Agenda
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
12:00 pm Registration and Box Lunch
1:00 pm Pre-Conference Program: Emotional CPR: A Heart-Centered Approach to Supporting People and Developing Community
Emotional CPR (eCPR) is a public health education program that can be used to support individuals through emotional crisis, build community, and promote organizational change. eCPR is a trauma-informed, person-centered approach designed to help individuals develop empathic relationships with others and the world they interact with. Developed by people with lived experience of mental health challenges, eCPR teaches the essential skills of Connecting, Empowering, and Revitalizing.
Faculty
Reid Smithdeal, MSW, LCSW is the Behavioral Health Assistant Director at Cherokee Indian Hospital, where he coordinates clinical services and serves on the Leadership Team, providing oversight and support to programs. He believes that services should be focused on “human need” rather than medical necessity and that “the system” often gets in the way of people recovering. Additionally, Reid believes that the only reason we are here is to be in relationships and that the only reason for relationships is to heal. These beliefs guide his advocacy efforts around systematic change. Reid Smithdeal received an AAS in Human Services Technology from Central Piedmont Community College, 2001; BSW from Appalachian State University, 2004; and MSW from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2007.
4:15 pm Adjourn
6:30 pm Ice Cream Social Plus Story and Music Jam Extravaganza!
This event is based on the lively and long tradition of Poetry Slams. Poetry slams traditionally feature performance poetry that is delivered to a live audience. Each piece is short and is delivered with either poetry that rhymes or in prose style (a poem that almost reads like song lyrics). For this event, however, participants are invited to share stories of wellness and empowerment in any verbal or musical form. Each participant will be limited to three and a half minutes, which will create a dynamic forum that affords opportunities for many people to share within a relatively short time period.
The ice cream social will begin at 6:30 pm and the Story Jam will begin at 6:45 pm. We hope you will arrive in time to enjoy some delicious ice cream then to participate in this special event either through participation or by being an audience member.
We look forward to seeing you at this special event where we will share together, learn together, and grow together because we do it best together! We can’t think of a better way to honor our theme this year, “Healing Together: Building Stronger Communities"
Thursday, March 5, 2026
9:00 am Welcome, Announcements, Overview
Keynote Address: Robert Whitaker
Robert Whitaker is the author of five books, three of which tell of the history of psychiatry. In 2010, his Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness won the U.S. Investigative Reporters and Editors book award for best investigative journalism. Prior to writing books, he worked as a science reporter at the Albany Times Union newspaper in New York for a number of years. He is the founder of madinamerica.com, a website that features research news and blogs by an international group of writers interested in “rethinking psychiatry.”
9:10 am Greetings from NC Division of MH/DD/SUS - Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, (she/her)
Director, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, NC Department of Health and Human Services
9:30 am TBD
10:45 am Break
11:05 am Breakouts
Peers Partnering for Excellence: An Alliance and Support for Peer Support Specialists - Brandi Greer, Leigh Gantt, Karen Russell, Ryan Carver
Navigating Change: The Future of Peer Support in North Carolina - Bernice Adjabeng, Ann Marie Webb
Permission to be Messy: Unlearning and Healing in the In-Between - Jordan Scott
Navigating the Tides of a Long-Term Eating Disorder - Johanna Scoglio
12:20 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Breakouts
The Many Languages of Recovery – Bodi Bodenhamer
Bridging the Gap: Community’s Safety Role in Crisis and Recovery – Erin Williams, Jessica Littleton
Equity in Action: Advancing Health and Wellness through Justice and Inclusion – Alicia Montgomery
Care Navigation: A Peer-led Alternative Response to Housing Insecurity – Maxx Dempsey, Shienacey Pair, Rebecca Neville
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Breakouts
The Impact of Substance Use Disorder in Pregnancy: A Call to Action – Sherma Morton
Speaking Up When Incapacitated: The Value of Psychiatric Advanced Directives – Jacob Schonberg
Reality, Readiness, and Right! – Alice Horton
Meeting People Where They Are: PORT Team’s Work in the Community and Jail – Gayle Beese
4:15 pm Adjourn
6:30 pm Recovery Champion - Youth/Young Adult Awards Dinner
The Recovery Champion Award is given to people who have dedicated their individual talents, whether through professional work or volunteering, to successfully promote mental health and/or substance use recovery. These individuals are recognized for promoting recovery-oriented programming, creating system-wide recovery-oriented change, or supporting the recovery process of specific individuals. This award recognizes three individuals: one each from the western, central and eastern regions of North Carolina.
