Paolo is a person in long-term recovery from mental health conditions and addictions as well as a trauma survivor, and for over 40 years he has worked as a national leader in behavioral health as a consumer, family member, provider, advocate, and policy maker. He graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in social work from Temple University, has published widely, and is a highly sought-after national leader and speaker. He has been a foundational leader of the national consumer/survivor/ex-patient/peer community.

Until his recent retirement in February 2025, Paolo served as the Director of the Office of Recovery at SAMHSA where he provided leadership for efforts to advance recovery across the nation. This includes expanding the availability of recovery support services like peer services, housing, employment, and whole health care. He also previously served as Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services, managing the federal/state mental health block grant program and directing a range of programs and activities that address topics such as suicide prevention, children’s mental health, homelessness, disaster mental health, HIV/AIDS, and others. Prior to joining SAMHSA, he worked for the Philadelphia Office of Mental Health in the areas of policy formulation and the planning of a comprehensive system of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, community-based mental health services.

Casey is the Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Department of Labor. She has been the leading champion at DOL for two major initiatives positively impacting the peer community: getting CPRS training into correctional facilities in Maryland, and launching the Recovery Friendly Workplaces program. Across her roles at DOL, she has managed state and federal funding for initiatives that support job seekers impacted by substance use and/or homelessness. Drawing on her experience in the nonprofit sector, private sector, and state government, Casey specializes in workforce development programming for individuals with substance use and co-occurring disorders. Her subject matter expertise includes supported employment, homelessness, peer support, and recovery.

Casey previously spoke at OOOMD’s 2024 Conference as a panelist on Recovery Friendly Workplaces, and presented along with OOOMD at a BHA-led plenary session on peer support program innovations at the 2024 American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence conference. She is also a current collaborator for OOOMD’s Anti-Stigma Project’s RFW workshops.

Stephanie is the Program Coordinator of the Rapid Response Team at Diakonia, a human services organization on the Lower Eastern Shore serving homeless men, women, families, and veterans. Her passion for harm reduction and recovery grew out of her personal journey and her professional experiences as a registered EMT and firefighter. She directs Diakonia's Overdose Response Program and serves as Co-Chair of Worcester Counties Homeless Sub Committee. Her work on the RRT is a blend of program management and direct service. On any given day, Stephanie can be found actively supports individuals in crisis with practical resources like Narcan and hygiene supplies, connections to local treatment and service programs, peer support, and most importantly: hope.

Nancy Hall served as OOOMD’s Fiscal Manager from 2016 until her passing in December 2024, but her support of the OOOMD affiliate network and grassroots, disability-focused nonprofits went far beyond this role. Among the first generation of women graduates of Harvard Business School, Nancy co-founded the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations in 1992 and served as its Chief Financial Officer until 2009. In "retirement," she taught as an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University and offered expert financial and management technical assistance to countless nonprofits through her consulting firm, 501cSolutions.