Gubernatorial candidates Matt Dunne, Peter Galbraith, Bruce Lisman, Sue Minter, and Phil Scott will participate in a forum focused on Community Health and Support Services in Burlington on Monday, June 27.

The event is presented by Vermont Care Partners, The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery, the VNAs of Vermont, the Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Community of Vermont Elders, and Vermont PBS.

Candidates will discuss key issues about how resources can best be directed to strengthen and sustain home and community based services. This is a critical topic for thousands of children, families, and seniors across Vermont, as often the most important aspects of health care happen in homes and communities. Vermont's public system of community mental health, developmental services, substance use disorder treatment and disability, and aging services are critical to improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and improve satisfaction with the quality of health care in our state. As Vermont strives to redesign oversight, management, delivery and payment for health care, the community based service system may hold the key to success.

The forum is from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. at the Main Street Landing Film House at Lake and College Streets in Burlington, and it will also be televised and streamed live on Vermont PBS at www.vermontpbs.org. The event is free, and seating is first-come, first-served in the auditorium, but everyone is guaranteed a seat with live-streaming available. Interpreters for the people with hearing impairments will be present.

Peter Mallary, Vice President of Government Relations and Community Outreach for The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery, will moderate the event.