Conference Schedule

Presented by: Andy Saul (Advocacy Director) & Leeann Passaro (Chief Operating Officer), The Hidden Opponent

Description: Student-athletes should be able to speak openly about their mental health experiences without worrying about being judged or viewed as weak. However, fewer than half (47%) of student-athletes feel comfortable seeking mental health support (NCAA, 2021). Recent college graduates affiliated with the nonprofit The Hidden Opponent will share how their campus advocacy program amplifies the voices and needs of student-athletes and highlights the challenges they continue to face and why mental health is essential in athletics.

Presented by: Joy Sheppard (Director, Community Programs) & Community Initiatives Team, Active Minds

Description: Active Minds’ signature programs include a robust college and high school chapter network, our engaging Active Minds Speakers, our Active Minds @Work programming and workshops, our K-12 Initiatives including our peer-powered curriculum, and our compelling Send Silence Packing® exhibit. During the open house, you will have a chance to hear about our programming and learn more about how your community can change the conversation around mental health.

Presented by: Janie Egan (Manager, Chapter Membership) & Markie Pasternak (Sr. Manager, Higher Education), Active Minds

Description: We are so excited that you are embracing mental health advocacy at your school! Come to this session to learn about the who, the what, and the how to do this. Through exploring relationships at your school, recruiting other advocates, and hosting meetings and events, you will leave this session feeling empowered to approach this work with innovation and confidence.

Presented by: Mary Mojica (Training Instructor) & Jason Garcia (Director of Workforce and Development), Project Return Peer Support Network

Description: For young advocates working in the mental health field, a self-care-only approach to managing burnout can be destructive. What would happen if young advocates supplemented self-care practices by intentionally engaging in practices that restore their “pool of resilience?” Project Return Peer Support Network will provide specific techniques to support young adult advocates in building their own resilience and preventing burnout as they engage in mental health advocacy.

Presented by: Active Minds’ Emerging Scholars: Maico Demi B. Aperocho, Briana Baker, Jadon Demeritte, Sandra Gomez, Tracy Hill, and Dori Hsin-Ju Tung. Facilitated by Alicia Elms (Manager, NextGen Initiatives), Active Minds

Description: The Active Minds Emerging Scholars Fellowship offers opportunities for young scholars to expand the body of literature, creative expression, and discourse devoted to mental health with a particular emphasis on health equity and antiracism related to young adult mental health. Scholars will present information for and from the Black, Asian, and Latinx communities and offer information and resources that will aid us in supporting the mental health of BIPOC folks.

Presented by: Juan-Diego Estrada (Director of Wellness and Upper School Counselor), Lucas Frome (Student), The John Cooper School & Zoe Tait (Student), University of California, San Diego

Description: Join this dynamic session on creating a culture of mental wellness through a holistic approach that emphasizes being Active, Aware, Accepting, and Available. The session will explore the importance of developing this mindset in and outside of school communities and how it can lead to real change in how we approach mental health.

Presented by: Kassidy Tolbert (Student), San Diego State University

Description: Kassidy Tolbert, a suicide loss survivor, shares her personal story and experience of processing grief through group therapy and workshops with other survivors like them. Compared to the general population, suicide loss survivors are more at risk for suicide attempts making it all the more important that they receive tailored support. Kassidy will share with fellow young adult attendees lessons on suicide prevention and strategies for processing suicide loss and grief.

Presented by: Alicia Elms (Manager, NextGen Initiatives) & Elly Post (Web Development Advisor), Active Minds

Description: You have been a passionate, student advocate for mental health…now what? Let's prepare for your career journey. This interactive session will introduce you to new concepts and tools to better understand how to use your mental health advocacy skills in any industry or sector career. Attendees will also explore different career paths in the mental health field.

Presented by: Larissa May (Founder), #HalfTheStory

Description: Join digital well-being pioneer and founder of #HalfTheStory, Larissa May, for an immersive and informative session on digital wellbeing and data privacy. In this session, you will learn the art and science of data, how to protect yourself against big tech, and the implications for global digital well-being.

