(CNN) -- President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will gather Cabinet members and celebrities to host a conference on mental health Monday at the White House, building on the administration's efforts to combat gun violence and assist veterans.
The conference comes nearly five months after the president issued an executive action to "launch a national dialogue" led by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan on mental health as part of his 23 proposals to target gun violence.
In the conference's opening remarks, the president will also announce the Department of Veterans affairs is directing 151 of its health care centers to help veterans access resources in their community through mental health summits.
Actor Bradley Cooper will be featured among the guest speakers. Cooper has become known as a mental health advocate and was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a man struggling with bipolar disorder in the film "Silver Linings Playbook."
Cooper will speak in the closing session, which also includes remarks by Biden and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
At the conference, the White House will commend efforts in the private sector to reduce the stigma against mental health disorders, and Sebelius will moderate a panel focused on negative attitudes about mental illness.
One of the panelists, actress Glenn Close, narrated a documentary aimed to fight against mental health stigmas and helped found the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign, which also works against mental health discrimination. Her sister, Jessie, lives with bipolar disorder, and her nephew has schizoaffective disorder.
Duncan will host a session designed to show off innovative campaigns that raise awareness about mental health issues.
For steps already taken, the White House points to the Affordable Care Act, which the White House says expands mental health and substance abuse disorder benefits for 62 million Americans. The Department of Veterans Affairs, meanwhile, says it has hired 1,600 new mental health providers and started 24 pilot projects in nine states that help veterans access mental health services.
The conference starts at 9:40 a.m. ET, and closing remarks are scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET.
CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
