LAC

region v+

What is a Local Mental Health Advisory Council (LAC)?

A Local Mental Health Advisory Council (LAC) offers individuals, parents, families, community service providers and community members the opportunity to make a real difference in how mental health care is provided in their community. LACs allow people to share their first-hand experiences with mental health challenges with county and state policymakers for the purpose of improving mental health care in their communities.

Every county in Minnesota is required to have a LAC. A county may have both an adult and a children’s mental health LAC, or they may be combined.

Explore these resources to learn more.

When and where are the LAC meetings in Region V+?

Aitkin County  When: Second Tuesday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November) Time: 2:00pm. Place: Aitkin County Health and Human Services 204 1st Street NW Aitkin, MN 56431 Virtual: Zoom link Crow Wing County  When: Third Monday of even months Time: 1:00 p.m. Place: Virtually using the below link Zoom link Morrison County  When: Second Tuesday of even months Time: 12:00 p.m. Place: Virtually using the below link Click here to join the meeting Todd County  When: Third Wednesday of odd months Time: 9:00 a.m. Place: Historic Todd County Courthouse (Prairie Conference Room) 212 2nd Ave S, Long Prairie, MN 56347 (see map) Wadena County When: Fourth Monday every third month (January, April, July, October) Time: 11:00 a.m. Place: In-person at Hope Center 113 Aldrich Ave. SE, Wadena, MN 56482 Virtually via Zoom. Click here Regional LAC Meetings When: Third Thursday of odd months Time: 1:00pm For meeting details, email Danielle Wadsworth, Regional LAC Coordinator, at  danielle.wadsworth@sourcewell-mn.gov 

What are the benefits of LACs?

  • LACs empower individuals with lived experiences of mental health challenges and their families
  • Active, productive, and effective LACs can lead to the improvement of the local mental health system and services for the community
  • LACs offer advice on the local mental health system on what is and is not working
  • Counties can utilize LACs to advise them on a range of mental health related topics, such as improving their local mental health and social services systems
  • Counties, county boards, and community leaders use LACs to advise them on a range of mental health topics, such as improving their local mental health and social services systems

Who serves on a LAC?

An adult LAC includes:

  • At least one person with mental health challenge
  • One family member of an adult with mental health challenge
  • One mental health professional
  • One community support services program representative

A children’s LAC includes:

  • At least one person who was in a mental health program as a child or adolescent
  • At least one parent of a child or adolescent with severe emotional disturbance
  • One children’s mental health professional
  • Representatives of minority populations of significant size residing in the county
  • Representative of the children’s mental health local coordinating council
  • One family community support services program representative