​Keynote Speaker: Joe Birch-Senior News Anchor, WMC Action News 5 – Memphis, TN
Community Advocate | Emmy Award-Winning Journalist | Civic Leader

​

"Broadcasting Hope: The Power of Truth, Trust, and Telling the Whole Story"

​

In this heartfelt keynote, Joe Birch will reflect on his decades-long journey in journalism and his mission to uplift the Memphis community through storytelling that matters. With insights shaped by years of anchoring both tragedy and triumph, Joe will explore how truth-telling, active listening, and empathy are essential tools in both media and recovery. His address will inspire attendees to recognize the sacred power of story—how we tell it, who tells it, and how it can transform lives. This is more than a keynote; it’s a call to broadcast hope in every profession and every life touched by addiction, recovery, and advocacy.

 

1. D.G., CPRS

Special Guest Speaker
Certified Peer Recovery Specialist | Recovery Advocate

Topic: "Recovery, Faith & Second Chances – A Testimony from Within"
D.G. offers a powerful perspective from inside the justice system—sharing his journey of recovery, faith, and personal transformation. His testimony challenges stigma and uplifts the reality that redemption and resilience are possible even in the most restrictive environments. Through his lived experience, D.G. reminds us of the vital importance of peer support, spiritual care, and access to recovery resources for all.

​

Learning Objectives:

• Explore how personal transformation and recovery can thrive in justice-involved settings.

• Understand the impact of peer recovery models on long-term behavioral change.

• Examine how faith, purpose, and community contribute to healing from addiction and trauma.

• Identify key barriers and opportunities for second-chance advocacy in behavioral health systems.

​

2. Tommy Corman

Topic: 8 Domains of Counseling

The 8 Domains of Counseling are the foundation to our practice as SUD clinicians. This training will address each domain in part and address any questions. This training is designed for the novice and the expert in the 8 domains which are: clinical evaluation, treatment planning, referral, service coordination, counseling (individual and group), client/family education, documentation, and professional and ethical responsibilities. ​

​

Learning Objectives: Understand the need for the 8 domains, treatment knowledge for each domain, identify best practices, and know how to implement each domain for treatment.

​

3.  Charles Winton
Recovery Advocate & Cultural Competency Specialist

Topic: “Culturally Responsive Behavioral Health Practices”

This session provides a practical and reflective framework for delivering culturally responsive behavioral health care. Charles Winton will explore how cultural identity, historical trauma, and systemic inequities influence recovery journeys. Participants will examine the role of bias, cultural humility, and intersectionality in client engagement and service delivery. Attendees will leave with tools to deepen trust, improve communication, and offer more equitable care across diverse populations.

​

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define cultural responsiveness and identify its role in behavioral health and recovery services.

2. Recognize how cultural identity and lived experiences shape treatment engagement and outcomes.

3. Apply culturally affirming strategies that foster trust and reduce disparities in care.

4. Evaluate their own cultural assumptions and incorporate practices that support equity and inclusion.

​

4. Todd Hickman
Topic: Motivational Interviewing and The Disease Model of Addiction

This presentation will introduce the main components of Motivational Interviewing. Participants will learn the history and development of the approach as well as the skills to effectively apply this model in the efforts to guide their clients to healthier choices around their addictive behaviors. Each participant will have an opportunity to role-play and utilize the skills during the presentation.

 

Learning Outcome: The Disease Model of addiction will be presented to develop  practical understanding and implementation of knowledge that is supportive of early and long-term recovery. This presentation provides practical and useful terminology along with relatable examples for aiding clients in recovery.

