agenda
tuesday, september 9th
7:30am - 8:30am: Breakfast
8:30am - 9:30am: General Session
NYS Agency Panel: Priorities, Progress, and Opportunities Ahead
Patricia Lincourt, LCSW-R, Deputy Commissioner of Programs, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Bob Moon, LCSW, Community Program Policy and Management, NYS Office of Mental Health
Trisha Schell-Guy, JD, Director, Division of Program Development and Management, Office of Health Insurance Programs, NYS Department of Health
This general session will open with pre-recorded remarks from the Commissioners of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Office of Mental Health, and the Department of Health. Following their messages, senior leaders from each agency will join for a panel discussion. The session will explore agency priorities, cross-system collaboration, and opportunities to strengthen access to substance use disorder and mental health services across New York State.
9:45am - 10:45am: 300 Breakout Series
Ann Domingos, LCSW-R, Chief Executive Officer, CASA-TRINITY
Debbian Fletcher-Blake, APRN, FNP, CEO, VIP Community Services
Felecia Pullen, PhD, Founder and CEO, The PILLARS
Patricia Zuber-Wilson, Associate Commissioner, Government Affairs and Community Programming and Relations, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Joelle Foskett, MPA, Director of Government Affairs, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
This session will begin with a brief overview of stigma, followed by a panel discussion focused on ways to address stigma through legal frameworks, community engagement, and inclusive internal practices. Topics will include organizational responsibilities under the law, overcoming community resistance, and strategies to build inclusivity through trust, representation, and policy.
Breakout 302: Meet & Greet with NYS Department of Health
David Holtgrave, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor, New York State Department of Health
Trisha Schell-Guy, JD, Director, Division of Program Development and Management, Office of Health Insurance Programs, NYS Department of Health
Carmelita Cruz, Esq., Director, Office of Health Equity and Policy Initiatives, AIDS Institute | Office of Health Equity & Human Rights
Valerie White, Deputy Director, Office of Drug User Health, NYS Department of Health
Anne DelVecchio, MPH, Program Manager, State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), New York State Department of Health
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) oversees programs and policies that promote public health and administer Medicaid across the state. In this Meet and Greet session, DOH leadership will share current priorities and listen directly to serve providers’ perspectives. The conversation offers an opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas, and build stronger collaboration between providers and the Department.
Breakout 303: Empowering Peer Leadership in the Workforce: Leading with Lived Experience
Katrina Marshall, CRPA, CARC, RCPF, and RCP, Director of Recovery Education and Training, Friends of Recovery NY
This interactive session is designed to strengthen leadership skills in peer professionals who support individuals affected by substance use and mental health challenges. This workshop emphasizes the power of lived experience, relational influence, and authentic leadership in transforming both systems and individual lives. Participants will explore what it means to lead from a peer perspective prioritizing empathy, integrity, and empowerment while developing skills to support healing, foster collaboration, and create hope in recovery-oriented settings.
Robert Anderson, LCSW-R, Master CASAC-G, CRPA, CARC, Executive Director, The Educational Alliance
Win Turner, PhD, Co-Owner, Center for Behavioral Health Integration, LLC
This workshop will provide participants with the paradigm and skills to engage and motivate Youth, Emerging Adults and Families into trauma informed services along the care continuum, starting with Youth SBIRT and Peer Wellness Mentoring as a motivating factor creating connection. A review of organizational change management strategies will show how a cutting edge, technology driven clinical system can be integrated and co-located within the largest child welfare system in the United States.
Michael Arevalo, PsyD, Director of Clinical Strategy, Core Solutions
Kenneth J. Rotondo, MBA, President, Founding Partner, Rehavior, Inc.
Lou Desso, CASAC, Special Assistant to the CEO, InUnity Alliance (moderator)
As technology reshapes the behavioral health landscape, how can providers harness its power while focusing on ethical, community-based care? This panel brings together experts in artificial intelligence and technology to explore AI-driven platforms and tools that may drive innovation. From reducing administrative burden to improving treatment outcomes and continuity of care, panelists will share real-world applications, implementation strategies, and the challenges of responsibly integrating tech into vulnerable care systems.
This session explores how AI is being used in behavioral health to support clinical decision-making, reduce documentation burden, and improve care coordination. Participants will examine real-world tools and ethical dilemmas through interactive discussions and live polling. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for responsibly integrating AI into community-based behavioral health care.
