2026 Conference Agenda
DAY ONE
Thursday, Oct. 8 - Morning Sessions:
Understanding Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
Speaker
Dr. Elizabeth English, Registered Psychological Associate
Dr. Elizabeth English is a behavioral health professional with extensive experience supporting adolescents, adults, and families navigating trauma, mental health challenges, and other life stressors. Her diverse clinical background includes work in schools, psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment, and PHP/IOP settings, as well as experience directing behavioral health programs. She is trained in crisis intervention, CBT, DBT, suicide prevention, and TF-CBT, among other areas. Drawing on her clinical experience, Dr. English is passionate about helping individuals recognize the impact of compassion fatigue, develop healthy coping strategies, and create sustainable practices that support their well-being while caring for others.
Session Description (10:30-11:30 a.m.)
Catching Psychosis Early; How Schools, Families, and Communities Can Work Together
Speaker
Apurva Bhatt, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medicine- Healthcare
Apurva Bhatt, M.D., is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in early psychosis evaluation and treatment and serves as Director of the Child INSPIRE clinic, providing care through Stanford’s early psychosis and Coordinated Specialty Care programs. Dr. Bhatt also contributes to early psychosis program development statewide and nationally and holds leadership roles with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, she serves as a school psychiatrist and provides clinical consultation and supervision to school mental health programs. Her research interests include Asian American and South Asian youth mental health and youth suicide prevention. Dr. Bhatt is passionate about teaching and mentoring students and trainees.
Nuriya Hefron, Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medicine- Healthcare
Nuriya (Nuri) Hefron, MS, OTR/L (she/her), is a licensed occupational therapist with expertise in early psychosis care and program development. As Program Manager for INSPIRE 360, she focuses on integrating psychosocial interventions and lived experience into research and service delivery while promoting holistic, recovery-oriented approaches. Nuri is passionate about improving access to affirming, culturally responsive mental health services, particularly for historically underserved communities. She values interdisciplinary collaboration and meaningful community engagement and believes mental health care should meet people where they are, honoring their stories, values, and goals for recovery.
Mary Pacheco, Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medicine- Healthcare
Mary Pacheco (she/her) supports INSPIRE 360 participants as they take steps towards school, work, or whatever comes next. She believes in meeting people where they are, walking alongside them through uncertainty, and celebrating progress in all forms. With a background in community psychology, crisis support, and trauma-informed care, Mary focuses on helping people reconnect with their strengths, navigate systems, and build lives that feel meaningful to them. She firmly believes that the smallest changes often lead to the biggest transformations. In her free time, Mary loves reading, seeing movies in the theater, and practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Natalie Rutherford, Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medicine- Healthcare
Natalie Rutherford is a Peer Support Specialist with the Inspire 360 program for participants experiencing early psychosis. As a peer support specialist, Natalie uses her lived experience navigating mental health challenges to connect with others from a place of empathy, trust, and mutual understanding. Natalie’s background is in youth development, caregiving, and community-based support. Her journey through recovery has shaped her commitment to creating safe and judgement free spaces where individuals feel free to express themselves and their struggles openly. Outside of her role, Natalie enjoys one of her many hobbies including sewing, crochet, hiking, or listening to music.
Session Description (10:30-11:30 a.m.)
Ask a Doctor - Navigating the CA Mental Health Care System
Speaker
Dr. Rimal Bera - Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Psychiatry & Human Behavior School of Medicine
Rimal Bera, MD is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine, where he has served on the faculty since 1991. His clinical specialties include adult psychiatry, with a focus on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and memory disorders, as well as mental health policy. Dr. Bera serves as Medical Director for Universal Care Behavioral Health and the John Henry Foundation, a specialized center for the treatment of schizophrenia. He has participated as a principal or co-investigator in more than 180 clinical trials and has lectured extensively on major mental illnesses and their treatment in the United States and internationally.
Dr. Jody Rawles - Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Session Description (10:30-11:30 a.m.)
Ask a Doctor - Women's Mental Health
Speaker
Dr. Patricia DeMarco
Session Description (10:30-11:30 a.m.)
