News in brief ELLSWORTH: FORUM TO ADDRESS VETERANS’ NEEDS

The public is encouraged to attend a forum Thursday evening on meeting the mental health and substance abuse treatment needs of returning military veterans and their families. According to Barbara Royal, director of the Open Door Recovery Center in Ellsworth, the federal government anticipates significant numbers of service members who have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan will require professional treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse disorders and other war-related problems. Family members, too, will benefit from community support and professional intervention as their loved ones readjust to civilian life. Sponsored by Open Door, the Acadia Family Center in Southwest Harbor and the Behavioral Health Center in Bar Harbor, the free event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at the VFW Hall on the Washington Junction Road in Ellsworth.