Breakout 306: Building an Age Friendly Behavioral Health System
Kim Williams, MSSW, Principal, Health Management Associates
The Age-Friendly Health System framework has improved care in health systems for older adults across the country and around the world. Mental health and substance use organizations can apply the framework to guide and enhance care for older adults. This workshop will present the needs of older adults in mental health and substance use settings, practical tools for assessing and applying the age friendly framework, and strategies to support sustainability.
Jennifer Dunn, MA, Principal Court Analyst, Office for Justice Initiatives Division of Policy & Planning, New York Unified Court System
Dennis Reilly, Esq., Statewide Drug Court Coordinator, Problem Solving Justice Division in the Office for Justice Initiatives. New York Unified Court System
This presentation will explore a pioneering pilot project in New York State that screens individuals with legal involvement for social determinants of health needs, including housing, food insecurity, transportation, substance use and mental health disorders. The session will also delve into the role of treatment court resources in connecting these individuals to necessary services.
10:45am - 11:15am: Break with Exhibitors
11:15am - 12:15pm: 400 Breakout Series
Breakout 401: I-9, DBL & PFL Compliance Essentials: Audit Readiness in a Heightened Enforcement Era
Nicole Bryant, SHRM-CP, PHR, VP, Client Experience, OneGroup
Brittani O'Connell, SHRM-CP, Sr. Human Resources Consultant, OneGroup
This session delivers a critical compliance update for employers focused primarily on Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9), with a high-level overview of recent enforcement activity under New York State’s Disability Benefits Law (DBL) and Paid Family Leave (PFL).
With increased scrutiny from federal and state agencies, employers must be prepared to meet evolving requirements. The session will provide practical guidance on conducting internal I-9 audits, navigating remote verification protocols, and avoiding costly fines. Attendees will also learn how to identify and correct common errors, manage reverification timelines, and implement proactive compliance strategies using toolkits and templates.
Additionally, the session will briefly address the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board’s stepped-up enforcement of DBL/PFL coverage, including the risks of short coverage gaps, non-retroactive corrections, and the importance of verifying coverage across all FEINs.
Breakout 402: NYS Department of Health, Prevention and Surveillance Data
Anne DelVecchio, MPH, Program Manager, State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), New York State Department of Health
The New York State Department of Health will present the latest findings from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) and related surveillance tools. This session will share recent data on the characteristics of fatal overdoses, including the substances involved, and key findings shaping prevention strategies. Participants will learn and discuss how these insights can guide state and community efforts to strengthen prevention, expand harm reduction and treatment, and save lives.
James Hollywood, LCSW, Vice President of Residential Treatment, Samaritan Daytop Village
Deirdre Rice-Reese, MPA, CASAC, Assistant Vice President of Residential Treatment, Samaritan Daytop Village
Melissa Earle, Ph.D., LCSW, Clinical Associate Professor and the Director of CASAC and Addictions Education, Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare
Samaritan Daytop Village (SDV) and Stony Brook University (SBU) partnered to address workforce development needs for clinical operations staff and to study the impact of training with an evidence-based intervention on staff satisfaction and self-efficacy. This trauma-informed, person-centered initiative focused on equipping staff with verbal de-escalation strategies and non-restrictive intervention techniques, using a “train-the-trainer” model to promote sustainability. This interactive workshop will highlight the project’s implementation, evaluation through the RE-AIM framework, and offer practical tools for participants to adapt the model within their own organizations.
Luke Nasta, MPA, CASAC, President and CEO, Camelot Counseling
Carl Feren, Chief Operating Officer, Camelot Counseling
Despite an escalating overdose crisis and record demand for services, New York State’s SUD treatment system faces a critical workforce shortage. Based on the Rockefeller Institute’s 2021 study, this session presents data from over 600 administrators and counselors, identifying chronic under compensation, limited career mobility, and staffing imbalances as structural drivers of burnout and turnover. The session will explore how credentialing, caseloads, trauma-informed specialization, and tuition support impact recruitment and retention. Presenters will share actionable solutions to build a sustainable SUD workforce pipeline, including education incentives, equitable compensation models, and system-level reforms that promote stability and professional growth in the behavioral health sector.