​​

​​

5. Doug Smith, BS, CADC II
Founder, Innovative Realities

​

Title: Emotional Attachment Behavioral Therapy: An Innovative Approach to Behavioral Health Treatment

 

Description: Research shows a strong correlation between attachment disorder and SUD. Implications for treatment show that assessing insecure attachment styles can lead to increased positive outcomes. Emotional Attachment Behavioral Therapy (EABT) is a model gaining notoriety in the behavioral health field for quickly getting to the root of attachment issues. This presentation will show the history and relevant research associated with attachment theory and the connection between insecure attachment styles and behavioral health conditions. It will also review the primary objectives of EABT, including assessing insecure attachment styles and understanding core attachment stressors. Practitioners using the EABT model work with clients to cultivate these primary objectives while creating a more secure therapeutic relationship. This presentation will also demonstrate the diversity of populations that this foundational model is being applied towards. 

 

Learning Objectives:

1. The participant will be able to understand how research demonstrates that insecure attachment styles correlate with behavioral health conditions.

2. The participant will be able to evaluate how attachment stressors can exacerbate thoughts, feelings and behaviors that increase unhealthy outcomes.

3. The participant will be able to interpret how a client can increase awareness and coping skills around their attachment stressors, increasing positive outcomes.

​​

​​​

7. Scot Brewer
Recovery Systems Specialist

Topic:
Building Sustainable, Person-Centered Recovery Frameworks

Session Description:
This workshop focuses on developing and implementing recovery frameworks that prioritize the unique needs, strengths, and goals of each individual. Scot Brewer will guide participants through evidence-based strategies to create sustainable recovery systems that empower clients, foster long-term wellness, and integrate community and peer support. Emphasis will be placed on collaboration, flexibility, and cultural responsiveness to enhance recovery outcomes.

​

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the core principles of person-centered recovery frameworks

• Identify strategies for creating sustainable recovery systems tailored to individual needs

• Recognize the role of peer and community support in enhancing recovery sustainability

• Apply best practices to design flexible, culturally responsive recovery plans

​

8. CEO, The Hope Center of North Mississippi
Session Title: “From Addiction to Advocacy: Reimagining Recovery Through Mentorship and Community Impact”

Session Description:
Join Stacy Dodd, a dynamic leader and peer recovery advocate, as she shares her lived experience and professional journey transforming addiction into advocacy. Through the lens of The Hope Center of North Mississippi, this session explores how mentorship, purpose, and community-driven leadership create sustainable pathways for recovery—especially in underserved and rural populations. Participants will gain insight into real-world models that blend personal transformation with civic impact.

​

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the intersection between addiction recovery and youth mentorship, using real-world models like The Hope Center of North Mississippi.

• Describe the role of peer leadership and interventionists in sustaining long-term recovery in underserved communities.

​

​

​6. Violet Newborn, Founder of Color Your Story Onto Mine (CYSOM) Creator of The Newborn Method™

​

Topic: The Newborn Method™: A Trauma-Informed, Art-Based Framework for Ethical and Empowering Healing

​​​

The Newborn Method™ is a versatile, ethical healing framework urgently needed across systems where trauma survivors are disproportionately underserved. Its peer-led, culturally attuned, and art-based practices empower individuals and communities to reclaim dignity, voice, and justice.

​

This workshop offers mental health professionals an unparalleled opportunity to deepen their trauma-informed practice with innovative, ethical, and empowering approaches that challenge systemic cycles of harm. Violet’s dynamic facilitation, which seamlessly blends personal testimony with theory and practical tools, equips participants to foster justice, joy, and healing within their communities—making this a must-attend experience for anyone dedicated to transformative trauma recovery.

​

Learning Outcomes

• Describe the origins and theoretical foundation of The Newborn Method™

• Identify the core components.
   

• Examine how The Newborn Method™ operationalizes the APA’s Ethical Principle of Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity 

• Explore visual storytelling and expressive arts Critically evaluate traditional power dynamics in therapy
   

• Implement trauma-informed facilitation strategies

9. Dr. Orisha A. Bowers

"Embodied Liberation: Integrating Spiritual Wellness and Creative Practice for Healing in Communities of Color"

Session Description:

Dr. Orisha A. Bowers will guide participants through an interactive exploration of how embodied spiritual and creative practices—such as Dancing Mindfulness—can serve as culturally relevant healing tools in communities disproportionately affected by trauma, reproductive injustice, and systemic inequity. Drawing from her interdisciplinary scholarship and lived ministry, this session blends academic insight, movement, and ritual to foster deeper awareness of how wellness-centered leadership can catalyze community transformation, particularly for women of color and faith-based networks.

