Stay tuned! Registration for this year’s conference will open in June 2024.
We invite you to submit a proposal to present at the 5th annual Re-Imagining Behavioral Health: Race, Equity & Social Justice Conference
September 26-27, 2024
The RESJ conference brings together diverse members of the behavioral health community to share information, insights, practices, and policies related to advancing equity and social justice within the behavioral health sphere and within our communities.
Our goal is to provide a learning and sharing experience that expands knowledge, promotes partnerships, and brings behavioral health systems closer to equity. We are interested in presentations that are innovative, include policy and practice insights, and are relevant to our diverse 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 2024 RESJ conference, you’ll gain visibility, spark discussion, and have the opportunity to interact 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 45-60 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 Past Events page.
- Please submit your presentation proposal by clicking the Submit Proposal button below.
- Completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on May 10, 2024.
- Notifications of acceptance will be sent out in mid-July 2024.
Topics
You are invited to submit presentation proposals that address all areas of race, equity, and social justice in the behavioral health sphere. Specific areas of interest for 2024 include policies and practices related to:
- Substance Use and Co-occurring Disorder Treatment: Examining equitable approaches to substance use and behavioral health treatment within racially diverse communities to address systemic disparities.
- Health, Wellness, and Whole-Person Care: Prioritizing culturally responsive and equitable healthcare practices that address racial disparities in health outcomes and access to holistic care.
- Intersectionality in Behavioral Health: Exploring the complex interplay between race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, age, and other identities in behavioral health outcomes and experiences.
- Intersectionality of Lived Experience and Service Delivery: Developing anti-oppressive service delivery models that center racially diverse lived experiences to ensure equitable access and outcomes.
- Prevention and Early Intervention: Implementing culturally relevant prevention and early intervention strategies to address racial disparities in mental health outcomes.
- Decolonizing Behavioral Health Practices: Critically examining Western-centric approaches to behavioral health and integrating indigenous and culturally diverse healing practices.
- Addressing Racial Disparities in Access to Care: Strategies for ensuring equitable access to behavioral health services for marginalized communities, including overcoming barriers such as stigma and lack of resources.
- Trauma-Informed Care and Racial Trauma: Understanding the impact of systemic racism and discrimination on behavioral health and implementing trauma-informed approaches that center the experiences of marginalized communities.
- Policy Advocacy for Equity in Behavioral Health Services: Strategies for influencing policy at the local, state, and national levels to promote equity and social justice in behavioral health care delivery and funding.
- Criminal Justice System and Behavioral Health: Advocating for culturally competent alternatives to incarceration and restorative justice approaches to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
- Ethical Considerations in Cross-Cultural Behavioral Health Research and Practice: Exploring ethical dilemmas and best practices when working with diverse populations, including issues of informed consent, power dynamics, and representation.
- Services and Advocacy for LGBTQIA+ Communities: Providing culturally competent behavioral health services and advocacy efforts that address systemic barriers within racially diverse LGBTQIA+ communities.
- Narratives of Resilience and Healing: Amplifying the voices and stories of individuals and communities who have experienced behavioral health challenges and found pathways to healing and resilience within their cultural contexts.
- Anti-Racism in Behavioral Health Education: Integrating anti-racism principles into the training and education of behavioral health professionals to address implicit bias, promote cultural humility, and foster inclusive practices.
- Advocacy and Inclusion for People Living with Disabilities: Advocating for equitable policies and accommodations to promote inclusion, accessibility, and self-determination for people living with disabilities within racially diverse communities.
- Economic Justice and Behavioral Health: Exploring the intersections between poverty, economic inequality, and behavioral health outcomes, and advocating for policies and programs that address the root causes of social and economic disparities.
- Arts, Culture, and Behavioral Health: Recognizing the role of arts, storytelling, and cultural expression in promoting behavioral health, healing, and resilience within diverse communities.
Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Relevance to participants’ interests and clear benefit to attendees’ educational needs and skill development
- Inclusion of presenters who are members of BIPOC and other marginalized communities
- Use of person-first language and sensitivity/applicability to a multicultural population
- 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 experience
- Contribution to improved outcomes, recovery, and quality of life of 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 chosen, we expect that your presentation will reflect the materials and objectives submitted.
Completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on May 10, 2024 and must include:
- Presentation title
- Focus area
- Learning objectives
- Abstract (No more than 300 words, for use in conference materials if the presentation is chosen)
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 & 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 $700 in appreciation of their time and expertise.
The Re-Imagining Behavioral Health: Race, Equity & Social Justice Conference is presented by the University of Washington Behavioral Health Institute and funded by the Washington State Health Care Authority.
Questions? Need help with the application? Please contact the Behavioral Health Institute at bhinstitute@uw.edu.