Alliance Conference Update regarding this year’s conference, Our Movement, Our Moment, to be held NEXT WEEK, September 23-25 at the Albany Marriott
LODGING: The Marriot is full but you can contact the following nearby hotels
- Hampton Inn Albany-Wolf Road BOOK YOUR ROOM 518-438-2822
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Albany Wolf Road BOOK YOUR ROOM518-482-4045
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
- Register for Conference HERE
SPECIAL PROGRAM FEATURE
- We’re so pleased to add a special session with famed peer leader Moe Armstrong to our program
A Chance to Talk with a True Pioneer Moe Armstrong
Poet, artist, musician, puppeteer, comic, an early hippy….and one of the most important pioneers our movement has known. After experiencing serious mental health challenges, homelessness, hospitalization, and substance use, Moe Armstrong went on to become a nationally respected advocate, educator, and organizer and the creator of the Vet-to-Vet model of peer support for veterans. A recipient of the Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Moe remains one of our most inspiring fighters for system reform and will talk about the huge challenges he currently faces with both mental health and medical systems as he deals with his mental health and cancer-related challenges. Come hear from and talk with Moe and see a new short video on his life!
2.ARTS Programs: This year’s conference features special programs devoted to the arts, thanks to input from arts and recovery pioneer Gayle Bluebird including
-The Art of Recovery: Gayle Bluebird, Bluebird Consulting; Lauren Tenney; Michael Skinner, Surviving Spirit; Bryant Pugh, Mental Health Empowerment Project; Moderator: Andrea Wagner, NYS Office of Mental Health
-Sacred Stories Author’s Panel
Lori Tatarski, I Dare You to Walk in My Shoes; Len Statham, 5 Greatest Moments and Michael Skinner, The Lunchbox Theory: Lessons Learned from Trauma and Abuse; I Know You Say It’s Red, But My Crayon Is Blue: The Power of Self-Identification in a World That Keeps Labeling People, Jeff McQueen
- SoulCare Beyond Self-Care: Reflective Writing, Narrative & Restoration
- Stand Up for Mental Health! with David Granirer and comics
- Open Mic with Michael Skinner
3.25th Annual Multicultural Exhibition Center, 14th Annual Diversity Bash and 14th Annual Multicultural Fashion Show. Together, these events offer conference participants an opportunity to share their cultures, learn from one another, celebrate our similarities and differences, and strengthen inclusion and belonging across our movement.
We are looking for conference attendees to participate and model a cultural outfit! Represent your own cultural heritage, celebrate another culture that is meaningful to you, or represent your organization while helping us showcase the diversity of the Alliance community. See more at https://rightsandrecovery.org/e-news-bulletins/2026/09/17/join-the-fashion-show-celebrate-culture-community-and-recovery-at-the-alliance-conference-3/