2016 Annual Conference

Thank you for joining NYAPRS at our 34th Annual Conference!!

“Advancing Whole Health & Healthy Communities: 
The Pathway to Population Health”

September 14-16, 2016

Hudson Valley Resort & Conference Center Kerhonkson, NY

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Hearing Voices- A Community Approach to Hearing Voices and Other Unusual Experiences 

This workshop will help us to better understand the voice hearing experience, listen to the narrative and unravel the meaning. International leader Karen Taylor will explore how we can all help voice hearers to not feel stigmatized and discriminated against in our communities and to live full lives Participants will explore how the impact of voice hearing effects not only for the person but for the family and community around them and how this can become a more positive experience for everyone.

Karen Taylor, Working to Recovery, United Kingdom

 

Our Pathway to Promoting Population Health in DSRIP & Health Homes

New regional DSRIP networks called Performing Provider Systems are reshaping local systems of care across the state to improve health outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries, many of whom experience moderate to serious behavioral health conditions. Yet we have heard of very few instances where PPSs have contracted with behavioral health providers to transform and improve how these local systems operate. Here’s a few promising examples of where that is happening, along with an account of how an upstate peer agency is playing a major role in the local health home.

Aileen Martin, Northern Regional Center for Independent Living, Watertown, NY

Kim Taro, Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier, Binghamton, NY

Maura Kelley, Mental Health Peer Connection, Buffalo, NY

 

Understanding Integrated Care

This workshop will follow John, a 32 year old person who is navigating the changes in the way he will receive care during his road to recovery. The presentation will give an overview of integrated medical and behavioral healthcare and its core elements and feature specific examples on how individuals can understand and be involved in their care to make integrated care work for them. It will introduce two workbooks that have been designed with integrated care in mind: Wellness Self-Management and Wellness Self-Management Plus.

Sapana Patel and Paul Margolies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY

 

The Peer Workforce: Building a Profession, Maintaining a Movement

 

Join an intergenerational and cross-systems panel of peer leaders in discussing the journey from a movement to a professional workforce and in identifying opportunities in the road ahead.

Bill Gamble, Mental Health Empowerment Project, Albany, NY

Paige Pierce, Families Together of NYS, Albany, NY

Walter Ginter, Medication Assisted Recovery Services, Bronx, NY

 

Stamping Out Structural Stigma in the Delivery of Behavioral Health Care Services

Individuals with mental health/ substance use disorders are often stigmatized by the very health care system designed to support them. Structural stigma is based upon previously held beliefs that individuals who have mental health or substance abuse disorders are “lesser� than the rest of society. In cultures heavily infused with structural stigma there are disempowerment and low expectations of individuals who have mental health or substance abuse concerns. The presentation then reviews Value Behavioral Health’s (VBH-PA) journey from a stigmatizing medical model to a recovery based culture that included recovery focused policies and practices. The engagement center will talk about some of the recovery based programs that it has implemented and concludes with an individual sharing their powerful story on how their life was changed by the recovery based programs offered at VBH-PA.

Lisa Kugler, Beacon Health Options Maryland Division, Baltimore,MD

Clarence Jordan, Vice President of Wellness & Recovery for Beacon Health Options, Memphis, TN

 

Healthy Agencies Create Healthy Communities: 5 Tools to Prepare

Are you using data to support your decision-making? Is your agency contributing to the overall health of your community? How do you know? Good metrics can inform agency operations, highlight trends, and enhance collaboration. This session offers a five-step strategy for using metrics to help agencies eliminate guessing, support growth, operate more efficiently, and improve quality of care.

David Bucciferro, Foothold Technology, Scotia, NY

 

Bridging Care and Promoting Community Inclusion during Care Transitions

This workshop will present a framework and tools for providing transitional care for people with chronic conditions when they make transitions from one setting to another. Transitions between different levels of care are critically important, vulnerable points that contribute to lapses in quality of care and safety.

Helle Thorning and Luis O. Lopez, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY

Pascale Jean-Noel, Center for Practice and Innovations, New York, NY

 

Rhythms for Wellness, Recovery and Connection: Community Drumming

This is a longtime NYAPRS favorite: an interactive workshop that presents the opportunity to connect to your innate sense of play and the healing, gentle power of rhythm. You may bring your own percussive instrument. A limited number of instruments (35- 45) will be provided.