​​

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the intersection of spirituality, creative practice, and healing in community-based work.

2. Identify trauma-informed approaches that integrate embodiment and mindfulness in marginalized communities.

3. Apply culturally affirming tools—such as movement, ritual, and storytelling—in their own professional and personal healing contexts.

​​

​​

10. David Fuller

Topic: Opioids, Stimulants & Overdose Prevention

Participants will learning aspect of Opioids, Stimulants & Overdose Prevention

​

Learning Objective: Participants will conclude this presentation by learning how to Save A Life by utilizing  Naloxone (Narcan) medication to reverse an opioid overdose. Attendees will also learn about overdose statistics, stigma & harm reduction, fentanyl & other emerging drug trends, and stimulant overdoses. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn different ways they can help address the overdose crisis.

​

​​​​​​11.  William Drury
Behavioral Health Specialist, Summit BHC

Topic: 

"Integrated Addiction Recovery & Staff Development: Elevating Team Culture to Improve Client Outcomes"

This session explores how integrated treatment models—combining mental health and substance use services—can be most effective when supported by strong staff development. William Drury will highlight how clinical alignment, trauma-informed principles, and ongoing workforce training impact both team resilience and client recovery. Attendees will learn how cultivating reflective, recovery-oriented staff culture strengthens outcomes and reduces burnout in high-demand behavioral health environments.

 

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Define the principles of integrated care in addiction recovery settings.
   

• Identify key staff development strategies that improve team collaboration and service delivery.
   

• Understand the connection between staff well-being and client outcomes.
   

• Apply trauma-informed and recovery-oriented practices to support both clients and professionals in clinical and peer roles.

​

12. Bishop Fredrick Gillam Jr., LPC-MHSP, LMFT, AAMFT-S
Founder, The Shepherds Care Symposium

 

Topic: “Trauma: The Ugly Third Party” – How Trauma Disrupts Relationships & Systems

In every relationship—personal, clinical, or systemic—unaddressed trauma can act as a silent disruptor, a third party influencing behavior, trust, and connection. In this powerful session, Bishop Fredrick Gillam Jr. brings a dual lens of clinical expertise and spiritual insight to explore how trauma manifests in families, teams, and organizations. He will unpack how unresolved wounds create dysfunctional dynamics and offer tools to foster emotional safety, healing dialogue, and sustainable change in professional and personal systems alike.

 

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize how trauma manifests as a "third party" within relationships and professional environments.
    

2. Identify systemic patterns created by unhealed trauma in families, teams, and communities.
    

3. Apply relational and trauma-informed frameworks to reduce harm and increase emotional safety.
    

4. Integrate faith-informed or values-driven strategies to support healing and reconnection in systems affected by trauma.

​​

13. Karen L. Morgan, MA, P-LPC, LADAC II, QCS, MAC, SAP 

#1. Emotional Attachment Behavioral Therapy (EABT): An Innovative Approach to Behavioral Health Treatment

​

Summary & Learning Objective:
This session explores how insecure attachment styles impact behavioral health conditions such as substance use disorders. Participants will learn how to identify attachment stressors and apply Emotional Attachment Behavioral Therapy (EABT) to support client insight, coping, and recovery through attachment-informed care.

​

#2. Ethics & Attachment: EABT for Helping Professionals

Summary & Learning Objective:

Helping professionals face increasing risks of burnout and emotional overwhelm. This session uses the EABT framework to help participants explore how their own attachment patterns influence boundaries, emotional resilience, and ethical self-care, with tools to recognize impairment and sustain personal and professional well-being.