The Youth/Young Adult Voice Award recognizes and celebrates a youth/young adult under the age of 26 in North Carolina who has dedicated their individual talents, whether through sharing their story, advocacy or volunteering, to successfully promote resilience in mental health and/or substance use recovery.
Friday, March 6, 2026
9:00 am 
Keynote Address: Revolutionizing Recovery: Turning Pain into Purpose - Devin Lyall
Devin is the Founding Executive Director of Wilkes Recovery Revolution, INC., whose mission is to create a community where recovery is possible through restoring hope, repairing lives, and rebuilding the community. Devin Lyall is an Individual directly impacted by Substance Use and Mental Health and brings the lens of lived experience to her work. Wilkes Recovery Revolution (WRR) now hosts eleven unique programs: Phases Transitional Housing, Wilkes Harm Reduction Collective, R3 Recovery Community Center, Project Healing Our Workforce, Fresh Start Farm, Wilkes Fresh Mobile Market, Revolution Thrift Store, Wilkes Crisis Intervention Team, Post Overdose Response Team and Hope Warriors. Devin is the recipient of the Great State Hero Award for Crisis Assistance, the 2021 Chairman’s Award from the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, the 2020 Recovery Champion Award through NC One Community in Recovery, the 2022 Harm Reduction Hero Award Addiction Professionals of North Carolina, Todd E. Whitworth National Humanitarian Award, 2023 Harm Reduction Hero Award through the NC Alcohol and Drug Council, and the organization was recently awarded the National Recovery Community Organization of the year award in Washington, DC. Her story and WRR's work have been featured in The Economist, the Winston-Salem Journal, NC Health News, Spectrum News, VICE Media, and WRAL Television, and she recently presented her first TEDx Talk. Devin is an avid dog lover who is the prime definition of rescue foster failure and takes the most pride in enjoying adventures with her children and family.
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Breakouts
Strengthening Recovery Capital in Underserved Communities: Addressing Systematic Service Gaps through Collaboration – Marti Webb, Janise Hurley
Justice Re-entry in North Carolina: Housing, Recovery, and Equity in Practice - Felisha McPherson, Jasmine Moore, Susan Buchanan
Strengthening Peer Support: NC CPSS Workgroup Updates and Achievements - NC CPSS Workgroup Members
Supporting Veterans in Recovery: Resilience, Post-traumatic Growth, and Reintegration – Garret Biss
11:45 am Adjourn
Full Conference Available Credits: (Wed., Thurs., Fri.)
- 11.25 Contact (category A) CE for NC Psychologists Hours
Northwest AHEC is recognized by the North Carolina Psychology Board as an approved provider of (Category A) Continuing Education for North Carolina Licensed Psychologists. This program will provide 11.25 contact hours of (Category A) continuing education for North Carolina psychologists. No partial credit will be given. - 11.25 Contact Hours from Northwest AHEC
11.25 Contact Hours from Northwest AHEC - 11.25 NBCC Hours
11.25 NBCC Contact Hours. Northwest AHEC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5465. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Northwest AHEC is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.
Full Conference Session Fees: (Wed., Thurs., Fri.)
- $275.00 - Early registration fee if registered by February 11, 2026
- $290.00 - Registration fee after February 11, 2026
