MOBILE — The mayors of Alabama’s 10 largest cities gathered in Mobile this week to advance one of their top shared priorities: improving how communities respond to mental health needs.
As part of their ongoing work on the issue, the Alabama Big 10 Mayors convened leaders from health care, law enforcement and the judicial system for a panel discussion at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf, focused on crisis response, court partnerships and outreach strategies.
Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis moderated the panel, which included Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Stewart, Mobile County Presiding Circuit Judge Wes Pipes, AltaPointe Health CEO Tuerk Schlesinger and Kendell Young, the city of Mobile’s homeless outreach coordinator.
The discussion gave the mayors a chance to hear directly from experts working at the intersection of mental health, public safety, the courts and homelessness, while identifying approaches that could be shared and strengthened across Alabama’s largest cities.
Mobile leaders highlighted the city’s own crisis intervention and outreach efforts, including partnerships among the city, AltaPointe Health and the Mobile Police Department. The mayors also compared best practices and lessons learned from communities across the state.
The meeting builds on the Alabama Big 10 Mayors’ commitment to make mental health a central focus of their collaborative work. Although each city faces different needs, the mayors said Alabama’s largest communities share many of the same challenges and can benefit from working together to identify effective solutions, strengthen partnerships and better connect residents with resources.
“Mental health is one of the most important challenges facing our cities, and it is a priority for all ten of us,” the Alabama Big 10 Mayors said in a joint statement. “Our cities see every day what happens when people cannot get the help they need. We also see what is possible when mental health professionals, law enforcement, the courts and community partners work together. By sharing what works and learning from experts across Alabama, we can build stronger systems of care and better outcomes for the people we serve.”
The Alabama Big 10 Mayors are Ron Anders of Auburn, Randall Woodfin of Birmingham, Kent Lawrence of Decatur, Mark Saliba of Dothan, Nick Derzis of Hoover, Tommy Battle of Huntsville, Ranae Bartlett of Madison, Cheriogotis of Mobile, Steven Reed of Montgomery and Walt Maddox of Tuscaloosa. The group represents the state’s 10 largest cities and works together on major issues affecting Alabama communities, saying it aims to advance practical solutions that make Alabama “a safer, healthier and better place to live.”