The Ventura County Mental Health Board is sponsoring a forum to provide information and obtain public input on meeting the needs of the mentally ill at 6 p.m. Wed., July 20 at Holy Trinity Church, 1 W. Avenida de Los Arboles, Thousand Oaks.

The forum will include a presentation by Behavioral Health Department Director Linda Schulman of the unmet needs of the mentally ill in Ventura County, as identified by focus groups earlier this year.

The community may provide feedback on such issues as how they see mental illness affecting the community and ideas to improve the system. Input is needed from urban and rural areas of the county as well as from the county’s diverse population.

“We hope to see business community members, employers, family of the mentally ill, clients of the Behavioral Health Department and people who have information about (the) mentally ill that need services that have not been available,” said Joan Blacher, chairman of the Mental Health Board.

Food, beverages, child care and transportation, if needed, will be provided during the forum. Spanish and sign language interpreters will also be available.

The forum is part of the Ventura County Behavioral Health Department’s plan for implementing Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act passed by voters last fall.

For more information or to obtain assistance in attending the forum, call Irene Mellick at (818) 707-4287.