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Cecilia McGough (they/she) is a New York City-based mental health activist, nonprofit executive director, co-author, public speaker, consultant, and former radio astronomer. McGough is autistic and also happens to have schizophrenia, but they do not let their diagnoses define them. McGough is the founder and executive director of the global nonprofit Students With Psychosis. Students With Psychosis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers student leaders and advocates worldwide through community building and collaboration. McGough is a Global Shaper and former task force member of the World Economic Forum. She finds it essential to connect with advocates across various diagnoses. She is currently a Lightbulb ambassador, served as a 2020/2022 conference advisor for Healthevoices, and is on the finance committee for the Women's Mental Health Conference at Yale 2023. McGough collaborates with industry leads, mental health researchers, and clinicians; for example, McGough was a 2020-2021 think tank participant organized by One Mind to focus on early screening for psychosis in youth. She is an UNLEASH talent who traveled to Denmark in August of 2017 to be an active voice to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensure people with psychosis are represented. McGough was a keynote speaker for the 2022 Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society in Florence, Italy. At 17, McGough co-discovered PSR J1930-1852 with the widest known orbit around another neutron star. This discovery led to opportunities such as being published as a co-author in the Astrophysical Journal, helping represent the United States in the International Space Olympics in Russia and being a Virginia Aerospace Science And Technology Scholar through the NASA Langley Research Center.
McGough's story as a radio astronomer through the Pulsar Science Collaboratory can be seen in the documentary Little Green Men. McGough's story has been viewed over 35 million times across multiple platforms. It has been featured on CBS This Morning, Glamour UK, Fortune, The Boston Globe, Women's Health Magazine, Forbes, PBS, USA Today College, Healthline, Barcroft TV, Anthony Padilla, Daily Mail, The Indian Express, MTV University, Parade, TEDx, SBSK, WGBH, Mental Health America, Psychology Today, etc.
Sara Strader, MS, Operations Manager for System Design and Implementation Strategies Division and National Coach and Trainer for National Wraparound Implementation Center at the Innovations Institute. Ms. Strader is responsible for supporting and managing state, organization, and provider efforts around systems of care development/reformation, installation efforts of varying models, workforce development, and improving quality practices. Ms. Strader assists to identify gaps in installation efforts across various organizations and systems to plan around infrastructure changes needed including policy, financing, workforce development, data collection and analysis, and operationalizing practice. Ms. Strader assists system and organizational leaders, both in public and private sectors, to identify trends and analyze barriers to program success and then provides recommendations to achieve quality outcomes and performance improvements. Ms. Strader holds a BS in Conflict Resolution from Abilene Christian University and MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Harding University.
Jenny Fuller is the North Central Regional Prevention Training and Technical Assistance Leader in Montana and serves on the Mountain Plains PTTC Advisory Board. Jenny received her bachelor's and master's degrees at Montana State University, majoring in Agricultural Education and Communication. After several years working at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in statistics and survey management, Jenny pivoted to the court system and then began her prevention journey. Working as a prevention specialist as her children were young, she was able to see where her professional impact could be greatest. When she is not working to help create confident and successful Montana prevention specialists, she is enjoying time spent traveling with her children and her partner, Bruce, and enjoying the outdoors in North Eastern Montana.
Sarah Kemp Tabbut, LCSW, is a clinical social worker with 5 years hands-on and public health experience in mental health and suicide prevention. Well-versed in suicide prevention best practices, including safety planning, lethal means safety, and community-based interventions. Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) Trainer. Previous work in housing and poverty, to include six years of service on the Board of Directors for the Fargo Moorhead Coalition for Ending Homelessness.
Toni Donnelly is a National Trainer and Coach at Innovations Institute for the PEARLS Certification Program for the Peer Parent Support Workforce and a National Trainer and Coach for the National Wraparound Center at Innovations Institute. In her current role, Toni is also a part of the Institute’s National Quality Improvement Center on Family- Centered Reunification providing technical consultation and expertise in developing the peer parent support workforce as well as family engagement and involvement. Toni brings a wealth of personal experience navigating systems, building effective wraparound teams, helping systems understand the nuances of family engagement, involvement and leadership and building effective parent – professional partnerships. Toni's approach to training, coaching and technical assistance is informed by her most significant role as a parent raising three sons with emotional and behavioral health needs. Toni's non-adversarial advocacy as a parent on behalf of her children, coupled with her ability to navigate child-serving systems compelled Toni to become involved in the family movement.
