annual conference

Register Today! - NAMI NH 2024 Virtual Annual Conference

Participants will:

    • Increase awareness of resources, for all stages and ages of their mental health journey.
    • Leave the conference feeling empowered and hopeful.
    • Be part of a community of mental health – recognizing they are not alone, that NAMI NH is families helping families.
    • Recognize the importance of peer voices and lived experience.
    • Learn ways to reduce stigma and discrimination.
    • Understand the many forms mental health recovery takes.
    • Learn individual advocacy.
    • Understand mental health is connected with overall health and well-being.

Each spring, NAMI NH hosts an annual conference. Participants come from communities all around New Hampshire and are interested in learning more about mental illness. This includes broadening their understanding of ways to support each other, reduce stigma, advocate for quality mental health services and find needed resources. Those we encourage to attend include parents or caregivers who have a child or youth with an emotional disorder, families who are supporting an adult or older adult loved one with mental illness, those who have a mental illness, military families, peer recovery professionals, individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide, families and individuals who are struggling with co-occurring disorders and the service providers who support recovery efforts in New Hampshire. This is an opportunity to come together to learn, network and communicate messages of hope.

We are grateful for our Annual Conference Sponsors and Donors, who make it possible to offer this event at no charge to attendees. Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, or contact
Kristen Welch, CFRE, Director of Development.

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS

Keynote Presentation: March 26, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Dr. Xavier Amador, founder of the LEAP Institute

I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help: How to Help Someone Accept Treatment

What is anosognosia? Many people who love someone with serious mental illness can be frustrated by the individual’s failure to understand they are sick. Dr. Amador will present research on the prevalence, etiology, and clinical significance of poor insight of persons with serious mental illness. Evidence that poor insight is a symptom of these disorders rather than denial will be discussed. Strategies for helping such persons will be summarized.

Dr. Xavier Amador is an internationally renowned clinical psychologist, author, and leader in his field. His books, published clinical research, worldwide speaking tours and extensive work in schizophrenia, bipolar and other disorders have been translated into 30 languages. He is also the CEO of the Henry Amador Center on Anosognosia and a family caregiver of two close relatives with serious mental illness.

 

Welcome Session & Opening Remarks: March 27, 9:00 am – 10:00 am

Lori Weaver, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services; & Susan Stearns, Executive Director, NAMI New Hampshire

The State of New Hampshire’s Mental Health System

Join this session as NAMI NH’s Executive Director Susan Stearns officially opens the conference for the day. She will provide NAMI NH updates and introduce Lori Weaver, Commissioner, NH Department of Health and Human Services. Commissioner Weaver will discuss the state of New Hampshire’s mental health system.

Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson

 

Afternoon Keynote: March 27, 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm

Christine Crawford, MD, MPH, Associate Medical Director of NAMI National

A Conversation about Youth Mental Health

A growing number of children and teens in the U.S. are struggling with mental health conditions, and parents, teachers, and other caregivers are often at a loss when concerns arise for their own child. Are your preschooler’s constant tantrums normal for their age, or evidence of a developmental difficulty? Is puberty or depression to blame for your pre-teen’s reticence? Is my child in the wrong school, or being influenced by the wrong friends? Am I a bad parent or teacher, or am I overreacting? What exactly should I do? 

Dr. Christine M. Crawford is an adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist who sees patients at Boston Medical Center. She is a staff member of the Wellness and Recovery After Psychosis Program (WRAP) where she provides psychiatric care for adolescents experiencing symptoms of psychosis. Dr. Crawford is also the author of the forthcoming book; You Are Not Alone for Parents and Caregivers: The NAMI Guide to Navigating your Child’s Mental Health with advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real Families due for release in September 2024.

 

WORKSHOPS

Professor Julio Del Sesto – March 27, 10:15 am – 11:15 am

An Everyday Hero’s Journey from Struggling Student to Successful Professor

Julio Del Sesto, who has struggled with mental illness since the age of 12, will discuss his journey from barely graduating high school to becoming a successful college professor. Today, Julio works to break down the stigma of mental health in his community and among his students.  In 2022, he was awarded the Keene State Distinguished Teacher Award which recognizes excellence in teaching, encouragement of independent thinking, rapport with students, and student advising.  In one student’s nomination letter, they said “Julio Del Sesto stands out as a beacon for those who struggle, those who do not know their path, and more beyond that.”

Sponsored by AmeriHealth Caritas

 

Brittany Porter & Kristen Welch – March 27, 11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Stigma Doesn’t Stand a Chance – NAMIWalks New Hampshire & This Is My Brave

Join Walk Manager, Brittany Porter, and Director of Development, Kristen Welch CFRE for an information session on two upcoming stigma-busting events. Hear important updates, inspiring stories, and more on how you can get involved.

 

Lisa Morgan – March 27, 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm

Crisis Supports and Suicide Prevention for Autistic People

Research has shown suicide to be a leading cause of death for autistic people. This presentation will cover the warning signs, unique risk factors, statistics of suicide, and how to be culturally aware in working with autistic people. Autistic people think, communicate, and experience the world differently than non-autistic people.  The presentation will describe five autism-specific resources to use in supporting autistic people around suicide prevention and crisis support. 

Sponsored by WellSense Health Plan

 

Thomas Dearborn & Eric Skinner – March 27, 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm

The Highs & Lows Tour: A Community Cycling Event for Better Mental Health

The Highs & Lows Tour is organized by a group of people who have been directly or indirectly impacted by mental illness and suicide. The mission is to promote better mental health in New Hampshire through 1) raising awareness of mental illness and suicide prevention 2) destigmatizing mental illness and 3) raising funds for NAMI New Hampshire.

Sponsored by New Hampshire Community Behavioral Health Association