Events

Join us for our annual two-day Connections Conference on Thursday, April 17 and Friday, April 18, 2025 at the DoubleTree Resort in Tempe (2100 S. Priest Drive).

Everyone is invited. We especially love to see our members, their families and supports, our network of providers and community partners. The topics covered in the conference will focus on our ACC-RBHA adult members with a serious mental illness (SMI) designation. All attendees can benefit from the inspirational and educational information that supports empowerment, engagement and resilience. 

Information about participation registration, exhibitor and speaker opportunities are coming soon. Check back for more. You can also look through content from the previous years below. 

Thank you to everyone who attended this year's conference. It was two days of inspirational and educational sessions on innovative paths to recovery. We're committed to breaking down barriers to health care for members through our network of dedicated providers and community partners.

Did you miss the event on April 11, 2024? Resources and info about the 2024 conference will be posted here soon. 

Conference sessions - Day one

Not alone (keynote)
Presenter: Stephen Bradford

Not alone (PDF) 

One veteran’s story of his journey going from broken to helping others who may also be broken and of the organizations that helped him along the way.

Resilience in our journeys
Presenter: Drew Kinard, Child & Family Support Services (CFSS) Program Manager with members of the CFSS Young Adult Program

https://www.cfss.com/

Three young adults from the CFSS Young Adult Program share their individual journeys and experiences in navigating the system as they transitioned from adolescence into adulthood. They will talk about their challenges and successes, what has worked and what hasn’t, and what they’ve learned along their journeys.

Art in action
Presenter: Teresa Lundstrom, Center for Health and Recovery (CHR) Behavioral Health Technician and Art Coordinator

https://azchr.org/

A guided art project embracing a dimension of wellness as a way to promote self-expression and stress management.

Increase recovery by creating fun events for life
Presenter: Melissa Posten, Member, Resilient Health

Increasing Recovery by creating fun events for life! (PDF)

Activities in the community for participants to engage in social settings to help connect them to a sense of normalcy and belonging.

Strategies for workforce resilience
Presenter: Paige LeForte, Spectrum Health Care Director of Continuous Care Programs

Strategies for workforce resilience (PDF) 

Attendees will gain insights into practical strategies for promoting self-care while at work, stress management, and interrupting cycles of burnout within their teams.

Ticket to Work
Presenter: Jessica Cummings, Beacon Group, Ticket to Work Project Manager

Ticket to Work (PDF) 

A look at going back to work while on Social Security benefits, at how Ticket to Work can help with benefit planning and at incentives and the role they play in the process.

Show me the evidence
Presenters:
Anthony Carrillo, Employment Rehabilitation Manager
Andrew Wambach, Housing Liaison
Noemi Zaragoza, Senior ACT Manager
Camilla Parker, Resource and Community Engagement Coordinator

Show me the evidence (PDF) 

This Mercy Care team discussed evidence-based practices available in the Mercy Care network and review the core principles of the evidence-based practices: Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Supported Employment (SE) and Consumer Operated Services (COS) available in the network. Hear from individuals who have engaged in an EBP, how the EBP has impacted them, and where they are today.

First Episode Psychosis (FEP)
Presenter: Dr. Shasa Jackson, Valleywise Health/Manager of Specialty Outpatient Behavioral Health

An Introduction to First Episode of Psychosis (PDF) 

First Episode Psychosis (FEP) programs provide rapid intervention and comprehensive support for adolescents and young adults experiencing an initial psychotic episode. Despite increased vulnerability during this critical window, research shows early treatment leads to better outcomes in minimizing further illness and disability. This introduction defines the purpose of FEP health homes, the population served, effective treatment models, and how an informed behavioral health workforce can support referral and care coordination for transitional aged youth after their first psychotic break.

Conference sessions - Day two

Personal medicine: Discover what you do to get well and stay well (keynote)
Presenters:
Jose Rojas, Mercy Care Employment and Rehabilitation Manager
Dr. Shasa Jackson, Valleywise Health/Manager of Specialty Outpatient Behavioral Health

Personal Medicine - Discover what you do to get well and stay well (PDF)

Personal medicine are things we do to get and be well. This interactive session offers an overview of personal medicine and coaching and includes an activity to help you to identify your personal medicine.

Mercy Care Health Assistant
Presenter: Colleen Soeder, RN, Mercy Care Director of Performance Management and Quality Improvement

Mercy Care Health Assistant Healthmine Member (PDF) 

Mercy Care Health Assistant is a tool for members that provides a personalized health action plan, rewards and incentives, access to educational information, the ability to digitally complete their Health Risk Assessment and surveys, a health tracker, and secure messaging.

Supporting families, supporting peers
Presenters:
Robert Dodson, Recovery Empowerment Network (REN) Senior Manager
Greg Mingus, Recovery Empowerment Network (REN) Director of Development

Supporting families, supporting peers (PDF)

An informative session about peer support and family support partners, about how families can benefit from working with peer and support partners and about the definition of ‘family.’ Learn how to access these services, and if you are interested, how you can become a support partner.