​​​

14. Dr. Tanjala Gibson
Topic: This presentation will focus on the neurobiology of addiction and the latest neurological research in the field.

​​​

Learning Objective: To provide a review of how addiction impacts the brain. To illustrate the clinical presentations of addiction. To discuss the impact of addiction on treatment outcomes.

​

15.  Maurice Clifton Sr.

Chaplain | Recovery Advocate | Transformational Leader

​

Topic: "Battling with Addictions While Incarcerated: A Chaplain’s Perspective on Healing Behind the Wall"

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

​

•  Identify the unique challenges of addressing addiction within prison environments, including access to treatment and stigma among peers and staff.

•  Describe how incarcerated individuals often self-medicate trauma and unresolved pain, and how addiction functions as both a symptom and a survival mechanism.

•  Explore the role of chaplaincy and faith-based support in interrupting addiction cycles and fostering personal transformation behind bars.

•  Apply trauma-informed, spiritually grounded strategies to support incarcerated individuals in their recovery journeys.

​

​

16. Chad Hampton, STPS – Acadia Healthcare 
Topic: Addiction, Mental Health, Recovery, and Faith — Why Can't We Work Better Together?
Exploring the Challenges and Building Bridges to Save Lives

This dynamic session explores the often-overlooked intersections between mental health, substance use recovery, and faith-based support. Drawing from real-life experiences in ministry, recovery advocacy, and community engagement, Chad Hampton and Arsania Wright will guide attendees through the systemic, cultural, and spiritual challenges that prevent collaboration—and offer practical tools for creating stronger, more unified approaches to healing.

​

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify key barriers between faith-based communities and behavioral health systems

• Understand the role of spiritual support in recovery and mental health care

• Apply strategies for building partnerships across sectors to improve client outcomes

• Explore case studies that illustrate effective collaboration in faith and recovery networks

​

17. Lincoln Coffman, CPRS, CRC, QPR Trainer

Lifeline Regional Director | Memphis Area Prevention Coalition
Church Health Center of Memphis
&

Arsania Wright, CPRS

Faith-Based Community Coordinator | TN Region 7 (Shelby County)

​

Topic: “Faith Forward: Restoring Trust and Strengthening Recovery Through Faith, Prevention, and Peer Support”

​

This collaborative session explores how faith communities, peer recovery specialists, and prevention coalitions can work together to improve outcomes for those facing addiction and mental health challenges. Lincoln and Arsania will offer strategies to reduce stigma, rebuild trust, and expand access to culturally responsive and spiritually grounded support systems. 

​

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize common barriers between faith communities and clinical behavioral health providers

• Identify trauma-informed peer-led practices that can be used in spiritual or community spaces

• Apply culturally responsive approaches to prevention and stigma reduction

• Explore real-world strategies for collaboration between prevention, peer support, and faith-based organizations

​

18. Amy Coleman, BS, MHA, CPRS
Business Development Professional | Certified Peer Specialist | Recovery Advocate
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services – West Tennessee.

​

Topic: Trauma-Informed Organizational Leadership: Cultivating Healing-Centered Environments in Behavioral Health

​

This session explores how trauma-informed principles can be integrated into organizational leadership to create environments that support both staff well-being and client recovery. Participants will learn strategies to foster resilience, reduce burnout, and improve service delivery by embedding trauma awareness into policies, communication, and workplace culture. Drawing from Amy’s extensive experience in healthcare administration and recovery advocacy, this workshop bridges clinical, peer, and leadership perspectives to transform behavioral health organizations.

​

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Define trauma-informed organizational leadership and its impact on behavioral health settings

• Identify key strategies to implement trauma-informed practices at the organizational level

• Recognize the importance of staff self-care and resilience-building to reduce burnout

• Apply tools for fostering healing-centered workplace cultures that enhance client outcomes