Agenda

12:45 - 1:45 pm: Keynote Presentation - Alison Malmon

Active Minds: Changing the Conversation About Mental Health 

Presented by Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director, Active Minds  

Alison formed Active Minds in 2003, following the tragic loss of her brother, Brian, to suicide.  She recognized that his story is the story of thousands of young people who suffer in silence; who, despite their large numbers, think they are totally alone. One of every five students lives with a mental health condition, but stigma and shame often prevent students from reaching out. Seeing a lack of programs and resources to address this, she decided to take action.  A single student group at the University of Pennsylvania evolved into a powerhouse movement with over 600 chapters across the country, and transformed her into a visionary leader.  Alison’s story is a testament to the conference theme, Courage in Community, as she explores the courage to lead, the power of collective vulnerability, and the importance of building resilient networks and communities. 

2:00 - 3:15 pm: Workshop Session 1 (Choice of 5)

• Workshop 1A 

Courage Is Contagious: Building Peer Power, Preventing Burnout, and Reclaiming Agency Together 

Presented by Eric Thomas, MSW, Principal Consultant at Sozo Group

Gain practical tools to spot burnout early, elevate your voice, and turn lived experience into meaningful, collective impact. Through guided reflection, small-group discussion, case scenarios, and skill-building exercises, attendees will learn how to identify burnout early, strengthen peer voice within multidisciplinary environments, and translate lived experience into influence and action. The workshop emphasizes actionable strategies peers can immediately apply in their organizations, advocacy spaces, and communities. This session is designed for peers and allies seeking to move from survival to sustainability and from individual resilience to collective power.

• Workshop 1B

Preserving our Peer Advocates: The Power of Unity Amongst Peers  

Presented by Christina Hawkins, Tabitha Asten, Desmond Perry, and Jessica Maranto of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Learn to build stronger peer support systems through intentional collaboration, practical tools like WRAP, and proven strategies that reduce burnout while strengthening retention and leadership. Attendees will learn how the Office of the Public Defender has operationalized unity through concrete, measurable practices rather than slogans. This presentation emphasizes that Peer Advocates cannot sustainably serve their communities without systems designed to protect, support, and unify them. By investing in peer-centered support models, organizations can reduce burnout and compassion fatigue, improve retention and morale, and create pathways for long-term peer leadership. Participants will leave with practical insights applicable to peer programs across public, nonprofit, and governmental settings.

• Workshop 1C 

Anyone Can Advocate: Back to Basics on Policy and Mental Health

Presented by Deb Steinberg, J.D.

Build your confidence in advocacy by learning what issues matter most, how to effectively share data and stories, and how to craft a compelling pitch that drives change. This presentation will provide a clear framework for how to get involved in advocacy efforts to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder care. First, we will review “hot topics” in behavioral health policy, discuss basic advocacy strategies, and practice an “elevator pitch” to prepare participants to go out and start advocating on issues that are important to them.

• Workshop 1D 

Grief and Loss 

Presented by Sal Corbin, Board Chair and Facilitator, DC Peace Team

Grief is universal and one of the most painful things we’ll experience in our lifetime. This workshop will explore the factors, indicators, triggers, and myths of grief, and how to manage self care when experienced. The loss of a cherished one impacts each aspect of our lives, yet we rarely address grief in the workplace. Most organizations don’t account for how grieving at work impacts employee engagement and wellness. Beyond paid time off, our work culture has no standard for dealing with our grief at work or supporting employees who’ve suffered a loss. Learning to care for our mental health and better support employees can make grieving at work less challenging. 

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• Workshop 1E 

Sounding Our Power: Advocacy, Healing, and Courage Through Music

Presented by Dianne Jones, LMSW

Discover how music can be a powerful, self-directed tool to amplify your voice, challenge systems, and transform lived experience into advocacy and collective action. This peer-led workshop draws directly from lived experience of navigating behavioral health systems and professional experience as a social worker supporting advocacy efforts across community and clinical settings. Music is explored not as therapy imposed on others, but as a voluntary, self-directed advocacy tool that supports autonomy, emotional regulation, and collective power. Participants will examine how music has historically been used by marginalized communities to challenge systems, sustain hope, and build movements, while also reflecting on personal experiences of burnout, isolation, and silencing. Participants will integrate real-world examples from advocacy work, utilizing these examples to support peers and allies in using music for storytelling, public awareness, and self-advocacy—while critically examining power dynamics that can arise when creative expression enters clinical or institutional spaces.

