Past Trainings

2009 Recovery Conference Update:
On November 204, 2009, more than 450 consumers, family members, advocates, providers and others attended the 2009 Regional Recovery Conference, “Bridging Our Communities: Closing the Gaps with Recovery and Resiliency.” Attendees came from all over the Southwestern Pennsylvania region for two-and-a-half days to learn about emerging trends and practices in the behavioral health field and share their experiences with others. Keynote speakers included Moe Armstrong, noted public speaker and founder of the national Peer Educators Project and the Vet-to-Vet Project; Lizzie Simon, author of Detour: My Bi-Polar Road Trip in 4-D; and John Allen and Dr. Joseph Parks, collaborators on the National Association of State Mental Health Policy Directors’ 2006 report, “Morbidity and Mortality in People with Serious Mental Illness,” the seminal report that showed that persons with SMI die on average 25 years earlier than persons without a mental health diagnosis.

New this year were workshops targeting specific populations, including caregivers, transition-age youth, older adults, and families with young children with mental health diagnoses. The workshops looked at the range of “systems” which interact with the mental health system, such as justice-related services, the education system, physical healthcare and so on. Participants were able to choose from a wide variety of topics, such as battling internal stigma, re-entering the workforce, using social media, and eating healthy on a budget - in total, there were 30 different workshops over the course of the conference! These workshops, and the feedback we received from attendees’ evaluations, will form the basis of upcoming trainings and seminars, so be sure to check back here often for updates!