NYAPRS Note: NYAPRS is very pleased to release our program schedule for our upcoming Annual Conference, “A New Alliance: It Takes a Community,” to be held from September 21-23 at the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in Callicoon, NY. See below the schedule for Registration and Transportation Information, as well as information about our strong COVID-related policies. While registrations are coming in strong, the Hotel still has a number of available rooms (sorry for any confusion from an incorrect Hotel landing page of a few days ago).
NYAPRS 2022 Annual Conference
“A New Alliance: It Takes a Community”
September 21-23, 2022 Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center at Callicoon, NY
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21
10:00 am Conference Registration Opens
Multicultural Exhibition Opens 2nd Floor Mezzanine
10:00 am NYAPRS Health, Healing & Arts
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Reiki Sessions with Sue Sleasman
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Art with Gayle Bluebird on 2nd floor mezzanine
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Poetry Corner with Gayle Bluebird in the Comfort Room
11:30 Lunch
12:00 pm Welcoming Remarks
12:30–1:45 pm Workshops Round 1
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Lessons of the Movement Forum
Gayle Bluebird, Laura van Tosh, Moe Armstrong, Celia Brown; moderator: Harvey Rosenthal moderator
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Connecting to BIPOC Communities Marty’s Lounge
Marguerite Gayle, Jeff McQueen, Theresa Hall, Helen “Skip” Skipper
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Rhythms for Resilience & Connection Outdoors TBA Backup: Game Room
Chrys Ballerano Senior Director of Collaboration & Training NYS Coalition Against Sexual Assault
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Five Critical Functions of Supervision: New Research on the Supervision of Peer Specialists North Room
Jonathan P. Edwards, NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene; Amy Spagnolo and Joanne Forbess, Rutgers University; Gita Enders, Office of Behavioral Health, NYC Health + Hospitals
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We the Women East 2
Ann Kasper, Global Mental Health Peer Network (GMHPN)
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Dignity of Risk: COVID-19 and Beyond East 3
Emily Childress, Mental Health Empowerment Project
This workshop will explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people’s perception and acceptance of an individual’s right to the dignity of risk. The facilitator will guide participants through current life scenarios and explore ways to best support a person’s right to experience the dignity of risk.
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OMH Training Huddle: “What if New York Were the Center of Healing? West Room
Amanda Saake, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Director, Bureau of Recipient Affairs, Regina Shoen, Tony Trahan, NYS Office of Mental Health, Rita Cronise, Rutgers University Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation
1:45 pm Break
2:00-3:15 pm Keynote Presentations
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The Courage to Disrupt: Being a Peacock in the Land of Penguins West Room
Cherene Caraco CEO, Chief Global Strategist, Promise Resource Network
In 2004, I moved from NY to the southern state of North Carolina where peer support did not exist, psychiatric rehabilitation was unheard of, and recovery from labels of mental illness was considered impossible. I was left with two options: relocate or find the courage to disrupt pathology-based systems. It was a simple idea really, but who knew that it would be considered so disruptive?
As the fable, “A Peacock in the Land of Penguins” illustrates, disrupting status quo within systems, communities and organizations requires a lot of courage. Afterall, if you push too much, you may be asked to put on a penguin suit to conform.
In this keynote, we’re going on a journey of examining ways in which conformity and standardization has resulted in siloes and segregation and ultimately, how these perpetuate illness. We will explore what it would take to flip the script, blurring the systems siloes to build unifying policy, establishing alternatives to clinical services, forced treatment and incarceration, and using our wisdom as trauma, psychiatric, houselessness, suicide attempt, formerly incarcerated, substance use, harm reduction, domestic violence and HIV+ survivors to create the opportunities for healing that we never had but critically needed.
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Healing and Social Change Through Hip Hop Forum
Luis O. Lopez (DJ LOL), DJ Kareem (Jerald Jenkins), Christopher Rogers (MIC HANDZ), Celia Brown, Chacku Mathai, Amanda Saake, and Liz Breier.