Chrys Ballerano, NYS Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Albany, NY

 

Healing from Within

Too often external methods of dealing with the negative consequences of stress are promoted over internal methods. This workshop will explore ways to activate the body’s natural healing resources. Through discussion and experiential means we will explore ways to self-regulate the body’s stress response system through meditation, breath practices, self-massage, Qigong and Tai Chi. “Healing from Within� is a program of Advocacy Unlimited that provides holistic healing practices to people in inpatient settings.

Deron Drumm, Advocacy Unlimited, Hartford, CT

 

A History of the Movement

History connects us with our past, with those who have gone before us and those who have earned remembrance. Persons currently working as peer providers, including peer specialists, may not be aware of the rich history to which they now belong. The presenter will review the early history of the “Consumer/Survivor Movement� so that peers can learn about their roots, where they came from as it applies to their work today. It is time to pay tribute and to honor those early pioneers who created the path so that we could someday benefit and continue the journey.

Oryx Cohen, National Empowerment Center, Lawrence, MA

 

Helping People to Make Peace with the Past

Cheryl and Mike are both trauma thrivors/survivors who have worked with trauma survivors nationally to bring trauma-informed approaches to enhance healing, hope and support. This workshop will provide opportunities for us to engage with each other around �what hurts and what helps� when providing support to each other as we heal our pasts. Drawing on the principles of Intentional Peer Support, we will explore “help versus support.� Each of us are hard-wired to heal and healing happens in relationships.

Mike Skinner, Surviving Spirit, Goffstown, NY

Cheryl Sharp, National Council for Behavioral Health, Washington, DC

 

Behavioral and Physical Health Integration is Essential to Promoting Total Population Health

There is no health without mental health and vice versa! This workshop will provide consumer, peer provider of specialty mental health and primary care perspectives on improving the health and health care of people with mental illnesses.

Dr. Lloyd Sederer, Medical Director, NYS Office of Mental Health, New York, NY

Jody Silver, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Freehold, NJ

Carlton Whitmore, NYC DOHMH – Office of Consumer Affairs – Long Island City, NY

 

Recovery and Wellness Tools for Transformation

This presentation will help stakeholders make sense of the key partners in the new system, including HARPs, Health Homes, and their relationship to managed care plans. Participants will leave renewed confidence in their ability to work with the new managed care system. Panel participants will discuss the inherent conflict between Recovery and Wellness based services and the potential for an increasingly illness focused Medical Model approach, especially in light of the transition to Medicaid Managed Care.

Jeremy Reuling and Dwayne Mayes, MHA of Westchester, Tarrytown, NY

Sara Goodman, Baltic Street, Brooklyn, NY

Elizabeth Patience, NYS Office of Mental Health, Syracuse, NY

 

How to Meet and Mingle

Does the idea of talking to people you don’t know, make you weak in the knees? This workshop will offer some fun and engaging strategies that will help you to overcome your fears and meet new people with charm and confidence. This fun and interactive workshop will also present opportunities to brainstorm about how to overcome obstacles to dating such as budget limitations, transportation and the dreaded first date jitters.

Amy Colesante and Bill Gamble, Mental Health Empowerment Project, Albany, NY

 

Beyond the Book Cover: Claiming Our Narratives

You really can’t judge a book by its cover. Re-framing our stories is a key recovery component to manifest who we really are, not by someone else’s definition. Who’s writing the story is as important as who is reading. Let’s reclaim our stories, maintain our dignity, and effectively collaborate with others.

Charles Brack and Dennis Whetsel, United Healthcare, New York, NY

 

Peer Specialist Career Mobility and Advancement: Barriers and Opportunities

We will present results from two national surveys: one focused on the workplace experiences and perceived career development supports of about 1,000 peer specialists, and the second on national and state peer specialist workforce composition and challenges. Following the survey presentation, we will facilitate audience discussion of findings and implications.

