Past Events

APNA 39th Annual Conference

Oct 15–18, 2025

The APNA 39th Annual Conference will take place October 15-18, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year's theme is "Empowered to Innovate and Collaborate: PMH Nurses Shaping Care Excellence". The BH WELL team will present the following: Podium Presentations:

cartoon of woman in blue with pills around her

Battling Substance Use Disorder in our Communities Conference

Sep 9, 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Berea College hosted this educational event aimed at educating nurses, nurse educators, nursing and allied health students, and healthcare providers. BH WELL team members, Sarret Seng and Dr. Zim Okoli gave a presentation at the event. The presentation provided an overview of tobacco and cannabis use disorders. In addition to defining clinical features and diagnostic criteria, the presenters explored the prevalence and patterns of use within Kentucky, highlighting the disproportionate burden among individuals living with mental and behavioral health challenges.

Voices of Hope Peer Conference

Sep 9, 2025, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

The Voices of Hope Peer Conference is for individuals working in the recovery field, including Peer Support Specialists, Peer Navigators, and Recovery Coaches. The conference focused on education and research-based content for peers providing services to individuals affected by opioid use disorder or any co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health issue. BH WELL hosted a table for conference attendees to visit.

Recovery Rally at the Capitol

Sep 5, 2025, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

In honor of Recovery Month, members of Kentucky's recovery community, state leaders, and health officials hosted a Recovery Rally event at the State Capitol in Frankfort on Friday, September 5, 2025. The event featured inspirational stories of hope and resilience along with free access to naloxone, information about recovery support programs, second chance employment, health care access and other resources from community partners. The event was coordinated by the Kentucky Overdose Response Effort (KORE) and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

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2025 National Conference on Tobacco or Health

Aug 25–28, 2025

The National Conference on Tobacco or Health took place August 25-28, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Bassema AbuFarsakh, BH WELL Post Doctoral Scholar, gave a breakout session presentation titled "Tobacco use status and Perception about Novel Tobacco Treatment Information". The breakout session was comprised of 3 presentations, each related to the session's theme: Tobacco Cessation Strategies for Specific Populations. This session took place August 27th, 1:45PM - 3PM.

KY STARS Consumer Conference

May 30, 2025, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

The Kentucky Consumer Conference is an annual gathering of over 400 individuals living with mental illness from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The 2025 KY STARS Consumer Conference was held on May 30, 2025 at the Clarion Hotel in Lexington, KY. This years theme was Breaking Barriers & Building Bridges. The conference included dynamic workshops designed for Consumers, Kentucky Peer Support Specialists, professionals in Consumer-Operated Service Programs, and those in Substance Use Programs.

Strategies in SUD Treatment and Behavioral Health Mini Conference

May 9, 2025, 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM

The Laurel County Health in Motion Coalition hosted a mini conference to discuss strategies for Substance Use Disorder treatment with regards to behavioral health on Friday, May 9 2025. BH WELL hosted a vendor table at the mini conference. Agenda topics included: Youth Engagement in Prevention Efforts - Virginia Johnson, CPS Developing an Overdose Fatality Review Board - Lauren Kathman, NKYHD

2025 Practice and Research Initiatives Showcase at Eastern State Hospital Enhancing Mental Healthcare Access: Bridging the Gaps

Apr 24, 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

The ESH Research Council hosted their annual Practice and Research Initiatives Showcase at Eastern State Hospital (PRISE) on April 24th, 2025 from 9AM-4PM EST. This year’s showcase focused on Enhancing Mental Healthcare Access: Bridging the Gaps. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the innovative research and practice initiatives that strengthen patient outcomes and staff support here at ESH.

2025 Western KY Nicotine Prevention Summit

Apr 17, 2025

BH WELL's Dr. Bassema Abu Farsakh and Emily Koyagi spoke at the Western KY Nicotine Prevention Summit. This year's summit focused on how nicotine has impacts across the lifespan. The event was hosted by multiple regional prevention centers in western Kentucky including RiverValley Behavioral Health, LifeSkills, Four Rivers, and Pennyroyal.

2025 Kentucky Tobacco Control Conference

Apr 3, 2025

The 2025 KY Tobacco Control Conference took place April 3rd at The Campbell House in Lexington, Kentucky. The conference was hosted by the UK College of Nursing Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy (KCSP) and the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program. Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) hosted a table for attendees to learn more about the importance of tobacco policy and tobacco treatment within mental and behavioral health organizations. BH WELL's Emily Koyagi moderated a panel regarding tobacco-free policy in behavioral health settings.