Ask a Doctor - Depression and Bipolar Disorder - Just What You Need To Know
Speakers
Dr. Robert McCarron - Director of Education, Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, Associate Dean, Continuing Medical Education School of Medicine, UC Irvine, NAMI CA Board Member
Dr. Robert M. McCarron is a board-certified UCI Health psychiatrist. He completed a dual residency in internal medicine and psychiatry at Rush University. He further advanced his expertise through a two-year fellowship in integrative medicine at the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine. McCarron has held numerous leadership roles in medical education, including serving for many years as a residency director for both psychiatry and internal medicine. He is the Founding Director of the Train New Trainers (TNT) Primary Care Fellowships at the University of California, Irvine—one-year programs designed to equip primary care providers with core competencies in adult psychiatry, pediatric psychiatry and substance use disorder behavioral health. He currently serves as the Vice-President of the NAMI CA Board of Directors.
Dr. Gemma Espejo - Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior - UC Irvine
Session Description (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
Thursday, Oct. 8 - Afternoon Sessions:
Ask a Doctor - Schizophrenia: Early detection and Best Treatment Approaches
Speakers
Dr. Cameron Carter - Board-certified UCI Health psychiatrist
TBD
Session Description (12:50-1:50 p.m.)
Innovation - What We Have Always Known: Innovative Indigenous Approaches to Mental Health and Wellness
Speaker
Monique Castro - Founder & CEO of Indigenous Circle of Wellness
Monique C. Castro, M.S., LMFT, is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and the Founder and CEO of Indigenous Circle of Wellness, a Native-owned group private practice dedicated to the healing of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Her work weaves together clinical expertise, Indigenous wisdom, and community-centered care, grounded in the belief that true wellness is inseparable from culture, connection, and ancestral knowledge. Through her practice and her coaching and consulting work, Monique creates spaces where healing is reclaimed as a collective, intergenerational act.
Session Description (12:50-1:50 p.m.)
Criminal Justice & Mental Health Policy - CARE Court Panel
Speaker
Judge Herin (LA County)
Judge Baytieh (Orange County)
Patricia Bradwell (Public Defender, Orange County)
Dr. Stacey Berardino (Health Services Manager for OC Health Care Agency)
Adelene Tsujiuchi (Health Services Manager for OC Health Care Agency)
Family Member who experienced the program
Session Description (12:50-1:50 p.m.)
Join CARE Court experts as they discuss CARE implementation and how families can best approach the CARE process to get support for their loved one.
Innovation, Youth and Young Adults - Unleashing the Muse: Recognizing Creativity as a Community Resource
Speaker
Oshri Hakak - School Program Coordinator, NAMI Westside LA
A Los Angeles-based artist, musician and mental health educator, Oshri loves to create work that aids individuals and communities in our collective healing journeys. He is a children’s book author and illustrator, having created and co-created more than 35 books and counting that touch on mental health, mindfulness, inter-being, and consciousness for all ages. Oshri is the School Program Coordinator for NAMI Westside Los Angeles. In that position, he has led the ongoing development of the NAMI Westside Los Angeles Children’s Mental Health Toolbox, a mental health resource for elementary school-aged children; as well as being the author of the NAMI Westside Los Angeles Trifold Library, a collection of mental health resources for diverse circumstances and communities. Oshri studied psychology and management at Duke University, and is also certified in mediation and dialogue facilitation, and yoga instruction.
Session Description (2:00-3:00 p.m.)
Caregiver Resiliency & Self-Care - Understanding Invisible Wounds: Recognizing Stress, Building Resilience, and Supporting Mental Wellness
Speaker
Dr. Vernita Black - Board President NAMI Western Riverside, Author of Invisible Wounds of Stress: Inside and Out
Dr. Black discovered through faith and hope a peace and happiness that is possible in the midst of it all. She is a military veteran who retired after serving 21 years in the United States Navy. During her time in the military, Dr. Black earned a Doctorate in Education Counseling Psychology. Her work in educational training, stress management, and drug and alcohol education led her to research alcohol and substance use among adolescents. Dr. Black also and author and poet. Her presentation today is based on her book, “The Invisible Wounds of Stress: Inside and Out.” She currently serves as the President of NAMI Western Riverside.
