Barber hopes for more shows for civility, mental health

There may be more concerts to benefit the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, Barber said. As much of a dream as it has been for Barber to get Browne, one of his most admired artists, to perform for the fund, he has tentative plans for more shows.

Barber, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' district director and one of 13 wounded in the Jan. 8 shootings, hopes to do one more benefit concert, and then a free community concert nearer summer.

"Michael Franti and Jack Johnson," Barber said. "That might be our second concert."

Barber said he has been speaking with representatives from a local radio station about those concerts.

Barber and his family members hatched the idea for the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding and a concert to raise money for the cause shortly after the shootings.

Longtime Tucson benefit concert veteran Ted Warmbrand said using music to help a cause was a natural response for Barber. He served on the board of Warmbrand's not-for-profit concert organization, Itzaboutime Productions.

Barber, Browne and promoter Danny Zelisko said all the performers, the sound and light companies, and everyone except some hourly workers have contributed their time and services to the concert. The Tucson Convention Center has contributed the use of the arena, including some staff support, Zelisko said.

And last week, the first major support for the cause from outside the music business came in.

"The contribution of $50,000 by Jim Click provides a great boost to our fund and, we hope, will encourage other businesspeople to support our projects," Barber said Tuesday.

"Our goals are several," he said. "First, raise enough money for people who were witnesses to the shooting, not shot, but nonetheless affected, to make sure they get counseling. I think anyone who witnesses this horrific event has to be traumatized as any of us" who were wounded or had family members or other loved ones killed or wounded.

Also high on Barber's list of goals for the fund is promoting mental-health care, particularly early intervention. Before retiring and joining Giffords' staff, Barber worked for state agencies for 32 years - including a long stretch as regional director for the Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Too often mental-health problems that could eventually result in tragic behavior are not diagnosed early enough - or at all, he said.

"A lot of times, in terms of mental illness, I think people just aren't aware of what they are seeing (as) signs of mental illness," Barber said.

"This guy (accused shooter Jared Lee Loughner) was exhibiting signs of mental illness, as far as we know, but never got into treatment."

Barber said he sees a need for what he calls mental-health first aid, a type of training for non-mental-health professionals so they can spot signs of mental health problems and "work with people."

He said they would "try to put together a communitywide mental-health-awareness program."

Another of his goals is preventing bullying in schools.

"We don't know that Loughner was bullied, but we know that bullying can lead to violence," Barber said.

Barber doesn't expect to accomplish everything with the fund's money. He said churches and synagogues are resources for teaching awareness of civility. The goal would be "to get congregations to go out beyond what they talk about together in church and synagogue and have them go out and be more vocal about what we've seen in our communities in recent years. We think people are entitled to freedom of speech, for sure."

Congregations of all denominations may have a role, and an advantageous position, in promoting civil public discourse, he said.

Beyond the specific goals, Barber also wants the concert "to send a message that people with political differences (like Jackson Browne and Alice Cooper) can come together and find common ground."

Dan Sorenson