1. Center for Civic Life at Ashland University

2. A group of citizens committed to citizen solutions to issues that concern them.  Host deliberative forums for the public  Hold Community Conversations  Help to recruit volunteers related to issue(s)  Consult with agencies and organizations  Hold moderator trainings. Introducing a certificate program.

3. Held two forums, in cooperation with the MHRB in Ashland County:  Prescription Drug Abuse: A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight?  Are We Overmedicating Our Children: How Should a Community Respond to Emotional and Behavioral Issues in Children and Youth?

4. Community Conversations, which resulted in two working groups:  Prescription Drug Abuse – article series in Times-Gazette, starting of a Families Anonymous chapter  Are We Overmedicating Our Children? – four committees working on online parenting recordings; workshop series for teachers and parents; family therapy group(s); healthy activities for young people

5.  To work toward solutions  To engage citizens in problem solving  To learn about how to talk together about issues that concern us all  To consider at least three options fairly  To discuss what we value, possible actions, benefits, and trade-offs

6.  Identify a common problem  Title should be broad, stated a problem, in a neutral way  Research issue  Interview a diversity of people  Framing:  Identify 3 or more options for solutions (based on research and interviews)  Each option should have possible actions  Each option should have potential trade-offs

8.  Moderator remains neutral, clarifies points, asks questions, leads discussion  Recorder remains neutral, captures essence of comments. Notes are used to inform stakeholders.  Participants are encouraged to participate  Keep remarks focused on options  Focus on your own experiences and values  Listen carefully to others and seek to understand them  No one should dominate. Please keep remarks brief.  Everyone should above all be respectful.

9.  Personal stake  Consider Options (by deliberation)  Possible actions  Benefits  Trade-offs  Actions we can agree on  Trade-offs we are willing to accept  Next steps

10. Resources Community Conversations about Mental Health: Planning Guide, http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Community-Conversations- About-Mental-Health-Planning-Guide/SMA13-4765 http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Community-Conversations- About-Mental-Health-Planning-Guide/SMA13-4765 Everyday Democracy, www.everyday-democracy.orgwww.everyday-democracy.org Kettering Foundation, kettering.org Dayton Office 200 Commons Road Dayton, OH 45459 937.434.7300 800.221.3657 National Issues Forums, www.nifi.org