Presented by: Victor Bartley (Host), Burnout and Beyond Podcast

Description: Gleaning lessons from nature’s response to the disturbance of wildfires for new growth, stability, and resilience, this session equips young adults to address burnout with strategies that incorporate self-care, mindfulness, self-acceptance, community, and emotional intelligence. This biomimicry-inspired approach has empowered young adults to significantly reduce or eliminate burnout.

Presented by: Steven Haden (CEO and Co-Founder), Envision: You

Description: Nearly every mental health professional is treating LGBTQ+ individuals whether they know it or not. LGBTQ+ youth experience higher rates of mental health challenges and troubling and re-traumatizing encounters with providers who do not fully understand or acknowledge the concerns that stem from being a part of a marginalized community.

Presented by: Joy Sheppard (Director, Community Programs) & Jazmine Taylor (Sales Manager, Speakers), Active Minds

Description: Showing up for someone who is struggling with their mental health is a powerful and important skill, but many of us don't know what to say when someone shares. Validate-Appreciate-Refer (V-A-R®) is Active Minds' simple, revolutionary tool that empowers people to have meaningful conversations with those around them. Through this presentation, participants will be equipped to actively listen and effectively respond when someone lets them know they are having a hard time.

Presented by: Brandi Pretlow (VP, Programs & Services), The Steve Fund & Emma-Lee Furrowh (Student), Hampton University

Description: Have you ever received pushback from campus administrators when advocating for change on your campus? In this session, attendees will learn how to navigate challenges in building relationships with campus decision-makers, especially when those decision-makers are hesitant to partner with students or support their ideas, funding is limited, and/or the campus exists in states where mental health is still considered controversial.

Presented by: Howard Cooke (President) & Kasey Taylor (MFT-T, Founder), The Scooty Fund

Description: Have you ever found yourself wondering how to have a conversation about mental health in a way that doesn't impact your own mental health? This session will highlight the value of shoulder-to-shoulder activities (as compared to eye-to-eye) in finding commonality and building trust. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice skills together and learn about the work of The Scooty Fund in sparking conversation around emotional and mental well-being.

Presented by: Chloe Gayer (Student Survivor Fellow), Students Demand Action; Abigail Hurst (Director of Trauma-Informed Programs), Everytown for Gun Safety; Jakoby Mitchell (Survivor Advocate), Everytown for Gun Safety; & Ade Osadolor (Activist), Students Demand Action

Description: Gun violence is the number one killer of kids and teens in America. This fact alone impacts young people’s mental health on a daily basis. Although many see the sensational perspective of gun violence more often, it is important to remember the systemic side as well. Gun violence encompasses more than school shootings. Suicide, intimate partner gun violence, and city gun violence are all avenues that equally impact young people. We have brought together three very different experiences of gun violence to discuss the impact on their mental health in a trauma informed setting.

Presented by: Ericka Dawson (Sr. Director, Community Engagement), Patricia Noel (Director, Digital Wellbeing), & Marnino Toussaint (Manager, Youth Engagement), Peer Health Exchange

Description: Peer Health Exchange partners with young people all over the country through in-school classroom-based curriculum with near-peer and peer-to-peer facilitation, as well as partnerships with young people through digital work, selfsea, and TikTok. Through interactive discussions and real-life examples, this presentation will explore how young people become the leading voices in our efforts, challenge stigmas, and effect change. Join us in changing the conversation and fostering a compassionate and supportive environment for all.

Presented by: Randy Moore (Policy Manager), Active Minds; Edward Sun (Student), University of Pennsylvania; & Meera Varma (Student), University of California, Los Angeles

Description: Where do personal stories, community narratives, policy advocacy, and emerging technologies align? Through attending this session, youth and young adults will learn the power of their narratives and the importance of advocacy, and gain practical insights on leveraging technology for change. There is so much happening in the world right now; let’s come together to talk about mobilization.