Session Description (12:50-1:50 p.m.)
Ask a Doctor - Understanding Anxiety
Speakers
Dr. Tom Okamoto
Tom Okamoto, M.D, serves Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, and a member of the Board of Directors of NAMI California.
Session Description (2:00-3:00 p.m.)
Youth and Young Adults - Youth-Led Change: How a High School NAMI Club is Transforming Mental Health Culture from Elementary to Community
Speakers
Garza HS NCHS Leaders
TBD
Session Description (2:00-3:00 p.m.)
Criminal Justice & MH Policy, Innovation - Why SB 43 Didn’t Fix Access—and What Might
Speakers
Ann Marie Council - Founding Partner - Quarter Turn Strategies
Ann Marie Council spent 25 years as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Diego, where her work included criminal prosecution, gun violence prevention, civil representation, and probate conservatorships. Her later work focused on people with serious mental health conditions who repeatedly entered emergency rooms and the criminal legal system without receiving sustained treatment. She developed and led the City Attorney’s LIFT Program, bringing together emergency medical services, law enforcement, homeless outreach teams, and nonprofit providers to connect people with complex behavioral health needs to appropriate legal and community-based resources. Ann Marie has also contributed to California mental health and public safety policy and legislation and has presented to organizations including the League of California Cities and the FBI National Academy. At Quarter Turn Strategies, she translates complex mental health law into practical guidance for policymakers, local governments, first responders, and other professionals serving people in crisis. She earned her JD, magna cum laude, from California Western School of Law and her BA in Sociology from UC San Diego.
Aaron Meyer - Behavioral Health Officer, City of San Diego, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego
Aaron Meyer, M.D. is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego and serves as the first Behavioral Health Officer for the City of San Diego. In this role, he collaborates with San Diego Fire-Rescue, the Homeless Strategies and Solutions Department, Police Department, and Office of the City Attorney to improve care for individuals who frequently utilize emergency services and connect them with services appropriate to their needs. Dr. Meyer is also involved in community outreach addressing substance use disorders and homelessness and serves as Vice-Chair of the California State Association of Psychiatrists’ Government Affairs Committee. He has played a key role in legislative advocacy, including efforts supporting Senate Bill 43, which significantly changed California’s grave disability criteria for individuals with serious mental health conditions.
Session Description (2:00-3:00 p.m.)
Caregiver Resiliency & Self-Care - Safetypowers: Boundary Setting and Advocacy Skills
Speaker
Erika Leonard - Community Education Director, Kidpower International
Community Education Director Erika Leonard has 31 years of experience teaching social-emotional safety skills with and for people of all ages, abilities, and life situations as a leader on the Kidpower International team.
Session Description (2:00-3:00 p.m.)
In this interactive, experiential workshop, caregivers will learn practical strategies they can use right away to protect their emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.
Innovation - Brick by Brick: Strengthening Behavioral Health Infrastructure with BHCIP
Speaker
Mila Volkova - Assoc. Principal Architect, Boulder Associates
Mila is an Associate Principal with Boulder Associates and helps to lead the firm’s Irvine office. She is highly client-focused, with strong conceptual and technical skills and a record of success in exceptional client management and project execution. Her expertise in healthcare design spans the full spectrum of healthcare services. From ground up medical campuses, outpatient and inpatient clinics, medical property retrofits, and behavioral health projects to senior care and skilled nursing facilities, Mila has dedicated her career to help her clients deliver holistic healthcare environments.
