next month for the Kansas Consumer Advisory Council for Adult Mental Health’s annual conference.

The two-day event will be held at the Best Western Hotel, 915 E. 53rd St., beginning on June 17.

“The conference is about hope, because where there’s hope, there’s recovery,” said Gary Parker, executive director of the advisory council. “The whole idea behind this is to let people see how others have found hope and recovery, and then have them take those ideas back to their communities. This is a great way to do that.”

Featured speaker will be Wilma Townsend, director of consumer affairs with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Forum topics include health and wellness, overcoming stigma and discrimination, employment, peer support and trauma-informed care.

“Trauma-informed care is a hot topic right now,” Parker said.

Financed by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the conference is a project of 17 consumer-run organizations throughout the state.