Presented by: Dr. Gina Schneider, Schneider Counseling & Corporate Solutions

Description: Life stresses, such as relationship problems, economic struggles, health worries, traumatic events, racism, and sexism, can sometimes trigger anxiety, anger, and depression. Emotions can feel overwhelming and scary at times. Neuropsychology research offers promising ways to soothe and comfort ourselves through hard times. This workshop will teach attendees how focused thoughts, intentional behaviors, and healing experiences can strengthen resilience.

Presented by: Dayna Altman (Speaker), Active Minds

Description: Healing from Scratch is a presentation in which mental health author and entrepreneur Dayna Altman tells her story with a twist. The creator of a baking-based mental health organization, Dayna chronicles her battles with depression, OCD, and eating disorders while facilitating a live bread-baking demonstration for her audience. Using ingredients as metaphors, Dayna’s raw account of her recovery is a means of inspiration and palatable conversation.

Presented by: Ashley Miller (Program Coordinator) & Grace VandenBosch (Influencer Marketing Coordinator), Shatterproof

Description: Approximately 70% of Americans report using social media, making it a powerful tool that communicates life-saving messages to a wide variety of audiences. Shatterproof is using social media campaigns to eliminate the stigma that affects the ability of people with substance use disorders (SUD) to find help and recover. Learn how to craft stories and target culturally appropriate messages that resonate with your intended audience, and increase the impact of mental health education, awareness, and messaging.

Presented by: Dr. Andrea Kalfoglou (Associate Professor) & Student Panel, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Description: In this panel presentation and discussion, students from UMBC will discuss using advocacy skills to address mental health injustices. Using the lens of critical theories (race, feminist, queer, and disability), the students will examine the concepts of civil rights and social justice and look beyond the social determinants of health to understand the social drivers of health that contribute to health disparities (poverty, unmet social needs, place-based inequities, and the carceral state).

Presented by: Maddie Freeman (Founder), NoSO November; Yoelle Gulko (Student), Washington University St. Louis; & Chloe Mshana (Student) Drexel University; facilitated by Susan Reynolds, (Founder), LookUp.Live

Description: This session will inspire hope and optimism in the participants committed to improving mental health in a rapidly evolving technological era. The youth leaders and storytellers will share how their campaigns and films bring the Gen Z voice to the forefront as they maximize the benefits of social media while mitigating its harms in their advocacy for a digital world where all youth can thrive.

Presented by: Sragvi Pattanaik (Student), University of Maryland

Description: The term “glass children” refers to siblings of children with mental and/or physical illnesses. With no outward difficulties of their own, they may feel overlooked by parents who are overburdened with caretaking; all while experiencing emotional burdens of their own, including perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies that stem from the pressure of adding no extra burden onto their parents in early childhood. This session will explore how we can provide the support that people in this position need.

Presented by: Donovan Taylor Hall (Speaker), Active Minds

Description: Gratitude is one of the best promotive skills for one's mental health and there are so many different ways we can use it. Often when we think of gratitude we jump to relationships but there is so much more than we can be grateful for. In this session, you will learn about the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of gratitude while also learning tools that will allow you to create your own daily well-being practice.

Presented by: Sam Piraneo (Senior Development Associate, Community Fundraising), Active Minds

Description: You have seen dozens of fundraisers at your schools and in your communities, from bake sales to walks. For some, hosting a fundraiser is exciting and easy. For others, hosting a fundraising event can be a little intimidating. In this session, we will learn what fundraising is and how to do it, the tools you have available to you, and how to embrace fundraising as a mental health advocate.

Presented by: Davy Yue (NextGen Advisor), NAMI

Description: Creativity propels innovation in personal wellness by enabling individuals to expand their known recovery tools and resilience strategies. This session will not only establish the foundational groundwork for applied creativity from existing models but also enable participants to further explore their understanding in a safe inclusive constructive environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore their own creativity and new approaches to recovery and living well, with or without a mental health condition.

Presented by: Ivy Lee (Manager, Chapter Mobilization) & Mia Zaleski (Program Associate, Chapters), Active Minds

Description: You are a new leader of your Chapter. Congrats! Now what? Let’s come together to talk about leadership skills you can use now, but more importantly, things you can do for the next group of leaders you have paved the way for.