4:00 - 5:15 pm: Workshop Session 2 (Choice of 4)

• Workshop 2A

Behind and Beyond the Walls: Peers as Reentry Coaches 

Presented by Anne Pack, Co-Founder and Director of Advocacy of PREPARE

Gain practical strategies to support incarcerated individuals and returning citizens by understanding complex lived experiences, navigating limited systems, and guiding effective reentry planning and follow-through. This workshop will focus on the range of experiences behind the walls beyond substance use and mental health, including long-term incarceration, stigmatizing charges, family and community disconnection, and technological, vocational and educational disparities. We will discuss the availability of peer programs within the Maryland DOC, the successes and challenges of programming and rehabilitation access and how to offer support when options and autonomy is limited. We will then discuss the holistic reentry planning process, starting with conducting a reentry needs assessment and how to talk through the logistics of a reentry plan with an incarcerated individual prior to release. We will then move on to how to support an individual as they implement that plan post release, supporting their goals and changing priorities and identifying additional resources to offer.

• Workshop 2B (repeated)

Courage Is Contagious: Building Peer Power, Preventing Burnout, and Reclaiming Agency Together 

Presented by Eric Thomas, MSW, Principal Consultant at Sozo Group

Gain practical tools to spot burnout early, elevate your voice, and turn lived experience into meaningful, collective impact. Through guided reflection, small-group discussion, case scenarios, and skill-building exercises, attendees will learn how to identify burnout early, strengthen peer voice within multidisciplinary environments, and translate lived experience into influence and action. The workshop emphasizes actionable strategies peers can immediately apply in their organizations, advocacy spaces, and communities. This session is designed for peers and allies seeking to move from survival to sustainability and from individual resilience to collective power.

• Workshop 2C (repeated)

Grief and Loss 

Presented by Sal Corbin, Training Coordinator, Maryland Harm Reduction Institute

Grief is universal and one of the most painful things we’ll experience in our lifetime. This workshop will explore the factors, indicators, triggers, and myths of grief, and how to manage self care when experienced. The loss of a cherished one impacts each aspect of our lives, yet we rarely address grief in the workplace. Most organizations don’t account for how grieving at work impacts employee engagement and wellness. Beyond paid time off, our work culture has no standard for dealing with our grief at work or supporting employees who’ve suffered a loss. Learning to care for our mental health and better support employees can make grieving at work less challenging. 

• Workshop 2D (repeated)

Anyone Can Advocate: Back to Basics on Policy and Mental Health

Presented by Deb Steinberg, J.D.

Build your confidence in advocacy by learning what issues matter most, how to effectively share data and stories, and how to craft a compelling pitch that drives change. This presentation will provide a clear framework for how to get involved in advocacy efforts to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder care. First, we will review “hot topics” in behavioral health policy, discuss basic advocacy strategies, and practice an “elevator pitch” to prepare participants to go out and start advocating on issues that are important to them.

7:45 - 9:00 am: Breakfast & Hotel Check Out

9:15 - 10:00 am: Keynote Presentation 

Courage in Community: Finding Our Individual & Collective Power

Presented by T-Kea Blackman, Co-founder and Executive Director, Black People Die By Suicide Too 

What does it truly mean to show up for yourself and your community with courage? In this powerful, personal session, T-Kea Blackman, a nationally recognized, award-winning peer recovery specialist, social entrepreneur, author, and speaker, draws on her own recovery journey to explore how vulnerability, resilience, and lived experience can form the foundation for meaningful peer support work. Rooted in the conference theme of Courage in Community, this session challenges peer support specialists to reimagine what peer support looks like beyond traditional settings. Participants will explore how community-building, storytelling, and collective healing can extend the reach of peer support. 

10:30 - 11:00 am: Break & Hotel Check-Out 

12:15 - 1:15 pm: Awards Luncheon