Did you miss the event on June 21, 2023? You can still get resources and info about the 2023 conference. 

Thank you to everyone who attended this year's conference. It was two days of inspirational and educational sessions on innovative paths to recovery. We're committed to breaking down barriers to health care for members through our network of dedicated providers and community partners.

Conference sessions - Day one 

The owl and me: recovery across the lifespan (keynote)
Presenter: Pat Deegan 

The owl and me (PDF)  
I am a person, not an illness – English (PDF)   
I am a person, not an illness – Spanish (PDF)  
Pat Deegan quotation (PDF)

Patricia E. Deegan, PhD, will share stories of her own recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager. Pat will describe specific challenges on the journey of recovery and will discuss strategies she has used to overcome these challenges. The big message is that those of us who have been diagnosed can live our lives, not our diagnosis.

The power of personal medicine: moving through challenges 
Presenters: Allison Stiles and Missy Rufo 
The power of personal medicine handout (PDF)    

Personal medicine is what we DO to get well and stay well. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to harness the power of personal medicine to support their own well-being. Participants will engage in small breakout groups to explore and discover new personal medicine through personal medicine cards. 

Evidence-based practices 
Presenters: Cami Parker, Anthony Carrillo, Andy Wambach, Noemi Zaragoza.

Join us to learn about evidence-based practices members can receive through the Mercy Care network, such as: 

• Assertive community treatment (ACT)

• Permanent supportive housing 

• Supported employment 

• Consumer-operated services 

Mercy Care members will share their success stories in these programs. 

Recognizing abilities, creating opportunities: vocational rehabilitation 
Presenter: Monica Amaya 

Vocational rehabilitation (PDF)

In this session, the vocational rehabilitation behavioral health coordinator and behavioral health specialist will present the Interagency Service Agreement between the Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES) and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).  

Presenters will discuss: 

• The history and purpose of the agreement and the collaboration between the two entities 

• How to engage in services with vocational rehabilitation  

• How VR collaborates with behavioral health for successful employment outcomes 

Creativity in recovery with CHR 
Presenter: Marni Ritch 

This is a guided art project for members using canvas and acrylic paints. We'll guide members through a project painting a colorful recovery tree using supplies CHR provides. Topics will include:  

• Roots of recovery 

• Weathering storms 

• Growing recovery 

• Change 

• Balance in recovery 

• Resources and support 

Building resiliency through well-being management (for members) 
Presenter: Mike Tripp 

Building resiliency through wellbeing management – members (PDF)

Life is a marathon, not a race. Having a sense of resiliency can help ensure we stay the course. Investing in efforts to support our sense of well-being contributes to our resiliency by: 

• Decreasing risk of illness 

• Improving overall system functioning 

• Increasing our healthy longevity 

This session explores the benefits of managing personal well-being. We’ll also provide a tool to make a meaningful personal action plan. 

Civic leadership training 
Presenter: Kristina Sabetta 

Civic leadership training (PDF)  

How to advocate effectively for yourself (PDF)   

How a bill becomes a law in Arizona (PDF)

This training will:  

• Discuss how to advocate for behavioral health rights and services within the Arizona behavioral health system of care 

• Help people learn what civic leadership is 

• Identify resources and opportunities to become an advocate at local and state levels, as well as the skills to do so 

• Discuss principles of care and individual rights 

• Share info about how the Arizona State Legislature works and how to advocate in person or virtually 

• Empower participants through advocacy, to help improve the quality of care for behavioral health service recipients 

Writing your own story 
Presenter: Bonnie G. Danowski 

Writing your story (PDF)   

Writing your own story: four questions (PDF)

Writing your own story is based on my book published in 2022, The Path Beckoned. The session will share an approach for caregivers, families and families of choice who are supporting someone with a physical or mental illness. The session: 

• Discusses how to share your story with others 

• Explains why sharing stories is important  

• Encourages advocacy 

• Furthers the mission of stigma reduction 

Taking care of our workforce, ensuring quality care for members (keynote) 
Presenter: Hayley Winterberg 

Taking care of our workforce (PDF)

Learn to recognize the signs of an unhealthy workplace and unattainable expectations. This keynote will: 

• Explore how, as supervisors, we can improve our team and organizational culture 

• Explain how to develop realistic techniques to create a positive work culture  

• Help people understand the importance of employee well-being, retention, professional development, skills-based training and career advancement opportunities 

Personal medicine: a pathway to recovery 
Presenters: Allison Stiles and Missy Rufo 

The power of personal medicine (PDF)

Personal medicine is what we do to get well and stay well. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how personal medicine cards can support people in working through common challenges on the journey of recovery. Participants will engage in small breakout groups to explore and discover personal medicine for themselves. 

Building resiliency through well-being management (for health care providers) 
Presenter: Mike Tripp 

Building resiliency through wellbeing management – health care providers (PDF)

Life is a marathon, not a race. Having a sense of resiliency can help ensure we stay the course. Investing in efforts to support our sense of well-being contributes to our resiliency by: 

• Decreasing risk of illness 

• Improving overall system functioning 

• Increasing our healthy longevity 

All of these things help us stay the course. This session explores the benefits of managing personal wellbeing. We’ll also provide a tool to make a meaningful personal action plan. 