Hip Hop emerged out of trauma. There are deep parallels between the “why” of Hip Hop and the “why” of our consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement in mental health. We created the Healing Through Hip Hop team and workshop so we can engage each other in the examination of our collective experiences. We share and relate to our stories of embracing our power through the lens of Hip Hop Kulture. What else can we learn from each other about healing and social change? Together, we seek to value our diversity and intersectionality, engage our collective power, and change the social conditions that outraged us in the first place.
3:30-4:45 pm Workshops Round 2
Fighting for Recovery: An Activist History of Mental Health Reform Forum
Phyllis Vine Author and Advocate; Harvey Rosenthal, CEO, NYAPRS
PEER SHARE North Room
Lisa Kugler, Psy.D., Clarence Jordan, MBA, CPS and Michelle Laferriere, CPS, Beacon Health Options
10. How Our Habits Influence our Goals East 2
Sara Goodman, Baltic Street AEH, Inc.
“Habits are algorithms operating in the background that power our lives. Good habits help us reach our goals more effectively and efficiently. Bad ones make things harder or prevent success entirely. Habits powerfully influence our automatic behavior.” – F.S. blog
This workshop will focus on exploring the role our habits play in determining the ultimate quality of our life. We will evaluate our own habits and consider how and if they support our goals or hold us back
11. The firsthand Approach to Peer Engagement and Support: Accessing Resources and Services: Promoting Opportunities for Recovery Marty’s Lounge
Patrick Hendry, Vice President of Peer Services, firsthand
12. NYS Office of Mental Health’s Equity Strategy: Implementing Innovative Policy and Program Changes to Eliminate Disparities West Room
Matthew Canuteson, Office of Diversity and Inclusion Officer – Director, Bureau of Cultural Competence
13. Detours in Recovery: An Honest Look at my Recent Journey East 3
Aviva Cohen, Hands Across Long Island, Inc.
14. From Disability to Independence: One Person’s Journey To Self-Sufficiency Through Peer Support East 2
Ariel Rowland RISE Center Co-Presenter
5:00 pm Cultural Diversity Bash; Fashion Show First Floor Lobby
6:00 pm Dinner Main Dining Room
6:45- 8:15 pm
NYAPRS Annual Awards Ceremony Forum
The NYAPRS Board of Directors are very proud to recognize the exemplary efforts of very special individuals and organizations who have made essential contributions to advancing the recovery and rights of our community.
Zumba with Greg Parnell and Shanel Mayo Crestwood
8:15 pm Peer Support Meetings
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Open Peer Support
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Dual Recovery Anonymous
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NA Meeting
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LGBTQIA+
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Vet Peer Support with Moe Armstrong
9:15 pm Chess, Checkers, and Dominoes Club Tivoli Lounge
9:15 pm Open Mic with Michael Skinner, Surviving Spirit Marty’s Lounge.