Joe Katagiri, DrPH, MPA, CPH, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Fiscal Officer, NYS Office of Mental Health
Ashley Filler, Director, Bureau of Managed Care Oversight, NYS Office of Mental Health
Xian Li, Ph.D., Director, Bureau of Finance and Data Analytics, NYS Office of Mental Health
Emily Hetzel, MPA, Director, Bureau of Medicaid Program & Policy, NYS Office of Mental Health
Ryan Gallagher, NYS Behavioral Health Ombudsman, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Shazia Hussain, MPH, Director, Behavioral Health Metrics and Evaluation in the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Division, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Joel Sodano, PhD, Managed Care Billing Specialist, NYS Office of Mental Health
New York State regulators will present updates on recent behavioral health parity initiatives, new network adequacy standards, and the commercial rate mandate for coverage of behavioral health services. The session will detail progress in ensuring parity in provider reimbursement, improving appointment access and directory accuracy, and requiring that commercial insurers reimburse outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services at no less than Medicaid rates. Attendees will also be invited to discuss how these reforms affect service delivery and provider networks moving forward.
Craig Johnson, LMHC, CASAC-G. Chief Operating Officer of Health Homes and New Business Development, Huther Doyle
This session will discuss the co-occurrence of substance use, mental health conditions and involvement in the justice system. The challenges presented by many of these individuals are complex, requiring the consideration of effective responses.
Adrienne Elliot, CASAC Advanced, Director, Morning Star Community, SCO Family of Services
Lori Hannibal, LCSW-R, Vice President of Community Health and Wellness, SCO Family of Services
Jodette Rodriguez, LMHC, IMH-E®, Women & Children’s Program Supervisor, SCO Family of Services
This session explores an integrated, trauma-informed model for pregnant and parenting women in substance use and mental health recovery. Presenters will highlight how comprehensive supports—including SUD and mental health treatment, care management, childcare, parenting education, peer mentorship, medical coordination, and linkage to community resources like 12-step programs—can promote long-term recovery and family stability. Attendees will gain practical tools to build family-centered systems that foster healing and disrupt intergenerational cycles of addiction and adversity.
Breakout 408: Meet & Greet with the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Tracey L. Collins, Executive Deputy Commissioner, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Patricia Lincourt, LCSW, Deputy Commissioner of Programs, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports oversees programs that promote recovery and support for individuals living with substance use disorder across the state. In this Meet and Greet session, OASAS leadership will join participants to share priorities and hear directly from providers. The discussion offers a unique opportunity to exchange perspectives, ask questions, and strengthen collaboration.
12:30pm - 1:45pm: Executive Leadership Luncheon: (Ticketed): NOW WHAT!
Sponsored by OneGroup
Paul M. Duck, Chief Strategy Officer, OPEN MINDS
Josephine Bottitta, Greater New York Regional President, OneGroup
Pierre Morrisseau, CEO, OneGroup
With the alarming impact of the Big Beautiful Bill front and center, the rules of the game for health and human services have been rewritten. Join Pierre Morrisseau, CEO at ONEGROUP and Paul Duck, Chief Strategy Officer at OPEN MINDS, for a strategic deep dive into the volatile landscape reshaping our sector. This session invites participants to actively engage—sharing insights, asking tough questions, and collaborating on bold strategies. Together, we’ll explore how to lead with resilience, adapt to today’s unpredictable fiscal landscape, and build future-ready organizations. But we won’t stop there—we’ll challenge ourselves to find opportunities hidden within adversity and learn how to pull the right levers when sudden shifts demand swift, strategic pivots. This isn’t just a presentation, it’s designed to ignite meaningful dialogue where your voice shapes the path forward. Let’s plan, lead, and thrive—together!
2:00pm - 3:00pm: Afternoon Keynote
New York State Attorney General, Letitia "Tish" James
Letitia “Tish” James is the 67th Attorney General for the state of New York. With decades of experience and a long record of achievements, she is a powerful, effective attorney and lifelong public servant. When she was elected in 2018, she became the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General. Attorney General James champions policies and takes on powerful interests to bring care within reach for all New Yorkers.
