Western Region
Mental Health & Nutrition Network
October 17-19, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
Be a part of the inaugural USDA funded mental health and nutrition network. Meet with experts in the fields of mental health and nutrition. Learn how mental health and nutrition intersect.
We aim to address barriers to a healthy life at the intersection of mental health and nutrition.
Our Mission
To facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among professionals and communities to cultivate innovative, practical solutions to improve food systems and strengthen mental health and nutrition integration.
Network Objectives
To improve mental health outcomes across the lifespan through addressing diet quality and healthy food access. Healthy food access applies to more than food insecurity, it may include food swamps, food deserts, rural communities or other contextually defined situations where access to affordable, healthy food is limited.
Conference Objectives
To convene a group of Extension and research faculty along with other partners to advance research and education related to the intersection of nutrition and mental health across the lifespan.
To Increase awareness of the relationship between diet and mental health.
Goals
Increase collaboration and expertise regionally and enhance fund development efforts.
Raise awareness of unique mental health, food system, and nutrition-care related issues in the Western region.
Short term goals
Create a roadmap outlining the existing resources and gaps, define priorities for research and extension efforts in food systems, mental health, and nutrition integration.
Connect a network of Extension and research faculty and other partners to advance research and education to address gaps.
Long term goals
Conduct research and education to improve mental health outcomes through addressing nutrition and healthy food access
Develop resources that states and territories can add to their portfolio of mental health efforts either as a stand-alone piece or additive to ongoing efforts.
Increase collaboration regionally and enhance fund development efforts.