Jessica Wolf, Decision Solutions, Fairfield, CT

Liz Breier, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Freehold, NJ

 

Healing Our Pasts, Hope for our Futures: Understanding the Power of Post-Traumatic Growth

Cheryl Sharp, National Council for Behavioral Health, Washington, DC

Introduction: Cathy Cave, Mental Health Empowerment Project, Albany, NY

Cheryl Sharp is a nationally recognized expert who will “share my story from the early childhood trauma to the deep despair that many of us find ourselves in when we lose the capacity to cope.� Her presentation will talk about the process “from a life sentence of ‘mental illness’ to an understanding that wellness and recovery occurs along a continuum. Life has become an amazing journey full of amazing people and it seems to only be getting better. all of us deserve a life worth living; fully and with joy.� 

 

                        Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Impact of Poverty and Racism on Population Health
It is becoming increasingly clear that population health is directly affected by an individual’s social, economic and housing status as well as factors contributing to social injustice and health disparities and inequities. This workshop considers the complex ways in which poverty and racism can combine to negatively impact health and wellness by increasing stigma and restricting opportunities for people of color and people who are struggling to make ends meet. Join our presenters as we explore strategies to overcome barriers and challenges to integrating social factors into the promotion of full population health. 
Marc Dones, Center for Social Innovation, Needham, MA
Chacku Mathai, NAMI STAR Center, Alexandria, VA 
Ali Rashid, NYAPRS, Albany, NY
Moderator Tanya Stevens, NYAPRS, Albany, NY

Employment… Yes! The Role of Employment in Recovery
Participants will learn strategies for helping individuals to activate their interest in employment and to learn about an approach – Individual Placement and Support – that helps people find meaningful jobs. 
Paul Margolies, Karen Broadway-Wilson, Raymond Gregory and Thomas Jewell, NY State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 
Kathleen Herndon, Mental Health Association in Putnam, Brewster, NY 
Len Statham, NYAPRS, Albany, NY

HARP Lessons Learned: Were All in It Together
Building on its reputation for outstanding service to the Medicaid population, the Capital District Physicians Health Plan (CDPHP) has partnered with Community Care Behavioral Health for its experience in population health management in Pennsylvania, as well as its work here in New York to assist in meeting the needs of HARP members. This unique model offers an enhanced “boots on the ground” strategy to assist HARP members in connecting to an integrated provider community. 
Bob Holtz, Capital District Physicians Health Plan (CDPHP), Albany, NY
Kelly Lauletta, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Albany, NY

Peer-Supported Economic Empowerment: Promoting Financial Wellness among People in Recovery
Building on its reputation for outstanding service to the Medicaid population, the Capital District Physicians Health Plan (CDPHP) has partnered with Community Care Behavioral Health for its experience in population health management in Pennsylvania, as well as its work here in New York to assist in meeting the needs of HARP members. This unique model offers an enhanced “boots on the ground” strategy to assist HARP members in connecting to an integrated provider community. 
Oscar Jimenez-Solomon, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry New York, New York, NY
Peggy Swarbrick, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Freehold, NY
Maura Kelley, Mental Health Peer Connection, Western New York Independent Living, Buffalo, NY
Steve Duke, Taina Martinez, Laurie Vite, Baltic Street AEH, Brooklyn, NY

Don’t Let Our Lives Go Up in Smoke
This workshop will focus on the impact that smoking has on the health and lives of people with behavioral health conditions. We will show a short video and present information from the research literature on how smoking affects a variety of critical health indicators that often result in early death. We will then engage in a dialogue with workshop participants on the barriers people face in their efforts to quit smoking as well as systems-level barriers practitioners face in trying to help people quit. We will also identify some of the myths smokers and treatment providers have about smoking and what treatments work. We will then brainstorm ideas on what can help consumers quit who still smoke so that they can have a healthier and longer life. 
Forrest Foster, Luis Lopez, Nancy Covell, and Bernadette Cain, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY

The Expanding Role of Peer Support: Health, Wellness, and Community Connectedness
The presentation will provide participants with a brief review of how peer support has evolved over the past 50 years, from mutual self-help groups and grassroots peer advocacy organizations to more formal peer support programs and services offered through community-based peer-run organizations and agencies. With the growing emphasis on integrated healthcare, new opportunities have arisen for peer support services and programs. The relationship between personal and community health and wellness will be explored. Ideas for innovations in expanding peer support will be presented and discussed. 
Thomas Lane, Magellan Public Sector Solutions, St. Pierce, FL