3:00pm - 3:30pm: Final Break with Exhibitors
3:30pm - 4:30pm: 500 Breakout Series
Breakout 501: Bridging the Gaps: Using Social Care Networks to Strengthen Behavioral Health Supports
Janelle Shults, LMSW, Regional Director, Healthy Alliance
Social Care Networks (SCNs)-stemming from New York’s 1115 Waiver Demonstration Amendment, New York Health Equity Reform (NYHER)-and health related social needs (HRSN) services are transforming how we support community members with complex behavioral health needs. This session will explore how these statewide initiatives are integrating social care into the behavioral health landscape to improve health outcomes for those facing addiction and mental health challenges. Participants will learn how the SCN and HRSN services operate; how they can be leveraged to address social drivers of health like housing, food insecurity, and transportation; and how community-based and clinical providers can collaborate more effectively through this new infrastructure. Real-world examples will illustrate how these supports are already making a difference and where there is room to grow.
Breakout 502: Embracing Change: Working Through Differences
Deirdre Rice-Reese, MPA, CASAC, Assistant VP of Residential & Recovery Services, Samaritan Daytop Village
This session is designed to help participants manage change by applying practices that remain grounded in professional and personal values. Through structured discussions and applied activities, attendees will examine methods to incorporate a broader range of perspectives, strengthen communication, and ensure that voices from diverse communities are represented. The session will provide practical tools to support fairness, belonging, and positive outcomes within organizations and service systems.
Breakout 503: Enhancing Overdose Prevention Through Innovative Technologies
Jorge Petit, MD, Strategy and Development Officer, Zero Overdose
This interactive session will explore how behavioral health providers can integrate overdose safety planning into electronic health records (EHRs) to improve clinical workflows, care coordination, and patient outcomes. Attendees will engage with real-world examples and practical tools that support proactive, person-centered overdose prevention. The session highlights the role of EHR-integrated decision support in empowering providers to deliver standardized, lifesaving care.
Robert Anderson, LCSW-R, Master CASAC-G, CRPA, CARC, Executive Director, The Educational Alliance
This workshop will provide participants with an interactive discussion and presentation on the efficacy of cutting edge psychopharmacology approaches (i.e. Low Dose Lithium) integrated with psychosocial rehabilitation in the care continuum of Educational Alliance’s Center for Recovery and Wellness. Medical Director and board-certified Addiction Psychiatrist Sudhir Gadh, M.D. and EA Executive Director Robert Anderson will discuss the TRIAD model, developed to provide nutritional support, medication assisted treatment and clinical intervention for both SUD and co-occurring mental health disorders throughout a full continuum of care. The session will focus on three key indicators of behavioral disorders such as substance use disorder, including untreated physical pain, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Trauma related conditions.
Breakout 505: Engaging Youth/Young Adults and Their Families in SUD Services
Sam Kawola, LMSW, Addiction Program Specialist, Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Vanessa Drury, MPH, Research Scientist III, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Jody Kamon, PhD, Licensed Psychologist - Doctorate, Co-Owner, Center for Behavioral Health Integration, LLC
Ashly Jordan, PhD, MPH, Director of Research and Program Evaluations, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports
Join a panel of experts for a discussion about recent trends in youth and young adult substance use disorder (SUD) services across New York State. The session will highlight key lessons from the NYS EQuITY federal grant, administered by OASAS, which aims to expand access to evidence-based treatment for youth and young adults with SUDs and co-occurring disorders and their families. Panelists will explore data collected, share strategies for engaging and retaining young people in care, and discuss effective approaches for integrating families into treatment.
Felecia Pullen, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, The PILLARS
This session explores original qualitative research highlighting the lived experiences of People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) in Harlem. Using the framework of Negative Recovery Capital, the workshop examines how systemic barriers such as incarceration, homelessness, and disconnection from care actively undermine recovery. Participants will engage with community-driven insights to inform equity-centered, justice-based approaches to substance use support.
Breakout 507: A Guide to a Solid Succession Plan in Today’s Environment
Stuart Meyers, MBA, Ed.D., President, The Meyers Group
This interactive session is designed to strengthen leadership skills in peer professionals who support individuals affected by substance use and mental health challenges. This workshop emphasizes the power of lived experience, relational influence, and authentic leadership in transforming both systems and individual lives. Participants will explore what it means to lead from a peer perspective prioritizing empathy, integrity, and empowerment while developing skills to support healing, foster collaboration, and create hope in recovery-oriented settings.