Kristina Kuzmic is a cheerleader for her fellow humans. It’s not something she ever anticipated doing, but after immigrating to America from Croatia during the war in her homeland and later facing more challenges (divorce, single parenting, poverty, depression…), Kristina wanted to be for others what she wished someone had been for her during her darkest hours.
Now, with over one billion video views, Kristina is providing her audience with encouragement, hope and humor in a role she never expected to fill. In 2011, when Oprah crowned Kristina the winner of Mark Burnett’s reality TV competition “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star,” Oprah said, “What is that thing? That’s so charming and charismatic and connected to the audience that makes you feel like, ‘I know her, I want to be her, I’m like her’… Kristina has all of that. She is an ‘IT PLUS’ girl… I wanna watch her!”
Since working with Oprah, Kristina has branched out on her own, creating parent-centric videos about juggling all of life’s challenges. She has quickly become a viral sensation with well over 2.8 million Facebook followers. Kristina has a voice and personality that has proven to be a hit with a massive audience (from young millennials through Gen-Xers and even Baby Boomers).
The Huffington Post referred to Kristina’s videos as “Parenting comedy at its finest,” and The Inquisitr has praised her “witty charm.” People, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Us Weekly, Parents, Good Housekeeping, and many more have posted articles on her creative parenting advice and unique humor, and media outlets across the country are picking up her videos and re-posting them. Kristina has quickly made a name for herself as a creative, yet unpretentious parent, as well as a world-renowned motivational speaker and comedian. She is currently touring the country with her “Hope & Humor” tour. Her first book, Hold On, But Don’t Hold Still, was released through Penguin Random House in February 2020, and made the Publishers Weekly Best-Sellers list.
Kristina and her husband live in Southern California, where her most important, rewarding, and exhausting roles include being a sanitation engineer, chef, chauffer, conflict resolution guru, and cheerleader for her three (mostly satisfied) clients – her children.
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Carlo DiClemente completed his doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Rhode Island in 1978. He joined the faculty at UMBC as Professor of Psychology and Department Chair in 1995 after several years as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston and at the University of Texas Medical School and the Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences. Dr. DiClemente’s research examines the stages of the process of human intentional behavior change particularly as related to health and addictive behaviors. He is the co-developer of the Transtheoretical Model of change which has been used by researchers in the areas of cancer prevention, HIV risk reduction, dietary change, exercise, occupational safety, and rehabilitation of health and addictive behaviors. He has co-authored several books, The Transtheoretical Model and Changing for Good as well as numerous articles and book chapters. Dr. DiClemente serves as a consultant to several institutions and research projects and has an active grant funded program of research in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Maryland at Baltimore and at University of Maryland College Park, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, University of Houston and other institutions.
My mission is simple: Help people have more fun in life and a work. I help you shift your mindset to help you increase confidence while permanently, yes forever, removing fears and limiting beliefs holding you back in your career. Joy and play at work is not about foosball tables or external things in the environment. It's having a playful attitude and mindset that helps you be more creative, productive, and happy at work.
In my work I blend positive psychology, neuroscience, humor, and NLP to achieve extraordinary results. In my corporate career in HR and L&D I've helped create happier workplace with much success. It is possible to help you learn how to be happier, healthier, and more productive at work and in life. Join me in creating a happier world that is more resilient, creative, and capable of achieving greatness together.
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Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, BSW, NCAC II, CDC III, SAP, is the Executive Director of NAADAC, the Association of Addiction Professionals and has worked as an addiction professional for over 40 years. She previously served as the Executive Director of Danya Institute and the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center. Prior to this she was the Program Director for Volunteers of America Western Washington, serving homeless populations and dealing with the co-occurrence of poverty and substance use and co-occurring disorders. In addition, she has been the administrator of multi-county, publicly funded substance use prevention/intervention/treatment centers with services ranging from prenatal care to the serving the elderly for over 20 years.
