Home Official News Releases Drake to co-sponsor public event on recovery with UnityPoint Health

Drake to co-sponsor public event on recovery with UnityPoint Health

On Sept. 5, Drake University and UnityPoint Health Des Moines will host a community forum and panel discussion on recovery. Discussion topics include community mental health, substance abuse treatment, co-occurring disorders, and advocacy and reform efforts, among others. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in the Sussman Theater in Drake University’s Olmsted Center.

The forum will bring together local, national, and international experts, each offering a different perspective on the definition and facilitation of recovery within various contexts. Featured speakers include David Mee-Lee, M.D. and Iowa Sen. Jack Hatch.

Mee-Lee is senior vice president for The Change Companies. He is an internationally known mental health and recovery expert, a board-certified psychiatrist, and is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM). Mee-Lee has more than 30 years experience in person-centered treatment and program development for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions.

Hatch is a state senator who has served in the Iowa Legislature for 22 years. He is known for spearheading reform efforts to expand access to Medicaid and children’s healthcare and improve healthcare education and delivery systems. Hatch is also a property developer with projects in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.

This event is sponsored by UnityPoint Health Des Moines Behavioral and
Powell Chemical Dependency Center Services and Drake University.

For more information, contact Wade Leuwerke, associate professor of education at Drake University, at 515-271-3943 or wade.leuwerke@drake.edu.