RBH Conference – Call for Presentations

We invite you to submit a proposal to present at the 7th annual
Re-Imagining Behavioral Health: Race, Equity and Social Justice Conference

September 24-25, 2026

The Re-Imagining Behavioral Health conference brings together members of the behavioral health community to share information, insights, practices, and policies that strengthen access to high-quality, culturally responsive behavioral health care, grounded in respect for human differences and the lived experience of individuals, families, and communities. 

Our goal is to provide a learning and sharing experience that expands knowledge, promotes partnerships, and improves our behavioral health systems. We are interested in presentations that are innovative, include policy and practice insights, and are relevant to our wide range of attendees. We anticipate more than 1,000 attendees – from Washington state and from around the country. This is a unique opportunity to share your knowledge and experience and to inspire others!

As a presenter at the 2026 Re-Imagining Behavioral Health conference, you’ll share your knowledge and experience, spark discussion, highlight your program or initiative, and engage with a broad audience. Conference attendees include behavioral health staff, program and clinical leaders, people with lived experience, family members, peers, policy makers, public and non-profit employees, and general community members. 

Submitting a Proposal

  • Presentations are scheduled for 55 minutes (including Q&A), and each session has a limit of three speakers. 
  • For examples of past presentations, you can access recordings of previous conference sessions on the Event Recordings page.
  • Please submit your presentation proposal using the Presentation Proposal Submission Form (Note that the submission form is on the Oxford Abstracts platform, and submission requires you to create a free Oxford Abstracts account.)
  • Completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on May 14, 2026.
  • Notifications of acceptance will be sent out in July 2026. 

Topics

You are invited to submit presentation proposals that address all areas of quality and cultural relevance in the behavioral health sphere. Specific areas of interest for 2026 include policies and practices related to: 

  1. Program innovations or policies that promote and expand access to best practices in behavioral health 
  2. Designing and expanding access to trauma-informed, culturally responsive care
  3. Community-driven and culturally aligned prevention and early intervention 
  4. Quality, equity, and inclusiveness in behavioral health workplaces and training programs
  5. Lived experience and peer-informed policy and practice
  6. Criminal justice, restorative practices, and alternatives to incarceration
  7. Narratives, arts, and community resilience

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

  • Relevance to conference participants’ interests and clear benefit to attendees’ educational needs and skill development
  • Presenting a person-first approach 
  • Applicability to multicultural populations
  • Presentation of ideas and activities that are connected to actionable learning
  • Clear articulation of the learning objectives, which must be measurable and achievable
  • Experience and/or expertise of the presenter(s)
  • Meaningful inclusion of people who identify as having lived behavioral health experience
  • Contribution to improved outcomes, recovery, and quality of life for those served
  • Incorporation of evidence-based, best, and/or promising practices

All proposals must be complete, comprehensive, and deemed relevant and timely to the conference’s audience. Presentations must be educational in nature and must not be used to market products or services. If selected, we expect that your presentation will reflect the materials and objectives submitted.

You can submit a presentation proposal by clicking the “Submit Proposal” button below. Completed proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on May 14, 2026, and must include:

  • Presentation title
  • Focus area
  • Learning objectives
  • Abstract (No more than 300 words, for use in conference materials if the presentation is selected)

Required information for each presenter (Note: There can be no more than three presenters per session):

  • First and last name
  • If applicable, academic degree/s and clinical licensure/s
  • Preferred pronouns (optional)
  • Organizational affiliation (if applicable)
  • Street address, including city, state & ZIP code
  • Phone number and email address
  • Biography for each presenter (No more than 200 words each)
  • Name, phone number, and email address for one reference regarding experience in presenting and/or facilitating

Please note:

  • Speakers will connect to the conference via their own computer. 
  • Before the conference, each presenter will participate in a one-hour orientation to the virtual conference platform. 
  • Each speaker will be offered a payment of $500 in appreciation of their time and expertise. 

Click the button below to access the proposal form. You will be directed to Oxford Abstracts, our conference submission platform. In order to complete the form, you will need to create a free Oxford Abstracts account.

Submit Proposal

The Re-Imagining Behavioral Health Conference is convened by the University of Washington Behavioral Health Institute at Harborview Medical Center and is funded by the Washington State Legislature.

Questions? Need help with the proposal submission process? Please contact the Behavioral Health Institute at bhinstitute@uw.edu.