Moreno Tuohy is an International and Domestic trainer in Conflict Resolution, Anger Management, Rein in Your Brain, Foundations of Addiction Practice, Clinical Supervision, Counseling Skills and Methods, Medication Assisted Treatment and Recovery and many other topics for the past 25 years. Moreno Tuohy is the author of a NIDA SBIR: Conflict Resolution in Recovery and Relapse Prevention and a published author of the book Rein in Your Brain from Impulsivity to Thoughtful Living in Recovery published by Hazelden. She has served as President of NAADAC, a Certification Board Commissioner, International Chair, Treasurer and Legislative Chair for NAADAC.
Moreno Tuohy has experience in developing and implementing programs in leadership, organizational development training for emerging managers, training trainers and training mentors. She has developed partnerships with various national and international organizations including developing strategic plans, workforce development plans and implementation and educational curriculum. Moreno Tuohy has written training components and manuals regarding adolescents, adults, seniors, school intervention, involuntary commitment, community mobilization, intensive outpatient and continuing care, impaired driver’s programs, EAP and gang intervention/ suppression/treatment.
Moreno Tuohy holds a Bachelor’s degree in social work and administration and is certified both nationally and in the State of Washington.
Dion Racks is an advanced practice social worker who has worked in various social work management positions, including as a direct practice social worker. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago with her master’s degree in Social Work areas of emphasis mental health, children, and families. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2002. In her current role, she’s the Child Welfare Program Manager for the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System Milwaukee office within the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Helen Bader School of Social Work. She has over 20 years of experience training, supervising, and working in child Welfare and providing community services. Dion’s areas of expertise are trauma-informed practice, cultural humility, diversity equity and inclusion, human sex trafficking, clinical work with children and families, and the Wisconsin Safety Intervention Model.
Dr. Mishka Terplan is board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and in addiction medicine. His primary clinical, research, public health, and advocacy interests lie along the intersections of reproductive and behavioral health.
Dr. Terplan has published extensively on health inequities, discrimination, and access to treatment and is internationally recognized as an expert in the care of pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorder. He has been central to guidance document development at the American Congress of Obstetrician Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and has participated in expert panels at Center for Disease Control, Office of the National Drug Control Policy, Office of Women’s Health, US Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime primarily on issues related to gender, reproduction, and addiction.
In addition to his work for FRI, he is adjunct faculty at the University of California, San Francisco where he is a Substance Use Warmline clinician for the National Clinician Consultation Center.
Sara Flitner, founder of Flitner Strategies, Becoming Jackson Whole (a mindful community initiative) and former mayor of Jackson, Wyoming, is an entrepreneur, communication expert, and resilient workplace strategist. She founded FSI in 1996 and has grown it to serve organizations and leaders grappling with today’s largescale challenges. She gets results using a combination of communication expertise, “soft” skills, and neuroscience. She has worked in business, local, state and federal government and most recently rolled out “workplace resilience workshops” to support organizations and employees find emotional balance and mental fitness in the chaos of burnout, uncertainty, and high turnover. She was named Entrepreneur of the Year for 2022, highlighting her partnership with Wyoming Department of Health sharing mindfulness practices and resilience tools with workers on the frontlines of the pandemic. Sara also enjoys engagements with corporations and start-ups, or as a culture change expert or keynote speaker, focusing on building resilient cultures at work. Sara lives in Jackson, Wyoming, where she enjoys skiing, hiking, biking and getting into the mountains with friends, dogs or her family.
Statistically, Josh Shipp should be dead, in jail, or homeless. But his success as a preeminent author, speaker, and global youth empowerment expert is living proof of the power of one caring adult. A former at-risk foster kid turned youth advocate, Josh is renowned for the documentary TV series on A&E that followed his groundbreaking work with youth and families. As Josh says, “Every kid is ONE caring adult away from being a success story.”
He has written two national bestsellers to date, “The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans” – winner of the Nautilus Gold Award for Parenting & Family – and “The Teen’s Guide to World Domination.”
