Monday, May 12, 2025 -Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

Monday, May 12 – Pre-conference Sessions: 9 am-4 pm l Opening Reception 6:30-8:30 pm

Tuesday, May 13 – Breakout Sessions: 8:30 am-5 pm

Wednesday, May 14 – Service Day (TBD)

Pre-Conference Sessions

All pre-conference sessions will take place on Monday, May 12th

Full Day: 9 am - 4 pm

Half Day AM: 9 am - 12 pm

Half Day PM: 1 pm - 4 pm

FULL DAY: ACCESS: An Evidence-Based Program for College Students with ADHD and Its Adaptation for Use with Other Neurodiverse Populations  – $50

College years can be challenging for young adults, especially those who identify as neurodiverse. Their learning differences can negatively impact not only their academic performance but also many other aspects of their daily life functioning. ACCESS - Accessing Campus Connections and Empowering Student Success - is an innovative evidence-based program, based on cognitive-behavioral principles, that was originally designed to give college students with ADHD the knowledge and skills necessary for academic, personal, and social success. Recently, ACCESS has been adapted for use with students displaying other types of neurodiversity, including general executive functioning challenges, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

The first portion of this pre-conference will provide information for faculty, staff, and administrators, on the original ACCESS program developed for college students displaying ADHD, including strategies for implementation across different types of institutions. The second portion will highlight initial efforts to adapt ACCESS for use with other student populations, including individuals displaying ASD, TBI, and inadequate academic progress. Evaluative data as well as narratives highlighting the successes and challenges of utilizing ACCESS with these populations will be shared.

As this is a full-day session, lunch will be provided. 

Speakers

Arthur D. Anastopoulos, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus UNC Greensboro, Executive Director Empowering Student Success LLC

Kelley Altman Greer, Ed.S., Behavioral Health Consultant, UNC System Office

Elizabeth S.M. Chan, Ph.D.: Director, CYSEW ADHD Clinic; Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness (CYSEW); Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology

Vanessa H. Bal, PhD: Karmazin & Lillard Chair in Adult Autism, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey

Clarissa Marshall, M.Ed., ACC: Case Manager, Accessibility Resource Center, Guilford College

HALF DAY AM: Intersections of an Emergency - Be Prepared to Respond - $25

The ability to effectively respond after an emergency relies on many components, including relationships we build on and off campus. A multi-faceted approach needs to focus on partnerships and resiliency. College campuses face various challenges, threats, and potential hazards.

There are gaps in preparedness nationally in our communities, public schools, and college campuses. Just over half of the people in a recent national public preparedness poll say they do not have a personal plan in the event of a disaster, which impacts how we respond on our campuses.

For example, when a death occurs, it incrementally increases the challenges on the campus community and can over-tax practitioners and responders. The Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA) Project shares that “postvention efforts are directed towards helping the campus community get back to their pre-crisis level of functioning and even to develop new skills for dealing with challenges in the future.” Student Affairs professionals are on the front lines and must work collaboratively during crises.

This session for faculty, staff, and administrators, will engage participants in understanding emergency preparedness and resiliency through a broad lens, including curriculum development. Real-life experiences and successes will be shared to illustrate how our profession needs to continue building capacity to navigate for the future. There will be a blend of content delivery, including lectures, roundtable discussions, training methods, curriculum, and case reviews.

Speakers:

Justine Hollingshead, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Division of Academic and Student Affairs – NC State University

Dr. Amy Orders, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Division of Environmental Health and Public Safety – NC State University

HALF DAY PM: Postvention: Leading Your Campus When a Death Occurs  - $25

The importance of postvention following critical incidents on university campuses has garnered increased attention over the past several years as universities have been tasked to engage in institutional-level responses to such events. These responses often occur with little or no notice and require a high level of coordination and integration of services.