Creating Wellness: Nuts and Bolts for Planning and Conducting a Health Fair
Health and wellness are important for people in mental health and addictions recovery. This session will explore the nuts and bolts of planning and implementing a health fair to empower one another with tools to prevent and manage health issues to enhance quality of life and lifespan. The empowering role of peer providers will be discussed. 
Christina Serrano and Stephen Olker, Collaborative Support Programs of NJ, Freehold, NJ

Healing Community Trauma through Resiliency
Come hear how Crestwood Behavioral Health is infusing the use of resiliency building skills and Trauma-Informed Care Approaches in its recovery based services and in a variety of community education efforts to reduce secondary trauma in providers. 
Patricia Blum, Ruth Gonzales and Janet Vlavianos, Crestwood Behavioral Health, Sacramento, CA

Crucial Conversations in Peer Support
This interactive workshop teaches the dynamics to achieve mutuality in understanding and connectedness through vital conversations in peer support. Participants develop tools, skills, and an enhanced capacity to create synergy that transforms people and relationships through constructive conversations. These powerful resources can benefit team building, performance management, conflict resolution, and problem solving. 
Anne Dox, Cathy Cave, and Beth Mangiaracina, Mental Health Empowerment Project, Albany, NY

Keynote: March for Mental Health: Destination Dignity
A grassroots movement is gaining strength across our nation, a movement dedicated to creating a groundswell all across our society that says ‘enough!’ to the discrimination, defamation and marginalization of our community! This movement is coming together to organize a series of national and local events that are intended to serve as the tipping points that Selma, Seneca Falls and Stonewell represented for African Americans, women and LGBTQI individuals. Come hear from the nation’s chief organizer about the October 10th march in Washington DC and the March for Mental Health: Destination Dignity that NYAPRS will be hosting in 2018. 
Eduardo Vega, Mental Health Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Julie Erdman, Creative Explorations, Riverhead, NY
Carla Rabinowitz, Community Access, New York, NY
Sue Parrinello, Aid to the Developmentally Disabled, Riverhead, NY
Jeff McQueen, Mental Health Association of Nassau County, Hempstead, NY
Moderator: Harvey Rosenthal, NYAPRS, Albany, NY 

At Least One: Hope Inspiring Relationships
Essential to recovery is having at least one hope inspiring-relationship. Gina will share her personal story of transitioning from long-term institutionalization to active community citizenship. Through her journey, we will discover the importance of hope inspiring relationships including the essential role of peer support. Gina Calhoun, Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery, Brattleboro, VT

Determining Success: The Essential Role of Social Determinants
The circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age shape health in powerful ways. One’s social and physical environment, access to a quality education and health services, and socio-economic status collectively has a major influence on their quality of life. This presentation provides a lens through which to view services to populations impacted by harmful social and environmental factors and their impact on the well-being of individuals and communities. 
Andy Cleek, Briana Goncalves and Dottie Lebron, McSilver Institute for Poverty, Policy, & Research New York University, New York, NY

Engagement Strategies for Culturally Diverse Populations
This session will increase awareness of the impact of culture on the utilization of behavioral health services and will provide examples of strategies that can increase access for diverse adults, children and families. The presenter will share models and substance use treatment services and will discuss how developing trust and confidence in the services offered works best and is the preference of diverse individuals and families. 
Lenora Reid-Rose, Cultural Competence & Diversity Initiatives, Coordinated Care Services, Inc, Rochester, NY 
Oscar Jimenez-Solomon, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY

Program Participants Guiding an agency: Lessons Learned from Community Access’ PPAG
The Program Participant Advisory Group (PPAG) was developed so Community Access could hear directly from participants about both needed changes good things that are happening in each program and the agency. Learn how a group of tenants, PPAG, from 22 buildings and non-housing programs came together to form an advisory group to the CEO and senior management staff. 
Carla Rabinowitz and Mark Jennings, Community Access, New York, NY

Appreciating and Activating Post-Traumatic Growth
While the negative effects of trauma have been studied extensively, less attention has been paid to the possibility that traumatic events can have a positive impact on peaople. Many people report benefits in areas such as changes in self perception, changes in interpersonal relationship and a changed philosophy of life. In this workshop, we will explore the notion of Post-Traumatic Growth. 
Sara Goodman, Baltic Street AEH, Brooklyn, NY