Rhyan Miller, LMFT - Deputy Director Integrated Programs, Riverside University Health System
TBD
Darci Hernandez - Principal / Architect, Boulder Associates
Darci Hernandez is a Principal with Boulder Associates and leads the firm’s Southern California region. Her forward-thinking planning and design ability, coupled with client service focused on responsiveness and accountability, has resulted in her becoming a trusted advisor to clients such as Hoag, Providence, and UCLA, among others. Darci understands the business drivers of healthcare and is committed to the concept of healthcare as a holistic, whole-person endeavor, believing that design solutions, whether through facilities or operations, need to drive towards that outcome. Darci leads Boulder Associates’ Behavioral Health Community of Practice. She is passionate about how behavioral health care is delivered and integrated into our healthcare system. Her work with clients like Be Well and RUHS is changing how behavioral facilities are perceived. Darci joined BA in 2002 and holds a Bachelor of Architecture with a Minor in Urban Planning from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Kellen Schauermann - Assistant Principal / Architect, Boulder Associates
A stickler for constructability, Kellen is happiest when designs translate into the field seamlessly—the sign of a skilled designer. Kellen was drawn to a career in architecture because it requires problem solving as well as transforming raw design into reality. With an interest in building technology, process management, and sustainable design, he is motivated to work on healthcare projects because of the positive impact the environments have on patients and staff. His portfolio comprises healthcare centers for residential treatment, substance abuse, eating disorders, and wellness, for which he has been Project Manager and Project Architect. He has been with BA since 2011 and holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Colorado, Denver.
Melissa Noone
Melissa Noone brings 20 years of service to Riverside County, including 6 years with RUHS Behavioral Health. This past year, she was instrumental in helping the department secure $330 million in grant funding to build two new facilities, the RUHS BH Wellness Center and the Youth Wellness Village, expanding the department’s capacity to serve the community. Looking ahead, she continues to guide major capital projects for the division: the Mead Valley Wellness Village is set for completion by the end of 2026, with construction beginning on the Youth Wellness Village in early 2027 and on the Wellness Center in Spring 2027.
Session Description (3:00-4:00 p.m.)
The implementation of BHCIP funding in California for the construction and expansion of facilities treating mental health and substance use disorders has changed the landscape of behavioral healthcare. In partnership with the RUHS Behavioral Health team, we will explore the design and development of the first-of-its-kind RUHS Wellness Village and outline how its innovative, person-centered approach intentionally co-locates the continuum of behavioral health, substance use disorder, and physical health services within an integrated campus environment. We will review the challenges posed by a fragmented healthcare system, as well as explore the ecosystem of care and how this design reduces barriers to access, improves care coordination, and creates a seamless pathway from crisis to stabilization, recovery, and long-term wellness. Embracing the power of community and nature, we will discuss how leveraging outdoor spaces and campus amenities to support the integration of health and wellness leads to more member engagement and healthier outcomes.
Youth and Young Adults - Unmasking Mental Health - A Student Led Approach
Speakers
Wilson HS NCHS Club Leaders
Sean: Hello everyone! My name is Sean Gapuzan and I’m Glen A. Wilson NAMI’s PR this year! I am looking forward to leading our chapter’s media team, as well as preparing for our 3rd annual school wide mental health assembly! I am interested in pursuing a field in business management and I love using my voice as a platform to share my passions with the world around me.
Session Description (3:00-4:00 p.m.)
Criminal Justice & MH Policy - Responses to Behavioral Health Emergencies
Speakers
Erik Nasarenko - District Attorney, Ventura County, NAMI CA Board Member
Erik Nasarenko is the elected District Attorney of Ventura County, California’s 13th largest county. In this capacity, he started the County’s first-ever Mental Health Unit in the DA’s office, which consists of four dedicated prosecutors who assist with civil commitments and mental health diversion cases. Prior to becoming District Attorney, he served as a trial prosecutor for 13 years. He was also elected twice to the Ventura City Council and served two years as mayor. He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, and Loyola Law School. Erik is a proud board member of the NAMI California Board of Directors.
Session Description (3:00-4:00 p.m.)
Thursday, Oct. 8 - Evening Sessions:
Film Screening: Prodigal Daughter
Session Description (6:45-8:15 p.m.)
Director, Producer, Editor: Prodigal Daughter Q&A
Q&A On-Stage Facilitator
Tricia Creason-Valencia - Filmmaker, Speaker, CEO - Tricia Speaks!
