Beth Handewith Gould has been working in Peer Services since 2002. She has worked as a State and National Trainer for the NAMI Peer-to-Peer Program, as National Field Manager for the NAMI Connection Support Group program and served as a Certified Peer Specialist at the Skagit County Crisis Center. She also writes and presents continuing education curriculum for Peer Counselors and is a certified WRAP trainer. As the owner of Greater Vision Life Coaching, LLC, Beth’s individual coaching sessions and group workshops offer life-changing opportunities for personal growth and development.  Beth is grateful for the wisdom and insights encountered on her recovery journey.  She is currently pursuing her Master of Divinity through Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute and expects to be ordained in Spring of 2020.

Julianne Gale, MA, MAT, AAC, CPC is a youth peer counselor in rural Mason County, WA. She has been involved in various types of peer-based counseling since 2010. A queer Jewish woman of color, Julianne has a passion for social and environmental justice community organizing. Since 2007, she has collaborated with organizations such as youTHink, Gender Justice LA Theatre of the Oppressed, Dignity & Power Now, Black Lives Matter LA, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Winyan Camp, Sustaining All Life, United to End Racism, A Window Between Worlds, The Center for Nonviolent Education and Parenting, and more.

Keynote Speaker, David Granirer, RPC, MPCC, M.S.M. is a counselor, stand-up comic, author, and founder of Stand Up For Mental Health (SMH), a program teaching stand-up comedy to people with mental health issues. David who himself has depression, is featured in the VOICE Award winning documentary Cracking Up. He also received a Life Unlimited Award from Depression Bipolar Support Alliance, an Award of Excellence from the National Council of Behavioral Health, a Champion of Mental Health Award, and a Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada and was recognized as one of the 150 Canadian Difference Makers in mental health. He works with mental health organizations in Canada, the U.S., and Australia to train and perform with SMH groups in dozens of cities. www.standupformentalhealth.com 

Garry D. Lewis considers himself a peer in recovery of Mental Health and Substance use. He has overcome his own personal challenges of Bi-Polar and Substance use by remaining positive and productive, “living life on life’s terms,” and celebrates his [almost] eight years of recovery. His wellness has led him to work in the Mental health field as Director of a Peer Run Drop-In-Center for the Spindletop Center in Beaumont, Texas. There, individuals in recovery find support, encouragement and hope. Gary is a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS), Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) facilitator, Advanced WRAP Facilitator, Recovery Coach Trainer, Co-Occurring Disorder Facilitator as well an Emotional CPR (ECPR) Apprentice. Gary advocates for himself as well as his peers and understands that recovery can help improve quality of life.

Leah Harris, M.A., is a mother, advocate, and storyteller who has written and spoken widely about her lived experiences of trauma, addiction, mental health challenges, and healing/resilience. She is passionate about promoting trauma-informed approaches across systems, sectors, and communities, and is a national lead trainer in the Trauma-Informed Peer Support curriculum developed for SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care. She is also a suicide attempt survivor who works to help change our national approach to suicide prevention and intervention to be more trauma-responsive and informed by the lived experience of attempt and loss survivors. Leah is also devoted to sharing mind-body resilience skills and creative expressive arts, including theatre and storytelling, as vehicles for trauma resolution and personal and collective healing and empowerment. To learn more about her and her work visit leahidaharris.com

Lorrin Gehring, is a passionate leader who began advocating for youth rights in her early teen years. In her career she has been fortunate to serve as an Advocate, a Case Manager, a Resource Specialist, a Social Marketer, a Director, a Teacher and a Peer.

In each of these positions she has advocated for young people to have a voice and choice in their lives and the systems that serve them. She has authored numerous articles on youth involvement and is the 2011 Voice Award recipient for excellence in the field of youth advocacy, as well as the 2012 Marlene Matarese Advocate for Youth Rockstar awardee. Lorrin is currently the Program Director for Statewide Youth Sound in Washington. Her favorite color is green, and she is an award-winning karaoke singer holding a first-place award for best worst karaoke performance- she’s got passion.

Maggie Taylor is a Recovery Support Specialist, who has a Bachelor’s in Human Services with a minor in Psychology. She is the Advocacy and Education Program Manager, at Advocacy Unlimited, and has formerly served in the field as a Community Bridger. Maggie feels that it was an act of faith that brought her to the peer movement; she was working as a Nutrition Educator when she received an email with an invitation to a CT Hearing Voices Network training. At that training Maggie met peers from Focus on Recovery, and instantly knew that she had found “her tribe” and started working there shortly after. “I could not imagine working with people in any other capacity outside of the peer role; my hope is that I am able to combine both, my education and lived experience to communicate issues that broaden the perspectives of both, people living with diagnoses, and their communities.

Mia Cox has worked professionally in Community Mental Health since 2016 and was first introduced to TIC at that time. She obtained Certification as a Peer Counselor through WA State Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. With an additional 20+ years of counseling in pastoral care, and 35+ years of lived experience in behavioral health and being a trauma survivor, she is passionate about “Person First” and “Collaborative Care” which are key concepts in using a Trauma Informed approach with clients as well as staff. As a Peer Counselor, she fundamentally believes each individuals recovery journey is unique, people are the expert on themselves, and they get to be in the driver seat of their treatment. She is a model of Hope and believes recovery is possible for anyone.

Michaela I. Fissel has been actively involved in the behavioral health field since achieving recovery in 2007, at the age of 21. Since that time, Michaela has risen as an advocate who actively seeks to ensure that the opportunity of recovery is available to all young people within Connecticut. Over the past 10 years, Michaela conducted a series of research projects to explore recovery during the transition to adulthood through the perspective of young people. Identifying the relationship between recovery and the transition to adulthood as a highly subjective and internal process, marked by the gradual attainment of intrinsic qualities, Michaela has begun to explore the integration of mindfulness-based practices in supporting both processes. In conjunction with her research, Michaela shares her personal experiencing navigating the challenges of surviving personally devastating circumstances and evidence informed strategies that have supported her healing journey.

Keynote Speaker, Tom Lane NCPS, CRPS is the senior national director, community and recovery supports, for Magellan Healthcare. He provides leadership and guidance in promoting the concepts of recovery, resilience, wellness, and community inclusion throughout systems of care. Tom is an expert on the intersections of these areas, as well as adjunct support systems. He has 20 years of experience developing and implementing peer-operated programs, services, and supports in the community and within publicly funded and commercial payer and provider settings, including inpatient and state hospital settings. He has provided consultation and technical assistance for several state and federal initiatives on the topics of peer support, whole-health programs, and community inclusion. He is considered an expert in the intersection of mental health and criminal justice systems. Tom is a member of the National Advisory Board of the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, the Coalition on Psychiatric Emergencies, and serves on the National Quality Forum Collaborations and Partnerships workgroup. From 2014 – 2017, he served on the national board of directors for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the country’s leading advocacy group for people living with mood disorders. Tom is a Navy veteran, and lives in Wisconsin Dells, WI with his wife, 2 cats, and Millie, their rescued golden retriever.