Strengthening Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical Health of Families and CommunitiesHealth and Wellness Unity Builders (HUB)
The circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age shape health in powerful ways. One’s social and This workshop explores an innovative approach to recovery that enhances the personal spiritual, emotional, and physical health of individuals and their families through unity and community connectivity, building stronger more sustainable families and communities. 
Dr. Tammy Butler-Fluitt, Samaritan Women, Inc., Rochester, NY

Tapping the Legal Power of Proxies and Advance Directives
NYS law empowers consumers to use proxies and advance directives to gain more control if and when they lose the capacity to make health care decisions. But few fully use them. Learn their special power and uses for mental health care, and how to foster them, create them and to make them work. 
John A. Gresham and Nina Loewenstein, Disability Rights New York, Brooklyn, NY George Badillo, PEOPLe Inc., Sound Beach, NY

Extending the Reach of Peer Support beyond The Domains of Recovery
This presentation will discuss two programs that utilize peer support interventions in non-mental health arenas, for adolescent girls who have been affected by scoliosis and for veterans of all eras who have experienced a range of post-service transition challenges. 
Michael Stoltz, Association for Mental Health & Wellness, Ronkonkoma, NY
Robin Stoltz, Curvy Girls Scoliosis Foundation, Smithtown, NY

Telling Your Story
Writing about your experiences can be healing, and a creative outlet. In this presentation you will explore the wonderful world of 50-word stories, where we will work on writing our own story and submit them for publishing to an international site. 
Alison Carroll, Putnam Family & Community Services, Carmel, NY 

Our Stories Tell Us Why We’re Here
Three of our nation’s most prominent recovery leaders will draw from their powerful personal experience to reflect on what has helped and what has hurt in their process of healing and recovery. 
Andre Johnson, Detroit Recovery Center, Detroit, MI
Gina Calhoun, Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery, Brattleboro, VT
Derron Drumm, Advocacy Unlimited, Inc., Hartford, CT

National Mental Health Legislation Update
Congress has been considering mental health legislation that has brought much controversy and challenges for proponents of recovery, rehabilitation and rights. Come learn about proposed legislation from the two Murphys, Congressman Tim Murphy from Pennsylvania and Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut, that challenges our entire community and field to consider answers to the tough questions of the day. Learn what you can do to take action. 
Jennifer Mathis, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Washington, DC 
Harvey Rosenthal, NYAPRS, Albany, NY

Pathways to Dual Recovery 
Join a discussion by three of the nation’s greatest leaders in the effort to find a common mission to advance both mental health and addiction recovery. 
Andre Johnson, Detroit Recovery Project, Detroit, MI
Chacku Mathai, NAMI STAR Center, Alexandria, VA
Deron Drumm, Advocacy Unlimited, Inc., Hartford, CT

Creating a Competent Recovery Workforce through the Principles and Practices of Psych Rehab
You know that psychiatric rehabilitation practice works in supporting and promoting recovery. This presentation provides a framework for defining the principles and values while introducing the value of practitioner credentialing. The goal of the presentation is to strengthen the participants’ capacity to accurately and succinctly describe the practice and principles of psychiatric rehabilitation along with the value of practitioner certification. 
Amanda Saake, The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc., New York, NY
Casey Ward Goldberg, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association and Foundation, McLean, VA

Moving Recovery to Practice: Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care to Promote Wellness
Learn about the imperative for engaging people with behavioral health conditions in all aspects of health care while gaining a deeper appreciation of integrated practice approaches, including service delivery that is recovery oriented, person centered, and trauma informed. 
Melody Riefer, Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Tucker, GA

One Member at a Time: A New York Managed Care Company’s Person-Centered Approach to Advancing Integrated Care and Population Health
Working to improve access, integrated care and member satisfaction to its 17,000 new HARP members, Fidelis Care, one of the largest New York State MCOs, uses a person-centered approach. Come and hear how, from our Call Center to our Care Managers, we make successful use of the asking stance, remaining non-judgmental, and listening for change talk in ways that have helped our HARP members connect to care. 
Ellen Stoller and Jon Anderson, Fidelis Care, New York, NY and Latham, NY

