The Creating Community Pathways group met again for an engaging discussion of what’s next for our community and to plan our next Conversation for Our Times Town Hall. While many thoughts were shared, we all seem on board with Linda Buzzell-Saltzman’s ideas about the importance of bringing the environment into the therapeutic setting and the need for all of us to have a connection with our environment.

The next town hall gathering will be held Saturday June 6, 2009 from 10:00am–1:00pm. The location is TBD (to be determined). This will be an opportunity for Santa Barbara mental health professionals to join together to discuss their visions for community action. Themes for breakout groups are being developed and currently include eco-psychology, responding to local mental health crises, backpack therapy, and renewing community.

Our ultimate vision is that these town hall gatherings for mental health professionals will lead to community action projects carried out by community members and therapists together. In time, we plan to expand the town hall meetings to the larger community of Santa Barbara. It is our hope that the larger town hall gatherings will provide avenues for similar discussions about visions for the community – for example, developing self expression in community settings, creating interpersonal connections, and implementing community projects.