9:30 pm Dancing with DJ Kareem (Jerald Jenkins) Forum
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
7:00 am Zumba with Greg Parnell and Shanel Mayo Crestwood West Room
7:30 am Breakfast Main Dining Room
8:00 Multicultural Exhibition Opens 2nd Floor Mezzanine
8:30-9:45 am Workshops Round 3
15. Peers as Agents of Change in the Criminal Justice System East 1
Ali Rashid, Victor Clark, Mental Health Empowerment Project; Alvin Gallardo Westchester Department of Community Mental Health
16. Resilience: Bathing in the Light Forum
Neville Morris CCSI
17. Implementing Wellness Self-Management Plus (WSM+) Groups in PROS Programs during the COVID-19 Pandemic East 2
Noah Lipton, Paul Margolies, Nancy Covell Center for Practice Innovations
18. Project INSET Peer Engagement Innovation North Room
Ruthanne Becker, Raquelle Bender, Participant, Project INSET MHA of Westchester, Harvey Rosenthal moderator
19. The Imperative of Criminal Justice Reform Marty’s Lounge
Speakers TBA
20. Part 1: Experiential: The Wellness and Resilience Story Circle
Deborah Wilcox, PhD – Confluency Consultants and Associates, Poetry for Personal Power (P3 Team); Theresa Hall, NYAPRS Cultural Competence Committee West Room
Part 1: Experiential: The Wellness and Resilience Story Circle
21. Intentional Peer Support East 3
Eva Dech, Intentional Peer Support
10:00-
11:30 am Keynote: New York State Town Hall Forum
OMH Town Hall: Jihoon Kim, Deputy Secretary for Human Services and Mental Hygiene; Ann Sullivan, Commissioner, Amanda Saake, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Director, Bureau of Recipient Affairs, NYS Office of Mental; Harvey Rosenthal
Come hear from the state’s top mental health policymakers about the issues of today and tomorrow. Bring your questions and concerns: nothing is off the table!
11:45-1:00 pm Workshops Round 4
22. SAMHSA’s New Office of Recovery: A Listening Session Forum
Chacku Mathai, Cherene Caraco, Gayle Bluebird, Vesper Moore, Ann Kasper and Harvey Rosenthal
23. Mental Health and EMT First Responders North Room
Correct Crisis Intervention Today-NYC Ruth Lowenkron, NYLPI
24. Recovery is Working! Piloting the Individual Placement & Support (IPS) model of Supported Employment on 6 NY ACT Teams East 1
Noah Lipton, Gary Scannevin, Paul Margolies, Center for Practice Innovations
25. CQ and Me (Cultural Quotient) West Room
Jeffrey McQueen Mental Health Association of Nassau County
26. Investing in the Future: New Initiatives for Accessing and Engaging in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Marty’s Lounge
Katie Merrill, Jason Erwin & Christopher Coyle, NYS Office of Mental Health; Daniella Labate-Covelli, Len Statham NYAPRS
27. Building a Trauma-Informed NYS: An Introduction to the NYS Trauma-Informed Network East 2
Clarencetine (Teena) BrooksOffice of Consumer Affairs, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Jenna Velez, NYS Trauma-informed Network, Coordinated Care Services Inc.
28. 1115 Waiver Update East 3
Lauren Tobias Senior Advisory Brown & Weinraub
1:00 pm Lunch Main Dining Room
1:45 pm Dear Me. Life is Short. Talk Ugly
Poet Joseph LMS Green Forum
Joseph Green is a professional storyteller, award-winning spoken word artist, educator, narrative disruptor, and person in sustained recovery. He advocates for and inspires those overcoming the disease of substance-use disorder through his keynote speeches and workshops. He is currently featured in the documentary, Tipping the Pain Scale, a film focused on the systemic failures and possible solutions for those struggling with addiction and our country’s epidemic of pain. Joseph utilizes the art of storytelling and creative writing to empower people to disrupt harmful narratives about themselves and others.
2:45 pm NYAPRS Annual Meeting Marty’s Lounge
NYAPRS CEO Harvey Rosenthal and COO Len Statham
A ‘state of the agency” review of NYAPRS operations, advocacy, training and peer initiatives
3:45 pm Break
4:00-5:15 pm Workshops Round 5
29. In the Most Integrated Setting: Updating New York’s Olmstead Plan West Room
Kim Hill, NYS Chief Disability Officer; Bruce Darling Center for Disability Rights; Doug Hovey, Independent Living Inc; Denise Figueroa Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley; Len Statham, NYAPRS; Moderator: Harvey Rosenthal
30. The Seat at the Table Campaign East 1
Christina Sparrock, Mental Health Advocate, Steve Coe, Alembic Community Development LLC, Carla Rabinowitz, Community Access
31. Mental Health Recovery for Survivors of Suicide East Room
Amela Dzurlic, Amela Sandra LLC
32. Yoga Practices for Personal and Organizational Wellness North Rooom
Allie Middleton, Integrative Leadership Practices; Peggy Swarbrick, Rutgers University
33. Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Practices Marty’s Lounge
Marguerite Gayle and Jeff McQueen, NYAPRS Cultural Competence Committee co-chairs, Helen ‘Skip’ Skipper of the New York City Peer Justice Initiative and NYS Office of Diversity and Inclusion Officer – Director, Bureau of Cultural Competence Matt Canuteson; Moderator: Luis Lopez, Center for Practice Innovation
34. Post-Traumatic Growth: The Peer Response to the Tragedy in Buffalo West Room
Kevin Smith, Mental Health Peer Connection; Maura Kelly, Western New York Independent Living Center; Cornelius Delaney, Paula Bridgeforth, Samuel Floyd, Adam Selon, Restoration Society, Inc.
