Monday, September 29, 2025
Keynote – How Do You Roar? [Pat Deegan]
Clubhouse Comes Back to Upstate New York [Arvind Sooknanan, Nicole Patton, Luke Sikinyi, Members and Staff of the Hudson Valley Clubhouse and Venture House]
Out of Chaos: Inspiring Hope Through My Journey of Recovery and Advocacy [Cohen Miles-Rath]
Developing Resilient Leaders Through a Culture of Mentorship [Jeffrey McQueen]
Paying it Forward: Using our Collective Wisdom to Empower the Next Generation of Peer Supporters [Jeremy Reuling, Aviva Cohen]
Wellness, Recovery and Resilience Story Circles Parts I, II, and III [Deborah Wilcox, Theresa Hall]
Racial and Ethnic Inequities, Discrimination and Stigma in the Workplace [Paul Margolies, Karen Broadway-Wilson, Raymond Gregory, Gary Scannevin, Philip Thomas, Chanel Weathers, Thomas Jewell, Norman Kim]
Message from the Movement [Cherene Caraco, Chacku Mathai, Vesper Moore, Harvey Rosenthal
Growing Peer Support Authentically: Opportunities and Challenges in Workforce Development [Matthew Federici, Mark Salzer]
Trauma-Informed Community(ies) Engagement – What is it? What Does it Take? Where do I Start? [Clarencetine Brooks, Aimary Rubio]
Recovery Centers, Drop-Ins and Psychosocial Programs Learning Collaborative [Matthew Petitte, Jason Erwin, Robert Statham, Kimberly Desantis-Johns, Tracey Svenson-Gates, Jennifer Chandler, Karen Boliver]
Centering Humanity in Supervision: A Peer Support Approach to Trauma-Informed Leadership [Bryant Pugh, Shamona Kirkland, Ellen Healion]
Strategies to Promote Successful Re-Entries [Helen ‘Skip’ Skipper, Amy Brinkley, Luke Sikinyi]
Considering Recovery Farms as Part of the Recovery Ecosystem I: A Discussion [Livia Davis, Cherene Caraco
Building Recovery Together: CORE Skills in Partnering and Active Listening [Kirk Cooper-Johnson, Britt Higgins, Steve Nawotniak, Hannah Taber]
Healing Through Hip Hop [Jerald Jenkins, Chacku Mathai, Luis Lopez, Christopher Rogers]
National Peer Voice Listening Session: Where do we go From Here?
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
From Division to Dialogue: Bridging Clinical and Peer Perspectives [Jeremy Reuling, Jennifer Levesque, Liz Breier, Dana Foglesong, Dan Roman, Shannon Higbee]
Unspoken Truths: Confronting Stigma in BIPOC Communities [Sara Taylor]
Reclaiming Research: Lived Experience Leadership for Justice, Healing, and System Transformation [NevJones, Oscar Jimenez-Solomon, Leah Harris, Todd Wittenberg]
Best Practices in Engaging and Supporting Unhoused Individuals [Jihoon Kim, Nadjete Natchaba, Troy J. Boyle, Rosita Marinez, Sharon Sorrentino, Laura Savino]
Strengthening Peer Support Through Meaningful Collaboration [Rebecca Evansky]
Litigation, Legislation and Representation [Ruth Lowenkron, Heather Simms, Anne Thieling, Elena Kravitz, Vanessa Ramos, Luke Sikinyi]
Breaking the Silence: Building a Progressive Mental Health Care Coalition in New York for Systemic Change [Caleb Scott, Christina Sparrock, Kirshjah Martin]
Rhythms for Community Wellness: The Power of Drumming [Chrys Ballerano]
Keynote – Fighting for our Rights! As if our Lives Depended on it! [Leah Harris, Vesper Moore, Vanessa Ramos, Ruth Lowenkron, Harvey Rosenthal]
