You are cordially invited to attend the 2007 Annual Best Practices Conference — Work Works! Supported Employment. This conference will be held at the Hawai‘i Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i from April 3-5, 2007. Attendees will include providers of mental health services, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, consumers of mental health services, and family members of consumers. The goal of this annual conference is to provide a forum for stakeholders from Hawai‘i and the Pacific to exchange ideas and to learn from each another.

Because of this year’s theme, we also have a unique opportunity to host a job fair, which will be open to the public. Job seekers can post their resumes during the Work Works! Job Fair on Thursday, April 5, 2007 from 8 AM to noon in room 306A/B. If you are an employer, I encourage you to post your open positions with us regardless of what industry you are in. Please call (808) 539-3939 for more information.

This conference is jointly sponsored by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Adult Mental Health Division (AMHD) and the Hawai‘i Consortium for Continuing Medical Education and is presented in partnership with the Hawai‘i Center for Evidence-Based Practice and affiliated University of Hawai‘i programs in Nursing, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Social Work. Other partners of the conference include the American Psychiatric Nurses Association — Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i Psychiatric Medical Association, the Hawai‘i Psychological Association, the Hawai‘i Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, United Self-Help, and HIPRA — the Hawai‘i Chapter of the United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.

I would like to acknowledge the Mental Health Services Research, Evaluation, and Training (MHSRET) Program of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawai`i. The MHSRET Program, AMHD Service Directors and planning committee members are responsible for the details of conference planning and logistics. Through the efforts of numerous people working together, the annual AMHD Best Practices Conference is becoming increasingly recognized as one of the preeminent mental health gatherings in the Pacific.

Finally, I would like to thank you, our mental health stakeholders, for considering the 2007 Annual Best Practices Conference. The Adult Mental Health Division and our collaborating partners encourage you to join the discussion so that we may all learn and teach one another.

Mahalo nui loa,
THOMAS W. HESTER, MD
Chief, Adult Mental Health Division