Peer-ing Into The Future

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

7:45 - 9:15 a.m.

Legislator Awards Breakfast honoring 2022 State Legislative Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Champions

• Opening remarks: Karmen Hanson from NCSL and previous honoree Utah State Representative Steve Eliason

9:15 - 9:30 a.m.

Welcome by Mental Health President and CEO Schroeder Stribling

9:30 - 10:15 a.m.

Keynote: Peers in Crisis Care Transformation

• David Covington, LPC, MBA, President and CEO RI International

10:15 - 10:45 a.m.

Youth Perspective into the Future of Healing Communities and Peer Pathways

• Kelly Davis, Associate Vice President of Peer Advocacy, Supports, and Services Mental Health America (MHA)

10:45 - 11 a.m.

Break

11 - 11:30 a.m.

A Peer in Action

• Emily Pocock, Peer Health Navigator CO-ACT

11:30 a.m. - noon

Peers Inside of Corrections

• Melissa Smith, Colorado Dept. of Corrections

12:30 - 1:15 p.m.

Networking Lunch (provided)

1:15 - 1:45 p.m.

Peers Creating Innovative Engagement

• Heather Simms, Deputy Director Peer Advocacy and Community Initiatives, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey
• Anne Smullen Thieling, Deputy Director, Community Programs, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey

1:45 - 2:15 p.m.

Digital Peer Support and the Role of Technology in Recovery

• Dr. Karen Fortuna, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Dartmouth College

2:15 - 2:45 p.m.

How MHA Affiliates Employ Peers in Innovative Ways

• Regional Policy Council Representative Ben Harrington, MHA of East TN
• Regional Policy Council Representative Shannah Mulvihill, Mental Health Minnesota

2:45 - 3 p.m.

Wrap Up

6 - 8 p.m.

Affiliate ONLY Dinner by Invitation: Location TBD

Curtis Hotel at 1405 Curtis Street, Denver, CO 80202

MHA invites affiliates to join the next RPC meeting about peers and crisis response: Peer-ing Into the Future. Affiliates receive a yearly stipend to offset travel costs to RPC meetings, and the stipend amount has been increased to $1,000. The meeting will take place in Denver, CO on Tuesday, August 2nd, beginning with the Legislative Awards Ceremony at 7:45 am local time. A networking lunch will allow affiliates to learn more about other affiliate organizations and priorities. The policy meeting will conclude at 2:30 pm and the affiliate dinner will take place at 6:00 pm (on the same evening as the meeting) at a nearby restaurant. Affiliates may have dinner on their own on Monday, August 1, the day before the meeting when they arrive. 

For more details contact Debbie Plotnick dplotnick@mhanational.org and Caren Howard choward@mhanational.org.