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Nicola Herting, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in working with children and families impacted by trauma. Dr. Herting received her MA and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND and completed her internship at VCU Health System in Richmond, VA. Dr. Herting devoted her post-doctoral training to the area of child abuse and maltreatment at the Child Advocacy Center at CHKD in Norfolk, VA. Dr. Herting is the Clinical Director of the Sanford Traumatic Stress Treatment Center, Mental Health Strategic Director at Red River Children’s Advocacy Center (RRCAC), a Clinical Scientist for Sanford Research, Clinical Director of the Treatment Collaborative for Traumatized Youth (TCTY), and Adjunct Faculty in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Herting has extensive training in trauma and child abuse and is experienced in providing evidence-based, trauma-specific screening, assessment, treatment, trainings, and consultation. Dr. Herting is involved in several statewide evidence-based trauma treatment and screening implementation initiatives in North Dakota and trains nationally on delivering trauma-focused treatment over telehealth.
One of the greatest blessings of my life was to have been raised on a farm. My growing up years were filled with family, animals, tractors, 4-H, FFA, gravel roads, and all that comes with being a farm kid. I left for college and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling. For the past 25 years, I have worked in the rural behavioral health field both providing direct service as well as supervising programs in an administrative capacity.
In 2016, Eyes on the Horizon Consulting was created with a Mission to increase access to, and remove the stigma often attached to mental health services in rural underserved areas. I currently work as one of two Rural Mental Health Specialists in the state of MN providing mental health counseling to farmers and their families. In addition, I am honored to have the opportunity to travel the country, virtually and in person, sharing thoughts on mental wellness, resilience, rural mental health, and the unique aspects of farm/ranch stress.
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Dr. DeCoteau obtained a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology in 2003 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with specialization in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders for adults, adolescents and children.
Dr. De Coteau is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner. TBRI is a therapeutic model that trains caregivers to provide effective support for at-risk children. She is also trained in various other trauma treatment modalities including EMDR, EFT, somatic processing, attachment intervention, NMT (neurosequential model of therapeutics), and TF-CBT. Dr. De Coteau has extensive experience working with patients who suffer from complex trauma, neurodevelopmental disorders, grief, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thinking.
Dr. DeCoteau has worked in a variety of outpatient settings and with a diverse patient population, including Veterans and Native Americans. She received the Indian Health Service 2009 Health Professional of the Year Award for outstanding service and the American Psychological Foundation 2010 Early Career Award for providing culturally competent practice techniques for Native Americans and for developing training programs in rural, underserved areas. Dr. DeCoteau was appointed by a member of the U.S. congress to serve the Commission on Native Children to help address the challenges faced by Native children.
Aside from clinical work, Dr. DeCoteau has given numerous lectures on how trauma impacts attachment and brain development, in-school strategies for working with traumatized children, and historical trauma. She is an enrolled member of the American Psychological Association, an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation and a descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
Brandon Jones is the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health Executive Director. Born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Brandon has survived living in a home of domestic violence and various other forms of trauma. He brings a down-to-earth and compassionate attitude to Mental Health. Brandon has a consulting and therapy background in addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences, Historical and Intergenerational trauma, Social/Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, and Intercultural Development Inventory. Brandon holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, a master’s in Community Psychology from Metropolitan State University, and a master’s in Psychotherapy (MFT) from Adler Graduate School. Brandon is also a 2013 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow. "Helping people heal from the past, grow in the present, and build a legacy for the future."
Dr. Jermaine Jones is an Associate Professor with the Division on Substance Use Disorders at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Jones received his Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from American University, where his research focused on understanding the abuse potential of cocaine. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship with Columbia’s Division on Substance Use Disorders researching the pharmacological and neurobiological drivers of opioid use. As faculty, Dr. Jones’ area of focus has been to try and better understand how genetic factors influence the risk of developing substance use disorders, and the effectiveness of novel medications. More recently, Dr. Jones’ research has begun to focus on community-based efforts to reduce the harms associated with opioid and psychostimulant use. Dr. Jones’ research has been funded by NIDA, Merck Pharmaceuticals, and the Gray Matters Benefit of Columbia University. Dr. Jones has served on several NIH review groups, is currently on the Board of Directors of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and the chair of the American Psychological Association's Board of Scientific Affairs.