Failure to Engage: Addressing Racial Bias and Inequity [Sakeena Trice, Taina Martinez Laing, Daniela Maldonado]
Ethical Decision Marking for Peer Specialists [Jessi Davis, Ellen Healion]
Crisis Respite 101: A Peer-Led Crisis Alternative [Rose Osorio, Jeffrey McQueen, Dominick Marino, Jennifer Levesque]
Peer Support at the Crossroads [Dana Foglesong, Cherene Caraco, Melissa Wettengel, Harvey Rosenthal]
Criminal Justice Reform Initiatives in NYS [Ismael Diaz Jr, Jayette Lansbury, Victor Pate, Scott Paltrowitz]
Disruption, Discovery, Balance: Recovery as Discovery; Finding Balance Through Lived Experience and Peer Support [Greg Parnell]
Innovative Peer Services: How We Do What We Do and Why We Are Successful [Steve Miccio, Kim Wing]
Keynote – Town Hall [Commissioner Ann Sullivan]
Building the Future: Training, Developing, and Sustaining a Resilient Peer Workforce [AnneMarie Wilhelm, Jim Ball, Kirsten Muth]
Psychiatric Advance Directives: A Tool for Advocacy and Empowerment [Kaely Whittington, Ian Rodgers, Matthew Federici, Ryan Tempesco, Luke Sikinyi]
From Surviving to Shining: Peer Innovations and Recovery Across Every Season of Life [Mona Lisa McEachin, Bethany Morgan
Recovery Through Group Process [Larry Hochwald, David Ferencz, Enrica Paladino, Rob Statham]
Leaning into Language: Confronting Discomfort in Everyday Interactions [Jonathan Edwards, Liz Breier]
Resilience: Bathing in the Joy of Life [Neville Morris]
Meeting People Where They Are: Lessons from the Inset Peer-Led Engagement Model [Modupe Mujota, Raquelle Kolodny, Melissa Wettengel, Jennifer Levesque, Shannon Higbee]
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
How Peer Support Builds Healthy Relationships Across Human and Cultural Differences [Deborah Wilcox]
Inside Supportive Housing: Data, Stories, and Lived Experiences [Joelle Ballam-Schwan, Rachel Barth, Oscar Gamble, Doug Cooper]
Spirituality in Recovery: Creating Space for All Paths [Katheryn Manglos, Amy Brinkley, Maryam Husamudeen, Harvey Rosenthal]
New York Needs Mental Health Self Direction! [Keith Aguiar, Jennifer Sutton]
The Power of Peers: What Ohio’s Research Can Teach Us About Strengthening Peer Support in New York [Michael Krause]
When Calling for Help Turns Bad: Community Led Alternatives to Police Crisis Response [Susan Musante, Chacku Mathai, Earl Miller, Liz Mombourquette, Luke Sikinyi]
Interrupting Oppression [Shamon Kirkland, Bryant Bugh]
Keynote – Talking Up The Fight to Address Federal Policy Threats! [Congressman Paul Tonko, Paolo Del Vecchio, Jennifer Mathis Rob Kent, Angelia Smith-Wilson, Luke Sikinyi]
Healing the Heart Through the Arts [Michael Skinner, Chrys Ballerano]
Social Stigma and Shame in the LGBTQ+ Community [Beth Bloom]
Increasing Access to Housing, Food and Transportation: How the 1115 Medicaid Waiver Affects You [Brett Scudder, Jeffrey McQueen, Luke Sikinyi]
From Burnout to Belonging: Using the SWAP Tool to Cultivate Trauma-Responsive Teams [Luis Lopez, Nandini Chakravarty, Marissa Messiah, Samantha Headley]
From Presence to Power: Advancing Peer Roles in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics [Nev Jones, Liz Breier, Chacku Mathai, Shannon Higbee]
Breath-Body-Mind (BBM): A Breath . . . Our Power, Our Resilience [Denise Quamina, Barbara Tedesco, Myeesha Taylor]