United Way of Broward County’s Commission on Behavioral Health & Drug Prevention, in collaboration with the Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, Florida Department of Children and Families, Farris Foundation and Signature Grand, presents the 7th Annual Behavioral Health Conference: The Power of Prevention. The two-day conference will promote community awareness and support of behavioral health and substance use prevention and will be held on Tuesday, May 10 and Wednesday, May 11 at Signature Grand.
Renowned psychologists, professors, trauma and grief specialist, DEI experts and prevention specialists are among several keynote speakers to provide crucial continuing education to Broward’s behavioral health professionals. Featured speakers will include, Dr. Victor Schwartz, MD, DLFAPA, CEO, Director at Mind Strategies, LLC.; Nora McInerny, Best-Selling Author & “Terrible Thanks for Asking” Podcast Host; Dr. Atiya Abdelmalik, Nurse, Certified Coach, Author & Community Engagement Practitioner; Dr. Mimi Graham, Director of Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy; Derreck Kayongo, Entrepreneur, Global Soap Project Founder, CNN Hero, and Former CEO of the Center for Civil and Human Rights; Justin & Alexis Black, Authors, Speakers & Business Owners; and Blake Evans Cohen, Co-founder of Next Level Recovery Associates, Inc. Vanessa James of Vanessa James Media will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies.
The Conference will provide a two-day forum where participants will learn from thought leaders in behavioral health, network with industry peers, and discuss issues related to research, policy and practice. Participants will expand professional knowledge, receive quality continuing education from subject matter experts, and promote community awareness of behavioral health and substance abuse prevention.
Conference Tracks will include Special Topics & Initiatives, Professional Development, Innovation & Thought and Trauma-Informed Preventions. Licensed Clinicians and Certified Professionals can earn CEU credits.
May 10th Speakers Agenda:
- Morning Keynote Speaker:
- Nora McInerny, Best-Selling Author & “Terrible Thanks for Asking” Podcast Host – A writer, whose pieces have appeared in the New York Times, TIME Magazine and the Washington Post, Nora McInerny specializes in difficult conversations: death, loss, illness, mental health, trauma, change, and how to move forward with grief with resilience, joy, love, and humor. From having the 4th most popular TED Talk of 2019 to her work as the creator and host of the podcast Terrible Thanks for Asking, she regularly dives into the topics most people avoid with refreshing candor, heart, and humor.
- Morning Breakout Sessions – Featured Speakers:
- Justin & Alexis Black, Authors, Speakers & Business Owners and are part of the Forbes Next 1000 2021 — Together, the Blacks have published an award-winning, bestselling book titled Redefining Normal, impacting over 15,000 individuals. With Redefining Normal, they hope to continue conversations on healthy relationships, mental health, and generational success.
- Lunch Keynote Speaker:
- Atiya Abdlemalik (Dr. A), Nurse, Certified Coach, Author & Community Engagement Practitioner — For more than 25 years, Dr. A. has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the well-being of individuals and whole communities throughout her diverse career in community, corporate, clinical, and nonprofit settings. She is a certified executive and personal development coach, transformational speaker, and author of A Life Worth Saving: A Nurse’s Journey from Sickness to Healing.
- Afternoon Breakout Sessions – Featured Speakers:
- Mimi Graham, Director of Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy, a center of excellence in trauma, infant mental health, human trafficked pregnant teens, and policy & best practices during the pivotal first 1,000 days of life. — She pioneered a statewide infant mental health movement building clinical capacity, co-founding the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health and infusing infant mental health across systems as showcased in Florida’s Cutting-Edge Trauma Initiatives. As a member of the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Children, she helps spearhead Florida’s Early
- Blake Evans Cohen, Co-founder of Next Level Recovery Associates, Inc. – He is the best-selling author of the book, I Love You, More: Short Stories of Addiction, Recovery, and Loss from the family’s perspective. Blake is currently earning a Master’s Degree in Leadership from NSU.
May 11th Speakers Agenda:
- Morning Keynote Speaker:
- Dr. Victor Schwartz, MD, DLFAPA, CEO, Director at Mind Strategies, LLC. — Before establishing Mind Strategies LLC, Dr. Schwartz served for eight years as Chief Medical Officer of The Jed Foundation and was University Dean of Students for six years after establishing and serving as Director of the Counseling Center at Yeshiva University. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow, was a member of the Presidential Task Force on College Mental Health, and co-chair of the working group on law and college mental health all the American Psychiatric Association
- Lunch Keynote Speaker
- Derreck Kayongo, Entrepreneur, Global Soap Project Founder, CNN Hero, and Former CEO of the Center for Civil and Human Rights — From Ugandan refugee to successful entrepreneur, CEO, and renowned human rights activist, Derreck’s journey inspires audiences to dream big. He is the founder of the Global Soap Project: a humanitarian aid organization that collects discarded and unused soap from thousands of hotels worldwide, reprocesses it, then distributes it to in-need populations around the world. With his trademark panache, Derreck Kayongo tells his courageous story of survival, social entrepreneurship, and humanitarianism, and the life lessons he learned along the way.
- Afternoon Breakout Sessions – Featured Speakers:
- Mimi Graham, Director of Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy, a center of excellence in trauma, infant mental health, human trafficked pregnant teens, and policy & best practices during the pivotal first 1,000 days of life. — She pioneered a statewide infant mental health movement building clinical capacity, co-founding the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health and infusing infant mental health across systems as showcased in Florida’s Cutting-Edge Trauma Initiatives. As a member of the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Children, she helps spearhead Florida’s Early Childhood Court Initiative, integrating mental health into courts to break the multigenerational cycle of ACEs.
- Blake Evans Cohen, Co-founder of Next Level Recovery Associates, Inc. – He is the best-selling author of the book, I Love You, More: Short Stories of Addiction, Recovery, and Loss from the family’s perspective. Blake is currently earning a Master’s Degree in Leadership from NSU.
Vanessa James will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies on both days. Known for her infectious personality and insatiable energy, media maven, Vanessa James is one of Miami’s premier bi-lingual, female multi-media personalities providing services as an experienced content creator, entertainment correspondent, content creator and brand ambassador.
SPONSORS: Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, Florida Department of Children and Families, Farris Foundation and Signature Grand
WHEN: Tuesday, May 10 and Wednesday, May 11, 2022
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Signature Grand
6900 W State Road 84
Davie, FL 33317
DETAILS: Early Registration ends on March 31: $85
Registration from April 1 – April 26: $105
Breakfast & Lunch is included
Business Attire
Free Parking
To register for this event visit UnitedWayBroward.org/BHC2022
For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Adriana LeCorgne at conference@UnitedWayBroward.org or 954.618.9931.
About United Way of Broward County’s Commission on Behavioral Health & Drug Prevention
United Way of Broward County’s Commission on Behavioral Health and Drug Prevention (UWBCCBH) is a broad-based substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion coalition dedicated to reducing negative consequences on individuals, families, and communities. Today, its primary role is to serve as a coalition-building organization that brokers partnerships between federal, state and local agencies to foster, develop, and enhance integrated behavioral health efforts throughout Broward County, while searching for innovative and effective ways to address the issue of substance misuse. Behavioral Health & Drug Prevention is a vital component of United Way of Broward County’s three impact areas (health, education and financial prosperity) focused on the solutions to close gaps in services and create a better life for all. For more information please visit www.drugfreebroward.org or follow us on social media at www.facebook.com/uwbccommission or on Twitter/Instagram @UWBC_Commission.