Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson will join experts from around the world to discuss mental health, prostate cancer and other topics during an international health summit.
Austin-Gatson, a Democrat who took office this year, will discuss the importance of mental health and community safety as a keynote speaker for the livestreamed event from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday.
“It’s time for us to approach things in a different manner and how we deal with people with mental illness. Right now, the jails have become the treatment center. That is not appropriate,” said Austin-Gatson during a virtual Thursday press conference. “We have to do better as a community and get information out to people.”
The district attorney’s office will talk about the regional impact of mental health, how it relates to public safety and programs used by local government agencies. “I think we have a lot of work to do in the area,” Austin-Gatson said. “We have done some, but we will continue and we will do more.”
During the Thursday press conference, doctors and prostate cancer researchers discussed the severity of the disease, challenges in bringing awareness to it and stigma associated with getting tested.
The panelists will continue their conversation about prostate cancer and other health issues during Friday’s event. The health summit will be livestreamed to the district attorney’s Facebook page.
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