Tricia Creason-Valencia is a dynamic force in the world of filmmaking, education & community building. Through the art of storytelling, Tricia weaves her own raw narrative of mothering, making movies, resilience and rediscovery. She believes, deep in her soul, that truth-telling fosters empathy and connection, serving as a catalyst for social change.As an Emmy-Nominated Director/Producer, Motivational Speaker and Co-Founder of PowerHouse, a podcast & media production studio and event space for women+ creatives in Downtown San Jose, Tricia pioneers the way for women, people of color and youth to amplify their voices and claim their power through creative expression. Her documentary films have won numerous awards, including “Best Documentary” for Stable Life at the prestigious Cinequest Film Festival, and have inspired dialogue and action through screenings at film festivals and on public television nationally. Tricia is a 2026 Creative Ambassador for the City of San José; she is producing a city-wide, multi-media project titled “I am/We Are: Our Stories Connect Us”.
Speaker
Mabel Valdivienzo - Film Director, Producer
Mabel Valdiviezo is an award-winning Latine filmmaker, editor, and multidisciplinary artist whose work explores migration, gender, social, and environmental equality. Her credits include Following Pal (editor); Carlos Baron, Poeta Pan, PBS/KQED (director/producer); Soledad Is Gone Forever (director/producer); Sands of Silence, PBS World (associate producer); and River Webs, PBS (editor). Valdiviezo’s feature documentary Prodigal Daughter garnered a Cinema Tropical Best Latinx USA nomination, won Best Documentary at the Arizona International Film Festival, and received nominations at New Filmmakers New Fest and APRECI (Peru). Valdiviezo is an alumna of the Sundance Producers Conference, the Gotham Documentary Lab, IDA, BAVC, and NALIP.
Session Description (8:15-8:45 p.m.)
DAY TWO
Friday, Oct. 9 - Morning Sessions:
Criminal Justice & Mental Health Policy - Film Screening: No One Cares About Crazy People
Q&A On-Stage Facilitator
Tricia Creason-Valencia - Filmmaker, Speaker, CEO - Tricia Speaks!
A feature documentary film about the tragedy, crisis and chaos of severe mental illness in America – and a burgeoning national crusade to do something about it.
A feature documentary film about the tragedy, crisis and chaos of severe mental illness in America – and a burgeoning national crusade to do something about it.
Long-Term Planning for Caregivers
Speaker
Ellen Cookman - Owner/Principal Attorney - Cookman Law
Ellen Cookman started Cookman Law in 2015 to help families of all shapes and sizes plan for the future and utilize available resources. Ellen is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law from the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. She received her J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law and her LL.M. in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate from Golden Gate University. Ellen lives in East Palo Alto with her husband, two middle school boys (her older son has high-functioning autism), a husky mix named Rosie, and a kitty named Skittles.
Session Description (10:30-11:30 a.m.)
This presentation explores practical planning strategies for families supporting a child or other loved one with mental health challenges. We will discuss how to maximize quality of life, preserve independence, and protect vulnerable loved ones through thoughtful legal and financial planning. Key topics include special needs trusts, public benefits, supported decision‑making, and how to designate trusted “surrogate financial parents” and future caregivers.
Youth and Young Adults - Misdiagnosed & Misunderstood Youth: Understanding Neuroimmune Disorders
Speaker
Brandi Alden - Event Organization/Public Relations Committee Lead, National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance
Brandi Alden is a national recognized public speaker and licensed Brain Health Trainer with a passion for advocacy. As Head of Event Organization and Outreach for the National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance, she works to amplify the voices of patients and families nationwide, drawing from her 11-year journey with the condition. With a dynamic background in performing arts, Brandi uses her platform of over 7 million followers to raise awareness and inspire action.
Cat Doherty - Social Media Committee Lead,National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance
Cat Doherty is a passionate advocate, storyteller, and founding member of the National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance. After surviving PANS and years of misdiagnosis, she now uses her voice to raise awareness,, build community, and push for better treatment access. Cat believesthat no one should have to fight alone to be heard or to heal.
Dr. Zoe Gillispie - Advisor, National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance
Dr. Zoe Gillispie is a licensed clinical psychologist in Redwood City, California, with over 20 years of experience supporting children, teens, and adults. She specializes in the intersection of medicine and psychiatry, with extensive experience in neuropsychological assessment, chronic pain, and psychotherapy, including DBT and social skills groups. Dr, Gillispie first encounteed PANS/PANDAS in 2006 and now brings her expertise to help families navigate these complex neuroimmune conditions.
