Ohio's 2026 Mental Health & Addiction Conference
The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities Foundation, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, is proud to host Ohio’s 2026 Mental Health and Addiction Conference: Inspiring a Stronger Tomorrow on June 1-2, 2026 in Columbus, OH.
Building on the success of our previous conferences, this 16th annual event continues to broaden its scope by addressing the full continuum of mental health and addiction issues. This two-day conference will highlight innovative strategies and best practices in prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family support, and community engagement.
In an effort to conserve paper, this year materials for keynote presentations and breakout sessions are available to download at the following links. There will also be wifi available for those attending to view these materials during the conference.
(All registered attendees will receive a printed program at the registration desk upon arrival.)
All information regarding continuing education can be found here: Continuing Ed Information Sheet
Day 1 (June 1) Continuing Education Evaluation Survey
Day 2 (June 2) Continuing Education Evaluation Survey
Keynote Presentations:
June 1st Morning Session - David Covington
June 1st Luncheon Session - Kory Shrum
June 2nd Luncheon Session - Karen Fortuna
June 2nd Luncheon Session - Sarah Buino
Breakout Sessions:
June 1st - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
A.1 Insights from The OneOhio Recovery Foundation’s First Year of Grant Evaluation (PPT)
A.2 Beyond the Birthdate: Treating Substance Use in Older Adults (PPT) (Handout)
A.3 Data Driven Naloxone Distribution: Identifying Saturation Gaps and Trends to Prevent Overdose Deaths (PPT)
A.4 When Caregivers Thrive: Creating Stronger Families and Communities (PPT)
A.5 Leading Through Change: Building AI-Ready Teams and Systems
A.6 Beyond the Barn: Checking in on Ohio’s Agricultural Community (PPT) (Handout 1) (Handout 2) (Handout 3)
A.7 From Silos to Solutions: Bridging Behavioral Health Agencies and Community Supports (PPT) (Handout)
A.8 Blueprint for Hope: Writing a Data-Informed Suicide Prevention Strategy (PPT)
June 1st - 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
B.1 Making the Case for Prevention: How ADAMHS Boards are Strengthening Service Delivery (PPT)
B.2 Motivating Behavior Change: The Rules of Engagement (PPT)
B.3 Finding Your “Why” In Recovery (PPT) (Handout)
B.4 So… Did Anything Actually Change? Measuring Culture After Mental Health Training (PPT)
B.5 Cannabis Use in Ohio: Education and Advocacy in a Recently Decriminalized Environment (PPT)
B.6 Peer Transportation Programs: The Missing Link in Recovery Access
B.7 Peer Support Training Opportunities for Peer Supporters in the Ohio Prisons (PPT)
B.8 Ohio Department of Behavioral Health New Initiatives
June 1st - 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
C.1 Ohio Department of Behavioral Health Crisis Bureau Creation (PPT)
C.2 Recovery Rachel (PPT)
C.3 Navigating Privacy Across Systems: HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and What’s Changed in 2026 (PPT)
C.4 Understanding Psychosis: From Stigma to Support
C.5 Why Clubhouses Matter: Recovery, Employment, and Community in Ohio (PPT)
C.6 Building Community, Building Recovery: How Peer-Run Organizations Drive Recovery-Oriented Communities in Ohio
C.7 Invisible and Unaccompanied: Preventing Mental Health Crises Among Homeless Youth (PPT)
C.8 Supporting Complicated Clients Through the SUD Continuum of Care (PPT)
June 2nd - 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
D.1 Operation New Beginnings (PPT)
D.2 Cross System Collaboration in Rural Southeast Ohio (PPT)
D.3 Improving Access to Mental Health Treatment for Ohio Children and Youth (PPT)
D.4 Data-Driven Suicide Prevention: A Geospatial Approach in Mahoning County, Ohio (PPT)
D.5 From Casinos to Crypto: Understanding Modern Gambling Behaviors in a Digital Age (PPT)
D.6 Strengthening Ohio’s Behavioral Health Workforce: Virtual Reality Simulation-Based Learning for Career Readiness (PPT)
D.7 Communications as Care (PPT)
D.8 Hope in Action: PAX Tools for New Beginnings to Inspire a Stronger Tomorrow (PPT)
June 2nd - 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
E.1 MRSS and Data Overview: The Evolution and Statewide Expansion of MRSS in Ohio
E.2 Beyond Relapse Prevention: Recovery Protection as an Essential Framework for Recovery Housing (PPT)
E.3 Implementing Forensic Assertive Community Treatment in Community Settings (PPT)
E.4 What Level of Collaboration Do You Need for Rural Health Transformation? Putting the Collaboration Continuum to Work in Your Community (PPT)
E.5 Being Good on Purpose (PPT)
E.6 Intensive Home-Based Treatment (IHBT) Workforce Success Strategies Using Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
E.7 Restoring Safety: Integrating Mindfulness and Restorative Practices to Disrupt the School-to-Prison Pipeline
E.8 Treatment of Pregnant and Postpartum Women with Opioid Use Disorder (PPT)
June 2nd - 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
F.1 MOUD Made Clear: What Every Provider Needs to Know (PPT)
F.2 Synchronized Streams: When Prevention and Training Flow Together (PPT)
F.3 Addiction and Resilience Through the Lens of Complex Trauma (PPT1) (PPT2)
F.4 Gambling, Gaming and Digital Addiction (PPT) (Handout 1) (Handout 2) (Handout 3)
F.5 Substance Use Disorder Diagnoses and Youth: Introductory Considerations (PPT)
F.6 Brain Injury, Substance Use, and Overdose (PPT)
F.7 When Recovery Meets Wellness: Why Physical Health Belongs at the Center of Recovery Housing (PPT)
F.8 From Awareness to Action: Butler County Prevention Coalition Advancing Harm Reduction and Community Awareness (PPT)
If you have questions about the conference, please contact Shelby Stutzman at sstutzman@oacbha.org