Craig Smith: Craig Smith retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2000, after a 27-year career. He spent seventeen of those years in plain clothes units dealing primarily with Child Abuse and Homicide investigations. In 2010, he returned to the RCMP and served a further six years as a Reserve officer. Since retiring, Craig has given presentations to over 13,000 police officers, child protection workers, prosecutors, medical personnel and other child abuse professionals on topics such as Child Sexual Abuse Investigations, Interviewing & Interrogation Techniques, Abusive Head Trauma/Shaken Baby Syndrome and Adult Sexual Assault Investigations. He has spoken to audiences throughout Canada, the United States, the Hague, Australia, India, Singapore and the Philippines.
Craig is a co-author of the Manual for the Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse (1988). He authored, Shaken Baby Syndrome – An Investigator’s Manual (2010) and was a contributor to Child Maltreatment – A Comprehensive Photographic Reference Identifying Potential Child Abuse 3rd and 4th Editions (2005 & 2014). He com pleted the 2006 revision of the RCMP sponsored manual - An Investigative Guide for Sexual Offences. He also helped develop the RCMP Sexual Investigator’s Course and was the facilitator for the first on-line, nationwide, Sex Crimes course run by the RCMP (2008).
Craig received his Bachelor of General Studies degree from the University of the Fraser Valley in June 2010. He is a Certified Forensic Child Interviewer (CFCI) and has conducted approximately 1000 interviews of child and adult sexual assault victims.
Dr. Sandra Gomez-Luna is triple board certified in Adult, Child/Adolescent and Addiction Psychiatry and board certified by the American Board of preventive Medicine in Addiction Medicine and by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Gomez-Luna is a distinguished fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Gomez-Luna provides psychiatric evaluations, therapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions to children, adolescents and adults with psychiatric and co-occurring conditions. Dr. Gomez-Luna completed her residency program in general psychiatry from New York Medical College at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in New York and graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons’ Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship program at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York, where she served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Gomez-Luna completed Addiction Psychiatry fellowship program at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Gomez Luna is the recipient of the 2013-2015 Research in Addiction Medicine Scholarship Program (RAMS) at Yale University and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry 2013-2014 Area I Regional Award. She is member of the editorial board of The Carlat Report: Addiction Treatment and a member of the newly formed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), Dr. Gomez-Luna is assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University.
Dr. Heidi Paulson received her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University and has been licensed as a psychologist in ND since 2011. She has nearly 20 years of experience assessing and treating adults and adolescents with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring severe behavioral health diagnoses in residential settings and is intensively trained in DBT. Dr. Paulson is one of only two psychologists in North Dakota who specializes in intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to providing psychological and behavioral health services to people residing at the LSTC, she is also part of the state outreach team that consults with providers across the state.
Jennifer Hooey has worked in the field of developmental disabilities in a variety of roles for 36 years. She is currently the CARES Program Manager at the Life Skills and Transition Center. She has presented as part of team at state and national conferences on topics including crisis services, rights restoration, forensic evaluations, and transformation of a state-run institution. The variety of her work experiences at LSTC have enabled her to be knowledgeable, organized, well trained and versatile when supporting the needs of people at risk of institutionalization.
Kris Tisdale, MSW, received her Masters in Social Work from the University of North Dakota and has been employed at the Life Skills and Transition Center for 38 years. She has worked as a Behavior Modification Specialist, QIDP, and Unit Director prior to her current position as the CARES Program Director. She has experience working with people who have a wide range of disabilities and co-occurring behavioral health conditions including those with sexual offending histories, complex medical conditions, and end of life care. For the past 15 years, the majority of her work has been focused on crisis stabilization, outreach, and preventing institutionalization. She has presented as part of team at state and national conferences on topics including crisis services, rights restoration, forensic evaluations, and transformation of a state-run institution.
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