5:15 pm Break
6:00 pm Annual BBQ under the Stars; Music by DJ Jenkins Pool Grill
7:00 pm WATCH the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law Give Lifetime Achievement Awards to Laura Van Tosh and Harvey Rosenthal West Room
7:30 pm Thursday Evening Program Forum
Stand Up for Mental Health
Each year, Stand Up for Mental Health’s David Granirer guides aspiring comics to show their stuff at our Annual Comedy Show.
These year’s class incudes Dan Frey, Emily Childress Ann Kasper, Colleen Sheehan, Greg Parnell, Chacku Mathai, Laura Van Tosh and Adam Selon
How to Implement Wellness and Resilience Story Circles within Your Organization West Room
Deborah Wilcox, PhD – Confluency Consultants and Associates , Poetry for Personal Power (P3 Team); Theresa Hall, NYAPRS Cultural Competence Committee
8:15 pm Peer Support Meetings
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Open Peer Support
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Dual Recovery Anonymous
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LGBTQI
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NA Meeting
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Veterans
9:15 pm Chess, Checkers, and Dominoes Club Tivoli Lounge
9:15 pm Open Mic with Michael Skinner, Surviving Spirit Marty’s Lounge
9:30 pm Dancing with DJ Kareem (Jerald Jenkins) Forum
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
7:00 am Zumba with Greg Parnell and Shanel Mayo Crestwood West Room
7:30 am Breakfast Main Dining Room
8:00 am Multicultural Exhibition Opens 2nd Floor Mezzanine
8:30-9:45 am Workshops Round 6
35. Peer Services After the Pandemic: Ideas and Recommendations for a Changed World Forum
Amanda Saake, Sarah Kuriakose, New York State Office of Mental Health; Clinton Green, Center for Urban Community Services; Patrice Peterson, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Rita Cronise, MS, ALWF, Academy of Peer Services; Jeremy Reuling, Bronxworks, Moderator
36. 9-8-8: A First Look Marty’s Lounge
Denise Balzer, New York State Office of Mental Health; Jalyn Radziminski, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; Representative, Vibrant Emotional Health; Kelly Davis, Mental Health America; Moderator: Harvey Rosenthal, NYAPRS
37. Intuitive Writing East 3
Neesa Sunar Valera Health
38. Getting A Job and Getting My Rights Back North Room
Patty Blum, Crestwood Behavioral Health; Regina Kaiser, Dreamcatchers Empowerment: Rita Cronise, Rutgers University Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation
39. Spirituality and Recovery West Room
Theresa Hall, Marguerite Gayle NYAPRS Cultural Competence Committee
40. Understanding Self-Injury East 2
Emily Wasserman-Vaianella Hands Across Long Island; Billy Gamble Mental Health Empowerment Project
41. Getting to know your peer-led IPA partners and Regional Peer Networks: Collaboration in Action East 1
Emily Childress, MHEP and WCNY IPA; Rebecca Evansky, Wellness Collaborative of New York, IPA
9:45 am Break
Keynote Panel: “The Way Forward: The Vision of the New Pioneers” Forum
10:00 am-1100:am
Jalyn Radziminski, Bazelon Center; Lydia X.Z. Brown, Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Kelly Davis, Associate Vice President of Peer and Youth Advocacy at Mental Health America; Vesper Moore, Kiva Centers Harvey Rosenthal, Moderator
1:15 Workshops Round 7
42. Federal Policy Update: Next Steps After the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Forum
Lewis Bossing, Jalyn Radziminski et al Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; Harvey Rosenthal moderator
43. Self-Direction Panel Marty’s Lounge
Keith Aguiar, Community Access and Jaquline Jordan, Independent Living, Inc
Self-Directed Care is about autonomy and choice. It’s based on the idea that people are experts in their lives and should determine their own recovery pathways. With Self-Directed Care, people use public funds to purchase goods and services or hire service providers. All purchases are linked to specific recovery goals set by the person with support from a specially trained advisor.
