Rural Behavioral Health Conference 2025:
Pittsburgh Marriott North
100 Cranberry Woods Dr, Cranberry Twp.
Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness
September 25, 2025, 8:30am to 4:00pm
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Our Speaker presentations are linked below for your reference.
The Staunton Farm Foundation’s Rural Behavioral Health Conference is a bi-annual event that brings together mental health and substance use disorder professionals for a full day of education, collaboration, and connection.
Conference Agenda
8-8:45am – Registration
8:45-9am – Welcome and Introduction to Keynote presented by Monique Jackson, Executive Director, Staunton Farm Foundation.
9-10:15am – Keynote: Creating Planes of Equity presented by Jim Sharp, Rehabilitative & Community Providers Association, COO and Director, Mental Health Services, BH Division.
Creating Planes of Equity Presentation →
10:30am – 12pm Morning Sessions:
- Core AI Literacy for Social Service Providers presented by Dr. Michael Skirpan, CEO of Community Forge and CMU Professor.
Core AI Literacy for Social Service Providers Presentation → - Supporting our Youth: Addressing Mental Health Issues with Evidence-Based Programs presented by Nicole Patz, Implementation Specialist, Penn State EPIS.
Supporting our Youth Presentation → - ThinkSync: Leading the Way in Student Safety and Wellness: An innovative and impactful solution built to meet today’s students needs presented by Elisia Majors, Deputy Mental Health Administrator, Beaver County; and Vince Duffy, Founder and CEO, ThinkSync.
ThinkSync Presentation coming soon.
12:15-1:15pm – Working Lunch & Collaborative Brainstorming
Table Topics: Staff Wellness, Workforce Development, Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Co-Occurring Treatment, Community Needs, and Collaboration.
1:30-3pm – Afternoon Sessions
- Self-Care and the Practitioner presented by John Amato, Senior Training Consultant, Familylinks.
Self-Care and the Practitioner Presentation → - Mobile Competency Restoration- An overview of a mobile teams approach to restoring competency to individuals in Pennsylvania and beyond presented by John Eliyas, Executive Director of Behavioral Health, Merakey.
Mobile Competency Restoration Presentation → - Nonprofit Sustainability in Times of Uncertainty presented by Kate Sphar, Kate Sphar Consulting, and Jon Hoffman, Regional Director, Elevate NP.
Nonprofit Sustainability in Times of Uncertainty Presentation →
Attendees are invited to stay following the final session for an opportunity to engage with equine therapy animals, provided by Glade Run Lutheran Services.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
- CEUs will be available for LCSWs, LSWs, LPCs, and LMFTs through the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. CEU fees will be covered by SFF.
- Drug and Alcohol CEUs will be provided in collaboration with the Armstrong, Indiana, and Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission.
- At the conclusion of the conference, each attendee will receive a Certificate of Attendance indicating the total number of CEU hours earned. A total of 4.5 CEUs will be available for those attending the full day. Certificates will be provided to attendees for submission to their respective credentialing or licensing bodies.
Special thanks to our planning committee
Robert Hamilton, Director, Westmoreland Department of Human Services
Michele Kelly-Thompson, Executive Director, Human Service Center (Lawrence County)
Steve Green, President/CEO, Glade Run Lutheran Services (Beaver/ Butler)
Christine Stone, County Behavioral Health Program Specialist, Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration
Michelle Barnhart, CEO, The Open Door of Indiana County
Kami Anderson, Executive Director, Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission
Nikki Weigand, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, NAMI Keystone PA
Special thanks to Lost Dreams Awakening for supplying harm reduction supplies!