The critical role of peers in crisis behavioral health care 
Presenter: Joel Conger 

Peer support — a look from the other side (PDF)

The premier behavioral health crisis care provider (PDF)

Recovery support specialists, or “peers,” are an invaluable part of the treatment team involved in caring for someone in a behavioral health crisis. At Connections Health Solutions, peers bring lived experience to their work. They’re part of the five-discipline care team that helps stabilize people in crisis when they present for care. Peers are central to engagement of people through the course of treatment with: 

• Motivational interviewing 

• Sharing their stories of recovery 

• Acting as a support as people prepare to return to the community  

The role of recovery support specialists in crisis behavioral health care in Arizona is unique compared to many other regions of the country. These regions are only beginning to explore the many ways that involving peers in treatment can improve outcomes.  

Connections is one model that shows the critical role that peers have had across all levels of our treatment model for over 10 years. The data shows improved treatment outcomes for people getting care when peers are actively involved in the interdisciplinary care team that treats those in crisis. 

Beyond primary care: the value of integrated total patient wellness 
Presenter: John Elliott, MD 

Many medical or mental health clinics focus specifically on their assigned specialty, which leads to gaps in patient care. Patients may seek out medical care when they don’t know where else to turn. But what happens to patients when their medical concerns are co-occurring with a mental health condition, such as substance use during pregnancy? Or when they seek behavioral health care but are too afraid to seek medical care for fear of a possible medical diagnosis? 

Here at Alium Health, we integrate all aspects of a person's wellness to ensure we can identify and treat both medical and mental health. Integration involves two or more providers who have specialized disciplines and work together to address the patient’s total health needs and wellness. 

Contingency management: using rewards to drive recovery 
Presenter: Dr. Jon Peeples, MD 

Contingency management (PDF)

Contingency management is a form of addiction treatment that activates the brain’s reward system to promote healthy behaviors and bridge the gap between drug use and sustained sobriety. Despite decades of evidence supporting contingency management as the best treatment for stimulant use disorders (e.g., methamphetamine, cocaine, prescription stimulants), operational and insurance challenges have largely limited its use to: 

• Research studies 

• The Veterans Health Administration 

• State programs 

Within the last few years, innovative technology has been developed to expand access to this much-needed treatment to people nationwide. Affect Therapeutics: 

• Has developed an all-digital treatment program that is delivering contingency management nationwide, along with medical, counseling and case management services 

• Is using technology to revolutionize addiction care delivery, quality tracking and outcome measurement 

• Meticulously monitoring the progress of people in our program through our advanced digital platform, to drive better results than traditional treatment 

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) on the road
Presenter: Stephanie Robinson 

Intensive Treatment Systems Mobile MAT Unit (PDF)
Intensive Treatment Systems Mobile MAT clinic (PDF)

This session discusses the first Arizona Mobile MAT unit, the development of the unit, the services provided on the unit and the impact it can make to the community experiencing homelessness and substance use issues. 

Housing programs in Arizona 
Presenter: Kris Weaver-Gould and Anna Verdugo 

In this presentation, you’ll learn about: 

• The AHP program 

• The application process, if you’re applying on a participant's behalf 

• The partnerships and collaboration to help members have and keep housing stability 

Bridging peer support services and high-risk populations in a behavioral health setting 
Presenter: Jennifer Bose 

This presentation will describe Copa Health’s response to the systematic increase of emergency room and hospital usage in the behavioral health community. Copa Health began its Bridge Program, a specialized peer support intervention program, to serve the mental health community and provide more support to our high-risk, high-needs population.  

Goals of our Bridge Program include: 

• Increasing quality of life for our members and their families 

• Reducing inpatient and emergency room utilization  

We understand that not all life challenges require inpatient care. Our uniquely trained recovery coaches help people develop resiliency and learn how to connect to resources within their communities while building a larger supportive network. These coaches use intervention strategies in peer support services as well as the Critical Time Intervention model. 

NAMI — In Our Own Voice 
Presenter: Ariel Biscoe 

NAMI “In Our Own Voice” is an interactive presentation that provides insight into what it’s like to live with mental illness. Two adults living with mental health conditions lead the presentation, which also includes video and discussion. The audience has a safe place to ask questions and gain understanding of an often-misunderstood topic. Through dialogue, we help grow the movement to build better lives and cure stigma. 

Provider panel — workforce challenges 

Presenters: Michael Burnett, Kimberly Craig, Tara Daffern, Sarah Hauck, Laura Larson, Shar Najafi Piper 

Join Mercy Care's workforce development administrator and Horizon Health and Wellness, Center for Health and Recovery, Copa Health, and Lifewell for an open discussion on key topics impacting our providers today. 

Questions? Email the Office of Individual and Family Affairs (OIFA) team.