Alliance Alert: The Alliance Annual Conference is almost here! We have just 8 more days until our conference begins. We will continue to highlight the presentations included in this year’s program as we get closer to next Wednesday. Today, we’d like to take time to highlight our 5 keynote events which cover topics including youth mental health, healing and inclusivity, wellness and peer support, and an opportunity to hear from and offer feedback to NYS Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Sullivan and her team! Our keynoters are highly respected and effective speakers, service innovators, advocates, policy makers, and champions of recovery. Read on to learn more about the keynote presentations and use the information included below to get your tickets and hotel accommodations for the conference if you haven’t already!
Take advantage of our buy 5 get 1 free deal, which has been extended!
Score Big with Our BUY 5, GET 1 FREE Deal!
We are also very pleased to invite you to take advantage of our exclusive offer: when you register five people, you’ll get one registration (including the hotel reservation) absolutely free!
- Hotel, meals and special offerings: Just contact the hotel directly at 1-800-727-8455 and select #1 for reservations to claim your bonus. Remember, each attendee needs an individual reservation/registration, but if they’re sharing a room, you can reserve them together in one go. Planning a short stay? For one-night-only bookings, give the hotel a call at the same number and select #1 for reservations. Don’t miss out on these fantastic savings!
- To attend the conference program, make your qualifying registrations HERE and then email Eileen Crosby for your free registration(s). Don’t forget to include the email address used for purchase and your organization.
If you plan to register less than 5 attendees, use the links to complete registration and get hotel accommodations online. Conference registration and hotel reservations are separate.
Keynote 1
Youth Mental Health: Recovery, Rights, and Justice, Charting a New Way Forward!
Vesper Moore, Chief Operating Officer, Kiva Center
In this powerful and timely keynote, we will explore a bold vision for advancing youth mental health through a lens of recovery, rights, and justice. This session will not only focus on the challenges that youth face in the mental health landscape but also offer concrete strategies to empower and grow a new generation of youth leaders dedicated to transforming the future of mental health advocacy. Join us as we chart a new path forward, equipping young leaders with the tools, support, and vision they need to lead mental health reform with justice, empathy, and courage.
Keynote 2
Healing Through Hip Hop
Luis Lopez, Director of Care Management Instituteand Chacku Mathai, Director of Crisis Systems Training Initiative at Center for Practice Innovations; Christopher “Mic Handz” Rogers, Baltic Street Wellness Solutions; DJ Kareem Abdul-Nur; Alex Frisina
Join us to hear the passion, personal stories, insight, and thought-provoking ideas about hip hop, its history, and how it relates to recovery, lived experience, and social justice. Workshop participants will learn from, and engage with, presenters whose lives are directly influenced by Hip Hop culture. Additionally, the presentation will discuss how Hip Hop has already been used to support healing and raise consciousness about the impact of discrimination, stigma, and inequality in our communities.
Keynote 3
Wellness and Peer Support Pioneers Panel
Mary Ellen Copeland creator of the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), Shery Mead, founder and Co-Director Chris Hansen of Intentional Peer Support and Peggy Swarbrick, creator of the 8 Dimensions of Health and Peer Wellness Coaching; Moderator: Harvey Rosenthal, CEO, Alliance for Rights and Recovery
Come learn from legendary leaders of our recovery and peer support movements as to how their own lived experience led them to create the innovative approaches for which they’re known around the world, about what they felt was needed to help people improve their lives and the vision they’ve had to create the changes they’ve made that have inspired people, systems and policymakers to adopt.
Keynote 4
Office of Mental Health Town Hall
Ann Sullivan, Commissioner; Janine Perazzo, Assistant Commissioner; Erica Van De Wal, Director of Planning; Ian Rodgers, Director, Patient and Client Feedback Initiatives, NYS Office of Mental Health
Join New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Sullivan and her team to discuss an array of new and emerging mental health initiatives and to give your input to OMH’s programs and new hospital care and community connections initiatives.
Keynote 5
The Ecology of Equity: A Healing Pathway to Inclusive Environments
Ashley Stewart, Director of Health and Racial Equity, C4 Innovations
In today’s world, creating truly inclusive spaces requires more than just good intentions—it demands a deep commitment to equity and healing. Join us for this keynote, that will inspire you to see the powerful connection between equity and inclusion. Together, we’ll explore how fostering equity can transform environments into thriving, supportive spaces where everyone feels valued. Join us on this journey to create a future where equity isn’t just a principle—it’s a pathway to a better, more inclusive world.