We are thrilled to have SAMHSA’s Paolo Del Vecchio as one of the keynote speakers at NYAPRS’ 41st Annual Conference, ‘Promoting Rights Across the Nation, Recovery Across the Lifespan.’
Mr. del Vecchio is the Director of the Office of Recovery where he provides leadership for SAMHSA’s efforts to advance recovery across the nation. This includes expanding the availability of recovery support services – including peer services, housing, employment, and whole health care – to people with mental health and/or substance use conditions and their families.
Previously, Mr. del Vecchio served as SAMHSA’s Executive Officer and Director of the Office of Management, Technology and Operations and led improvements in the areas of human resources, information technology, ethics, and more. He also previously served as Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services, providing executive leadership for Federal efforts to improve the nation’s mental health service systems. This included management of the federal/state mental health block grant program and directing a range of programs and activities that address topics such as suicide prevention, children’s mental health, homelessness, disaster mental health, HIV/AIDS, and others. Mr. del Vecchio also previously served as the CMHS Associate Director for Consumer Affairs where he directed SAMHSA’s precedent-setting programs and activities that advanced consumer participation and education, a recovery orientation for the mental health system, peer support and the adoption of certified peer specialists, wellness and primary care integration, understanding of trauma histories and the social determinants of health and mental health, and led programs to reduce discrimination and prejudice associated with mental illnesses.
Prior to joining SAMHSA, Paolo worked for the Philadelphia Office of Mental Health in the areas of policy formulation and the planning of a comprehensive system of community-based mental health services addressing homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and many other issues.
A self-identified mental health consumer, trauma survivor, and person in recovery, Paolo has been involved in behavioral health for over 40 years as a consumer, family member, provider, advocate, and policy maker. He graduated summa cum laude with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Temple University, has published widely, and is a highly sought after national leader and speaker. Paolo has been a leader in many Federal efforts including the Federal Advisory Planning Board for the Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health, the HHS Multiple Chronic Conditions Initiative, the HHS Living Community Initiative and numerous others.
See below for more information about the conference, including registration information excerpts from the program.
YOU CAN REGISTER NOW! SEE SEPARATE REGISTRATION LINKS BELOW
for the CONFERENCE and the HOTEL
Note: the September 26-28th hotel fee includes lodging
(make clear whether you’re booking for 1 or 2 people),
7 meals starting with lunch on Tuesday and ending with lunch on Thursday,
nightly entertainment, and access to most hotel facilities.
Register for the Conference
Book Hotel
NYAPRS 2023 ANNUAL PROGRAM EXCERPTS
(see information about many other presentations later next week)
PUBLIC POLICY
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Federal Public Policy Panel
Jennifer Mathis, US Department of Justice; Dara Kass, US Department of Health and Human Services; HHS; Paolo del Vecchio, SAMHSA Office of Recovery -
Mental Health in the Schools
Kelly Davis, Mental Health America, Washington, DC and panel -
Updates on New York’s Medicaid 1115 and IMD waivers
Lauren Tobias, Brown & Weinraub -
The View from the States
Amy Brinkley, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors; Noah Abdenour, Texas Health and Human Services Commission; Amanda NYS Office of Mental Health
PEER SERVICES
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Listening to the Peer Workforce: Top Ten Recommendations
Jeremy Reuling, People USA; Jessica Wolf, Yale Group on Workforce Development; Rita Cronise, Rutgers University, Freehold, NJ -
Tokenism: The Path to Peer Drift
Joanne Forbes, Rutgers University, Morgantown, NJ; Elizabeth “Mya” Haley and Abaigel “Abbe” Duke, Center for Practice Innovation, New York City, New York -
No, Nothing, None! Answers to Three Critical Questions about Supervision of Peer Supporters
Joanne Forbes, Rita Cronise, Amy Spagnolo, Rutgers University, Freehold, NJ; Gita Enders, Health + Hospitals and Jonathan Edwards, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC, New York -
Strategies for Developing The Justice Peer Workforce
LaVerne Daisy Miller, Transitional Services for NY and Helen “Skip” Skipper, The NYC Justice Peer Initiative. Bronx, New York
HUMAN RIGHTS
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Keeping the Movement Moving
Laura Van Tosh, Global Mental Health Peer Network, Washington; Gayle Bluebird, Independent Consultant, Gainesville, FL; Laura Prescott, Sister Witness International, Cornville, Arizona; Harvey Rosenthal, Albany, NY -
Fighting Forced Treatment From Coast to Coast
Andrea Wagner, California Association of Mental Health Peer-Run Organizations (CAMHPRO,) Chico, CA; Cherene Caraco, Promise Resource Network, Charlotte, NC; Harvey Rosenthal, NYAPRS, Albany, NY
HEALING
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Healing Through the Arts
Gayle Bluebird, Independent Consultant, Gainesville, FL -
A Springboard to My Higher Self
Emily Grossman, Pathway Home Training Institute, NY, New York
RECOVERY ALONG THE LIFESPAN
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Empowering the next Generation of Disability Human Rights Leaders through Multigenerational Collaboration
Bianca Logan, Young Leaders and Advocates Network, Victor, NY; Kevin Smith, Mental Health Peer Connection and Stephanie Orlando, WNY Center for Independent Living, Buffalo, NY -
Addressing the Rising Mental Health Needs of an Aging Population
Michael Friedman, Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of NY; Michelle Zechner, Rutgers University; Harvey Rosenthal, NYAPRS, Albany, NY
DIVERSITY
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Trauma Informed Peer Support for Sexual and Gender Diverse Communities
Elise Diamond MHA in Ulster, Kingston, NY; Em Wasserman, Mental Health Empowerment Project, Albany, NY -
Healing Black Women’s Ancestral & Intergenerational Trauma
Chiquita Williams, Consultant, Fountain House, NYC, New York -
Did They Say That? Yes They Did!- Dealing with Microaggressions in Supervision
Jonathan Edwards, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC, New York; Jessica Wolf, Yale Group on Workforce Development
EMPLOYMENT
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Racial (In)justice and Employment
Paul Margolies, Karen Broadway-Wilson, Raymond Gregory, Thomas Jewel, Gary Scannevin, Norman Kim; Center for Practice Innovation, New York City, NY -
Employment: Expanding Outcomes, Building Success
Regina Kaiser Ruth Gonzales Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network, Fairfield, CA
TRAUMA
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Healing through Spiritual Practices with a Trauma Informed Lens
Patty Blum, Crestwood Behavioral Health, Sacramento, CA; Lori Ashcraft, Nevada City, CA -
Trauma and the Workplace
Clarencetine (Teena) Brooks, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, LaVerne Miller, Transitional Services for NY, Patrice Peterson, Vibrant Emotional Health, Maryam Husamudeen, NYAPRS, Albany, NY; Cathy Cave, Inspired Vision, LLC
PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION
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Approach Matters: What Is Psych Rehab and Why Should I Ask For It?
Daniella Labate-Covelli, Steve Nawotniak, Brittany Higgins, New York Psychiatric Rehabilitation Training Academy, Albany, NY