The one-hour radio broadcast of The Infinite Mind radio presentation of "A New Normal?" can provide a springboard for local discussion of issues impacting the individual as well as the community, including anxiety; depression; post-traumatic stress disorder; what's "normal" and what's not; the impact on people with pre-existing conditions; the impact on children; parity; barriers to treatment; and the importance of coordinating crisis planning with federal, state and local funding.

You will want to vary the discussion in your community depending on the experience and credentials of the individuals participating. Here are a few suggestions:

1. What kind of impact have the events of September 11 and their aftermath had on the mental health of people in our community? What kind of new feelings or experiences are people reporting? What's being done to help those affected?

2. Where can people go or call for help? Do the options change depending on whether a person has health insurance?

3. Have people in this community ever experienced anything like this before? Do older people here, who may have lived through World War II, have a different perspective?

4. How can we, as Americans, a country created for religious freedom, protect our multi-ethnic culture from prejudices and hysteria arising from September 11th? What can we do locally?

5. As a community, what can we do to take care of one another in this time of crisis? What symbols, institutions and connections are important to us here? Are there other ways in which we can "vaccinate" ourselves against fear?

6. What can we do to ensure that our local crisis response plans include a significant mental health component?

7. What can individuals do here to advocate for more comprehensive mental health care in this state and this community?

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