Nash Matson - Founding Member, National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance
Nash Matson is a freshman at Claremont McKenna College studying Integrated Science and Economics. As someone who personally experienced PANDAS, Nash’s advocacy is grounded in lived experience navigating severe neuropsychiatric illness and recovery. His journey inspired a passion for improving awareness, research, and compassionate care for children and families affected by neuroimmune and mental health conditions. Through storytelling, advocacy, and healthcare-innovation, Nash works to reduce stigma, bridge science and lived experience, and empower young people to share their voices while advancing understanding of complex brain-immune disorders.
Session Description (10:30-11:30 a.m.)
Closing the Continuity Gap: Community-Embedded Strategies that Meet Patients Where They Are
Speakers
Henna Zaidi - Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships - Advantage Healthcare Services
Henna has served as the Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at Advantage Healthcare Services since 2025. In this role, she is focused on community-based behavioral health care coordination and data-driven patient outreach. She has been engaged in diverse positions within the healthcare workforce at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Blue Shield of California, and COPE Health Solutions. She earned a dual Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Session Description (11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.)
| For individuals living with serious mental illness, disruptions in housing, insurance, medication access, and other life circumstances can quickly threaten stability and continuity of care. This panel will explore an innovative community-embedded model that brings behavioral health pharmacists and Community Health Liaisons together to address these challenges where they occur—in homes, shelters, treatment programs, and other community settings. By combining clinical medication expertise with trusted, relationship-based support, this approach helps remove barriers to care, strengthen treatment continuity, and support individuals in remaining engaged in their treatment and recovery. |
The Caregiver’s Mission: Supporting Military Service Members Living with Mental Health Conditions
Speaker
Bri Soriano - Volunteer, NAMI Monterey
Brianna is a military spouse and volunteer with NAMI Monterey County. She studied psychology during her undergraduate studies, which fueled her passion in mental health advocacy and education. As a military spouse, she has seen firsthand both stateside and overseas how deep the stigma surrounding mental health runs and the unique challenges that families in this community face.
Session Description (11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.)
Youth and Young Adults - Supporting Young Adults After Parental Loss: Lessons from the First Two Years of a Peer Grief Support Program
Speaker
Shannon Bell - Founder/Director, Two Daughters Foundation
Shannon is the oldest of the Two Daughters, and currently lives in Sacramento, California, where she works in social services policy. She received her B.Sc. in Honors Environmental Science from the University of British Columbia and her Master of Environmental Management from Yale. In her free time, Shannon enjoys hiking, cooking, making cakes, going out for cocktails with her fiancé, Spencer, and snuggling with her cat Sherlock.
Session Description (11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.)
Family Collaboration in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
Speaker
TBA
TBD
Session Description
Friday, Oct. 9 - Afternoon Sessions:
Innovation - Nothing About Us Without Us: Co-Producing Behavioral Health Solutions with Community
Speaker
David Salinas - Senior Associate, Strategice and Equity Initiatives
David Salinas, MPH, (él/he/him) is a Senior Associate at the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS). Mr. Salinas leads the planning and implementation of CIBHS’ quality improvement and racial equity projects. He has over 25 years of experience addressing public health disparities through an intersectional approach to achieve health and racial equity among impacted populations. His clinical and social research experience includes HIV prevention, treatment, and care; sexual health education in schools; mental health and substance misuse service’s needs; and evaluation of behavioral health services gaps.
Phanit Dy - Director, Community Defined Evidence Practices (CDEP) Implementation
Phanit Dy (he/him/his) is a Director at the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS). In this role, Phanit is supporting the implementation, spread, scale, and sustainability of community and culturally based behavioral health practices that improves access and outcomes for different populations. Phanit also supports organizations to adopt a self-directed quality improvement tool that facilitates organizational change to address structural racism in community behavioral health through an Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion perspective. Previously, Phanit has spent his career supporting California community health centers, including federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, and tribal health programs, with integrating behavioral health into primary care, and SAMHSA-funded Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in California. Phanit graduated from the California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelors of Science in Health Science and a concentration in Health Care Administration.