Perspectives from Parents with Psychiatric Labels
A panel of parents and grandparents with psychiatric labels from New York State will share their unique parenting roles and experiences with an emphasis on how healthy families can and do look different. Panelists will share their experiences with: relationships, systems, custody issues, rights, trauma-informed approaches, and more.’ 
Bill Gamble and Anne Dox, Mental Health Empowerment Project, Albany, NY
Tracy Puglisi, Association for Mental Health & Wellness, Ronkonkoma, NY
George Badillo, Consultant, Sound Beach, NY
Digna Quinones, New York State Office of Mental Health, Albany, NY

Bein Successful in the Workplace as a Peer Specialist
This presentation provides the nuts and bolts for assembling the workplace skills needed to succeed in various service settings and encourages participants to apply classroom training to simulated practice addressing topics such as conflict resolution, disclosure, peer support, and team building. 
Jonathan Edwards, Program Consultant, NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene, Long Island City, NY

Encouraging Wellness: Empowering Consumers to Take Charge of their own Mental & Physical Health
This workshop will focus on the ways that Venture House encourages its members to take charge of their own mental and physical recovery and wellbeing. We will describe some of the consumer-driven wellness oriented activities that Venture House promotes, including WRAP workshops, wellness walks, nutrition workshops, COD groups, meditation/ yoga, along with wellness dinners. These activities all foster a sense of self-advocacy and facilitate motivation to change. All of these activities can be implemented into any mental health recovery oriented program. Of prime importance to this workshop is the belief that hope is an essential component to any aspect of recovery. 
Annmarie Ross and Rebecca English, Venture House, Jamaica, NY

GLBT MH Consumers: Sexual and Gender Minority Issues
This presentation will promote the psychoeducation of the participants to help them learn about the GLBT experience and perspective of mental health. Each presenter will offer the benefits of what they have learned through lifetimes of GLBT MB survival. It is hoped that the desire to understand and demonstrate compassion for the GLBT communities will motivate the participant to open themselves to new ideas and outlooks from their GLBT brothers and sisters.
Bert Coffman, Zappalority Society, New York, NY 
Lorraine Nunez, Fountain House, New York, NY 
Phillip Williams, Rainbow Heights Club, Brooklyn, NY 
John Keeley, Staten Island, NY
 

                              Friday, September 16, 2016

If Everybody’s Doing It, Why Why Isn’t It (Still) Getting Done?
In his own inimitable style, Joe will offer his thoughts on some of the changes in employment services in our mental health system over the years, reflecting upon the many positive improvements in employment service design. At the same time, he will also discuss the obstacles that still remain in employment system, policy, funding design that are based upon agency and consumer ambivalence about employment being addressed as a core component of a mental health recovery oriented system of care. 
Joe Marrone, Institute for Community Inclusion, Portland, WA

Looking at Culture from Every Angle: A Round Table Discussion on Cultural CHallenges in Today’s Behavioral Health System
Presenters will review how individuals receiving services still encounter prejudice, stigma, and discrimination in the behavioral health system.
Luis O. Lopez, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 
Ruth Colón-Wagner and Larry Hochwald, NYAPRS, Albany, NY 
Raymond M. Rodriguez, Independent Living, Inc, Newburgh, NY

Employment First: A Glance at the Employment First Initiative in NYS
New York State is now an Employment First State. This workshop will explore all that is being done to address the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities. Come share your thoughts about what NYS can do to put Employment First!! 
John Allen and Andy Karhan, NYS Office of Mental Health, Albany, NY
Len Statham, NYAPRS, Albany, NY

HaHa and Soul and Art of Moomba
OK, so these are really challenging, uncertain, and often-stressful times. Many of us feel pressure in the work we do and in our personal lives. Some of us are anxious. So the question is: How do we live in these times with a sense of hope and joy? In this workshop, we will have some fun, sing some songs, move around a bit, and talk together about what our purpose is and what we can do to bring more hope and joy into our lives and the work we do supporting people with disabilities and others. 
Steve Holmes, Self Advocacy Association of New York (SANYS), Schenectady, NY 

Housing is Health: Helping Frequent Users of Hospital Systems Get Housing
As NY works to transform the way services are paid for and delivered under the DSRIP initiative, comprehensive solutions are needed to effectively bend the healthcare cost curve for some of Medicaid’s most vulnerable and highcost members: homeless frequent users of hospital systems. The Bronx Frequent User Collaborative of key stakeholders consisting of Bronx PPSs, hospitals, health plans, Health Homes, the Bronx RHIO and supportive providers are committing to better understanding how to identify and engage their frequent user population through data integration and collaboration with Bronx community based partners. Bonnie Mohan, Bronx Health & Housing Consortium, Bronx, NY
Kristin Miller, Corporation for Supportive Housing, New York,NY
Loredana Ladogana, Affinity Health Plan, Bronx, NY
Nance Shatzkin, Bronx RHIO, Bronx, NY