Since 2017, New York State has been implementing 2 Mental Health Self-Directed Care pilots in New York City via Community Access and the Hudson Valley via Independent Living, Inc. Program staff and participants will provide an update on the program’s success in promoting health and wellness, community living, employment, social connection and other social determinants of health.
44. Ending Homelessness Thru Wrap Around Services East 3
Renee Mitchell Institute for Community Living
Details TBA
45. How to Start a Friendship Project West Room
Dan Frey City Voices; Phillip Fleming, WCNY-IPA Regional Peer Network Coordinator, New York City Region
46. Supporting the Next Generation of Behavioral Health Solutions in Leveraging Community Partnerships East 2
Deborah Faust, Michelle G. Garcia, MHANYS
47. LGBTQIA+ Gender Equity East 1
Elise Diamond, Helen “Skip” Skipper, Vesper Moore
48. First Aid for Emotional Trauma North Room
Billy Gamble, Mental Health Empowerment Project; Mike Skinner, Surviving Spirit
12:30 Lunch, Grand Raffle & Closing Remarks Main Dining Room
Please note that we have worked closely with the hotel to provide the following COVID RELATED PROTECTIONS:
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We will only admit those who show proof of both vaccines and the first booster.
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All hotel staff required to wear masks and gloves
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All common areas will be disinfected on an hourly basis
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Staff’s temperatures are taken before they start their shift
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Health & Hygiene reminders are posted throughout the resort
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We will make NYAPRS Conference designed masks available for everyone, and people will be encouraged to mask up.
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Social distancing personal preferences will be honored
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Please use the REGISTRATION LINK to be found in the flyer below or at https://tinyurl.com/2p9he5wt. Note that:
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If you are looking to register more than one person, you must register them individually. If you are registering people and want them to share a room, you can go ahead and register them together.
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If you are registering 5 people, make sure you take advantage of our BUY-5-GET-1 Free Promotion by contacting the hotel directly at 1-800-727-8455 and select #1 for reservations.
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To register for one-night only, contact the hotel directly at 1-800-727-8455 and select #1 for reservations.
We have 1 bus leaving Long Island and 2 from NYS
NEW YORK CITY: Contact ICL’s Charles Sanchez at csanchez@iclinc.net to reserve your seat on the 1-2 buses leaving Union Square at 8:00 am on Wednesday September 21.
LONG ISLAND There will be a bus leaving on Wednesday September 21 as follows:
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5:30 am from the Association for Mental Health and Wellness at 1380 Roanoke Ave, Riverhead 11901 and then
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6:30 am at 939 Johnson Avenue Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 and then making a stop at
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7:30 at the Mental Health Association of Nassau County at 16 Main Street Hempstead, NY 11550
Cost is $52.00 per person
Contact Aleeyah Page apage@mhanc.org or at 516-361-9086 or
Keyonna Hill khill@mhanc.org or at 516-361-7048
Contact them today: Seats are limited!
Come on back home: we can’t wait to see you in September!
