Active Minds, an organization devoted to issues and concerns related to mental health, will meet at Samford University Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4:30 p.m. in Brock Forum, located in Samford’s Dwight Beeson Hall. The public is invited to participate.

A panel of experts will address various aspects of mental health and respond to questions from the audience. Topics include diagnosis and treatment, social stigma, and the role of religion.

Panelists are:  Dr. Marshall E. Cates, assistant dean and professor of pharmacy practice at Samford’s McWhorter School of  Pharmacy; Dr. Matt Kerlin, minister to the university; clinical psychologist Dr. Nicole Siegfried, director of Magnolia Creek Residential Treatment Center for Eating Disorders; and Dr. J. Mark Westfall, a Birmingham psychiatrist affiliated with Alabama Psychotherapy and Wellness Center.

Active Minds is a proactive organization with 150 chapters on campuses throughout North America. Its purpose is to encourage a change of conversation about mental health through awareness, education and advocacy.

Thursday’s meeting will establish a new Samford chapter of Active Minds. For information, contact Samford psychology professor Dr. Jackie Goldstein at (205) 726-2118 or email: jlgoldst@samford.edu.