Imagine Dutchess!
Imagine Dutchess is a partnership of providers, community organizations and businesses working together to create a web portal that will allow residents in Dutchess County, NY to access services effectively and efficiently. This workshop will discuss how the community’s behavioral health and human services have integrated into a single virtual location and the evalution of the web portal into a stabilization center. 
Steve Miccio, PEOPLe, Inc., Poughkeepsie, NY

Wellness in the Clubhouse: How Chelton Loft and Fountain House Bronx have integrated SAMHSA’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness into the Clubhouse Setting
Clubhouses have been called the original Recovery Oriented, Person-Centered Model. Chelton Loft and Fountain House Bronx explain the process for Wellness Integrated and how their experiences may be useful in other recovery oriented settings. 
Suzanne Stoute, Kevin Sullivan, and Dan Papandrea, Chelton Loft (Fedcap Rehabilitation Services) New York, New York, NY
Richard Negron and Bryant Gamble, Fountain House Bronx (Fountain House), Bronx, NY

Still Bathing in the Light
Our faith in the recovery process and consistency in efforts are two of the cornerstones on which it stands. We will review strategies to strengthen the foundation of our recovery, fortify the walls of our resilience, and crown it all in joyful relationships with self and others. 
Neville Morris, Interpersonal Communications Skills and Development (ICDS), Endicott, NY

The Torturous Triple Threat: Violence, Victimization and Drug Use
This workshop is designed to inform mental health workers and consumers about complex issues affecting victims of intimate partner violence, including trends associated with victims’ barriers to recovery and safety. Through engaging conversation and hands on activities, participants will explore how domestic violence, substance use and mental health concerns are closely intertwined. 
Shannon Landy, Community Access, Social Security Administration, New York, NY
Lauren Stander, Community Access, New York, NY

Engagement, Empowerment, Voice and Choice
This workshop will address the effectiveness of cultural competence in the context of shared power relationships between both providers and recipients of mental health services. 
Theresa Hall, NYAPRS Board of Directors, West Babylon, NY
Jeffrey McQueen, Consumer Link of MHA Nassau, Hempstead, NY
Deborah Wilcox, Antioch University Midwest, Yellow Springs, OH

Whole Health and Healing through Mindfulness to Calm the Body, Mind and Spirit
This workshop will address the effectiveness of cultural competence in the context of shared power relationships between both providers and recipients of mental health services. 
Beth Mangiaracina, Mental Health Empowerment Project, Albany, NY

The Peer Role in OnTrackNY
In this workshop, participants will learn about the development of a peer specialist role for OnTrackNY, a team-based early intervention service for young people who have recently started to experience psychosis. 
Paul Margolies and Sascha Altman Dubrul, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY

Transforming Trauma into Triumph
Many people who receive mental health services have experienced trauma. This presentation will be an overview defining trauma, signs and symptoms, treatment options and strategies for wellness. This powerful presentation will be delivered by people who have been touched by trauma in their lives and have successfully overcome it. 
Sadine Richardson, Nancy Grimes and Dawn Batson, Federation of Organizations, Patchogue, NY

Recovery is a Reality
Are you doubting that there is hope for recovery and have been told that you cannot make choices? Listen from someone with major mental illness go from hopeless to hopeful and is now very involved in the community, a WRAP Facilitator, and work full time as a Certified Peer Specialist. 
Kate Hewlett, Rehabilitation Support Services/Otsego County Comunity Service, Oneonta, NY

Affinity Place: Keeping Recovery in the Community
Affinity Place is a peer-run respite which offers its guests the opportunity to try something different in crisis and ultimately avoid psychiatric hospitalization. Affinity’s guests can utilize the service while continuing to maintain their own schedule and their connections in the community (work, recreation, etc.) 
Kristen Muchsadt, East House – Affinity Place, Rochester, NY 
Cynde Kinyon, Mental Health Association- Affinity Place, Rochester, NY


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