Mental health experts from Tucson and around the nation will host a community forum today in response to the Jan. 8 shooting.

The forum, called “”A Delicate Balance: Creating a Better Post-Jan. 8 System to Protect the Public and Help Persons with Serious Mental Illness,”” will feature eight panelists as well as keynote speaker Dr. Thomas R. Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. The UA College of Medicine will host the event in conjunction with community organizations and sponsors, including the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona and the Arizona Daily Star.

Insel will receive the Schorr Family Award for Distinguished Contribution in Furthering Public Understanding of Mental Health at the event. The award is presented through the University of Arizona Foundation and recognizes a person or organization that has helped further public awareness and understanding of mental illness.

Insel will be the 13th recipient of the award, and the presentation usually features one or two speakers, said Si Schorr, who founded the award with his wife. This year’s event reflects community concerns about mental health and treatment after the Jan. 8 shooting.

“”How do you create a better system to protect the public and serve the mentally ill?”” Schorr said. “”These are concerns the community has always had. We need to address them in a much better way than we have in the past.””

Panelists will speak about the effects of mental illness, the role of intervention and available resources in Southern Arizona. Speeches will be short to allow time for a question-and-answer session, Schorr said.