Call for Proposals

Submission Deadline: January 9, 2026

Notification of Acceptance: February 9, 2026

Location: Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort, Ocean City, Maryland

Date: May 13–14, 2026

Since 1993, On Our Own of Maryland (OOOMD) has conducted annual conferences for Maryland’s statewide behavioral health consumer/peer network. We invite peers, providers, advocates, researchers, educators, and community leaders to submit proposals for workshops that advance knowledge, inspire action, and enhance advocacy efforts within the behavioral health field and community-led social change. 

Proposal Topics:

Our theme this year is "Courage in Community: Finding Our Individual and Collective Power," focusing on creating and implementing peer-led, actionable efforts that create self-directed safety, agency, and autonomy, as well as supporting leadership development, community building, and personal wellness. We are looking for innovative solution-oriented workshops with clear action steps that may cover a broad spectrum of behavioral health advocacy topics, including but not limited to:

• Dealing with Burnout, Keeping Hope Alive, Combating Isolation, Creating and Enhancing Connection. 

• Maintaining Peer Values in a Clinical World as Part of a Multidisciplinary Team, Using Research to Inform Program Design and Delivery, etc. 

• Self-Advocacy and Skill Building, Including (but not limited to): Employment, Networking, AI, Social media, Dealing with Current Social Change, etc. 

• Articulating and Advocating for the Value of Peers through Research, Data, Storytelling, etc.

Workshop Guidelines:

• Length: 75 minutes

• Format: Workshops should be interactive and may include presentations, group discussions, case studies, role-playing, or skill-building exercises for 20–60 participants.

• Audience: Our conference brings together peers, advocates, students, providers, family members, and administrators. The majority of the attendees are individuals with lived experience of behavioral health challenges.

Submission Requirements:

1. Title and Overview: Provide a concise title and a 200-word overview that describes the workshop's focus, objectives, and format.

2. Presenter Information: Include a bio for each presenter (100 words max), including relevant experience (professional and lived) and expertise.

3. Intended Outcomes: List 2–3 specific learning objectives.

4. Audience Engagement: Describe strategies for engaging participants in the workshop.

5. Technology Needs: Specify any AV or technology requirements. Would your workshop be suitable for livestreaming? 

6. Website/ Media: Share links to your personal and/or organizational websites and media (especially recordings of earlier presentations) for consideration. 

Submission Deadline: Friday January 9, 2026

Notification of Acceptance: Monday February 9, 2026

Submission Process:

Please email your proposal as a single PDF document to conference@onourownmd.org with the subject line "Proposal Submission: [Workshop Title]."

Evaluation Criteria:

Priority will be given to presenters with lived experience. Proposals will be reviewed based on relevance to conference goals, clarity of objectives, engagement strategies, and presenter expertise.

Compensation:

Speakers will receive one full conference scholarship, which includes one Conference Ticket (registration fee for sessions, materials, and meals included within the event), and overnight hotel accommodations. Travel expenses and per diems are not provided.

Please indicate in your proposal if you would be willing to present your workshop twice, if requested.

We look forward to your submissions!