Ryan Mertz, PsyD - Senior Associate, CIBHS
Ryan Mertz, PsyD (he/him) is a Senior Associate at the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) with a professional background spanning clinical practice, school-based behavioral health and youth-serving systems. Prior to his systems-level work, Ryan held roles in community mental health, intensive outpatient care, and educational settings, supporting children, youth and families through evidence-based and skills-based interventions. Drawing on this practice experience, he has spent over two years supporting grantees within California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) where he coordinates implementation support and training and technical assistance. He serves as lead for CYBHI’s Community of Practice workshops where sessions are shaped by grantee feedback and focused on the topics grantees are most eager to explore.
Session Description (1:30-2:30 p.m.)
Dual Diagnosis (Co-Occuring Disorders) - Mental Health and Tobacco Use
Speaker
Maya Vijayaraghavan, MD, MAS - Professor of Medicine, Steven A. Schroeder Distinguished Professor of Health and Health Care, Director, Smoking Cessation Leadership Center
Dr. Vijayaraghavan is a practicing general internist and a researcher in tobacco control with a focus on populations experiencing homelessness. She is the Director of the UCSF Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, a Center focused on eliminating disparities in tobacco use prevalence among behavioral health populations. Through her work, she has intervened at the individual, community, health systems and policy levels to help increase access to cessation services. Her intervention research, funded by the NCI, TRDRP, NIMHD, and SFCAN, stems from collaborations with community-based organizations and healthcare systems. She has collaborated with homeless shelters and supportive housing to implement interventions to increase access to smoking cessation services and smoke-free policies for people who have experienced homelessness. She co-directs a NIDA-funded postdoctoral training program at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, focused on tobacco and substance use related research. Dr. Vijayaraghavan received her Bachelor’s in Science from Brown University, her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center, a primary care research fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego.
Session Description (1:30-2:30 p.m.)
Youth and Young Adults - Emotional First Aid for Youth: Early Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Intervention to Reduce Stigma and Prevent Crisis
Speaker
Merlot Ghadoushi - Youth Mental Health Advocate, member of the NAMI Next Gen
Merlot Ghadoushi (she/her) is a 20-year-old from Los Angeles, California, double majoring in Psychology and Anthropology on a pre-medical track. Her mental health advocacy is shaped by lived experience, curiosity, and a commitment to improving care for young people and families. She serves on the UCLA Psychiatric Patient and Family Advisory Council and founded a free dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills group, while also creating Unmasked Authenticity, a platform for vulnerability and advocacy. Her writing explores resilience, identity, and healing, and her dedication to service has been recognized with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. Through her work with NAMI Next Gen, Merlot is committed to building youth-led spaces that promote honesty, access, connection, and meaningful change.
Session Description (1:30-2:30 p.m.)
Caregiver Resiliency & Self-Care - Hope and Healing: A Caregiver’s Guide to Eating Disorder Support
Speaker
Cami Nelsen, CEO and Founder, The RecoverED Project
Cami Nelsen is the Executive Director and founder of The RecoverED Project, a California-based nonprofit led by young adults to support individuals in eating disorder recovery and raise awareness nationwide. Cami founded the organization at age 17 following her own recovery and continues to lead its mission of fostering a positive, connected recovery community. She is also a member of NAMI California’s Youth Leadership Council and has advocated for mental health and eating disorder awareness through national forums, including a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C. Cami was the 2023–2024 recipient of the Calhope Courage Award and has been featured in Dove’s Self-Esteem Campaign and Cost of Beauty campaign. Through her leadership and advocacy, she is committed to creating greater connection, awareness, and support for young people navigating mental health and recovery.
Eden Hadar, CFO of The RecoverED Project
Eden Hadar is student at Stanford University pursuing a BS in Symbolic Systems and an MS in Community Health & Prevention Research. Outside of academics, she is the Treasurer for the RecoverED Project, a fully youth-led nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about eating disorders and promoting recovery. Her interest in this work is deeply rooted in a commitment to improving access to mental health resources and supporting young people in navigating their own recovery journeys. In her free time, Eden enjoys traveling, doing pilates, trying new matcha spots, and playing board games.