This pre-conference session for faculty, staff, and administrators, will engage participants in describing the basic framework for campuses in terms of their level of preparedness and response activities. Using real-life experiences, after-action findings, successes, and lessons learned, we will illustrate how higher education needs to build capacity and capability for dealing with a death on campus. Planning and relationship building from a best practice standpoint are key facets along with core competencies for practitioners.

The session will present a guide to campus postvention, as created by the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA), using NC State’s campus plan and response as a resource. This pre-conference will share insight into the response efforts and campus impact following a challenging year. We will also focus on a comprehensive response approach, including participation from academic units, emergency management, university communications, housing, counseling, and multiple other campus partners.

We will review relevant information needed from a foundational standpoint regarding postvention and crisis response. There will be a blend of content delivery, including lectures, roundtable discussions, protocol planning, and case reviews.

Speakers

Justine Hollingshead, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Division of Academic and Student Affairs – NC State University

Dr. Monica Osburn, Executive Director for Counseling and Prevention Services, Division of Academic and Student Affairs – NC State University

Angel Bowers, Director of Prevention Services, Division of Academic and Student Affairs – NC State University

HALF DAY PM: GUIDE: Guiding Universities in Demonstrating Empathy – $25

A three-hour, skills-based training, GUIDE helps faculty and staff learn how to identify & contextualize student needs, participate in an iterative, supportive feedback process designed to prepare them for their next student interaction, and test, explore, and refine empathic communication skills.

GUIDE complements programs focused on mental health crisis intervention — and is meant to help prevent student challenges from becoming mental health crises.

Speakers

Jeff Milroy, PhD, Associate Professor, Director Graduate Studies; Associate Director of the Center for Athlete Well-being

Stephen Hebard, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, Prevention Strategies, LLC

To register as a group, CLICK HERE.

To register as a student full-time degree-seeking, CLICK HERE.

*If you are employed full-time as a professional in higher ed, please register as an individual by clicking the “Register Now” button above.

Hotels offering a special group rate:

Fairfield Inn & Suites Boone

2060 Blowing Rock Rd  

Boone, NC 286078

(828) 268-0677

BHC Room Rate: $99.00 per night for single or double occupancy, plus taxes. To guarantee the group rate, make your hotel reservation by Wednesday, April 30, 2025.  

Book your group rate for the Behavioral Health Convening at App State! 

Graystone Lodge

2419 NC-105

Boone, NC 28607

Phone: (828) 264-4133

BHC Room rate: $110 per night for single/double occupancy, plus taxes. Make your hotel reservation by April 20, 2025, to guarantee the group rate.

Guests may book using this link or call the front desk at (828) 264-4133.

Cancellation and refund policy

The UNC System Behavioral Health Convening is funded by sponsorships and registration fees. State funds are not used to sustain this important event. Therefore, our refund policy is strictly applied to cover venue, food, and beverage commitments.

Cancellation 21 days or more before the event

21 days or more before the event (by April 21, 2025, 5:00 pm ET): Registration cancellation is allowed with a refund.

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to bhc@northcarolina.edu by the deadline indicated above.

• A $25 cancellation fee will be deducted from each refunded registration amount.

Cancellation within 21 days of the event

Within 21 days of the event (after April 21, 2025, 5:00 pm ET): No cancellations are allowed. No refunds will be issued for cancellation or non-attendance. In the event of an extenuating circumstance, a substitution to a different attendee is allowed one-time and must be made by March 7, 5:00 pm EST. No substitutions will be allowed after this date.

• The request for substitution, along with the name and email address of the previous registrant and the substitute registrant should be emailed to bhc@northcarolina.edu.

Non-attendance

If you do not attend the convening and do not submit a written request for a refund by April 21, 2025, 5:00 pm EST or a substitution request by March 7, 5:00 pm EST, no refunds will be given. The UNC System is not responsible for any change/cancellation charges assessed by airlines, travel agents, hotels, or other similar vendors.

The UNC System Behavioral Health Planning Committee strives to deliver this event as scheduled. However, we reserve the right to reschedule and/or restructure due to unforeseen extenuating circumstances.