Mental Health Conference 2026 - Sessions
Author: Dr. Angelo Reynolds, Transformers Academy, LLC
Presentation Title: Trauma, Addiction, Mental Health, and Recovery
Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:
• Acquire a comprehensive understanding of trauma, addiction, mental health challenges, and effective treatment approaches.
• Access evidence-based resources to support recovery and enhance well-being among individuals managing these concerns.
• Apply best practices in psychoeducation tailored to their organizational contexts.
Abstract: Psychoeducation is a targeted therapeutic approach that teaches individuals about their mental health conditions, coping strategies, and support systems. Research shows it is highly effective at increasing treatment adherence, reducing relapse rates by 20% to 50% for severe illnesses, and empowering patients and their families.
Psychoeducation has also been demonstrated as an effective intervention for trauma and addiction. This approach aids in normalizing responses, reducing shame, and equipping survivors with vital information regarding the effects of trauma on neurological and physiological functioning (National Institute of Health, 2026).
Results: The facilitation of multiple workshops and seminars addressing substance abuse and mental health conditions has produced positive results. Participants have reported increased knowledge and a greater understanding of techniques to reduce relapse risk and manage mental health symptoms effectively.
Sources: National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), 1990; and National Institute of Health, 2026.
Presentation Outline: TAMAR
TAMAR represents Trauma, Addiction, Mental Health, and Recovery. This presentation aims to provide individuals with insight into how adverse experiences, referred to as “trauma,” may influence their lives and outlines pathways toward healing. Emphasis will be placed on identifying triggers and offering coping strategies to regulate stress and maladaptive behaviors.
I. Introduction to Trauma, Addiction, Mental Health, and Recovery (TAMAR)
1. Addiction: Conceptual Foundations
2. Trauma: Definition and Impact
3. Treatment Modalities for Mental Health
II. Physical and Emotional Abuse
1. Psychological Trauma
2. Techniques for Emotional Regulation
3. Physical and Biological Effects of Trauma
III. Boundaries and Safety
1. Establishing Intimacy and Trust
2. Effective Communication and Recognition
IV. Closing
1. Discussion of Universal Best Practices
V. Q&A Session
Author Biography:
Dr. Angelo Reynolds helps people overcome life’s toughest setbacks – including trauma, addiction, loss, and life transitions – and rebuild with confidence, resilience, and purpose. He does this through speaking, transformational training, workshops, coaching, and his proven mindset tools from the Transformers Academy – a system he created based on his own journey from hardship to achievement.
Speaker: Miss. Jehyang Park
Affiliation: Graduate School, Dankook University, Cheonan, South Korea
Presentation Title: AI-Assisted Semantic Clustering of Coping Experiences in Auditory Verbal
Hallucinations: A Secondary Qualitative Data Analysis
Presentation Category : Poster Presentation (Virtual)
Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are among the most distressing symptoms experienced by individuals with schizophrenia and are strongly associated with functional impairment and recovery challenges. Although numerous qualitative studies have explored the lived experiences and coping strategies of individuals experiencing AVH, the structural patterns underlying these coping experiences remain insufficiently understood. Recent advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP) offer new opportunities to systematically analyze qualitative data and identify latent semantic structures within complex experiential narratives. This study aimed to explore semantic patterns in coping experiences related to auditory verbal hallucinations using an AI-assisted clustering approach. A secondary qualitative data integration design was employed. Qualitative studies addressing coping experiences associated with AVH were identified through a PRISMA-guided screening process, resulting in 23 eligible studies selected from an initial pool of 807 records. Participant quotations describing coping experiences were extracted and compiled into a textual dataset. Sentence embeddings were generated using Sentence-BERT to represent the semantic meaning of individual quotations. Semantic similarities between quotations were calculated, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering was applied to identify meaningful semantic groupings. Through this analysis, five distinct coping clusters were identified: embodied distress, self-concept formation, active coping, therapeutic control, and social context. These clusters illustrate diverse experiential dimensions of coping with auditory hallucinations and reveal structured patterns within previously fragmented qualitative accounts. The findings suggest that AI-assisted semantic analysis can provide a novel methodological approach for integrating qualitative evidence and identifying latent patterns in patient experiences. This approach may contribute to a deeper understanding of hallucination coping processes and support the development of recovery-oriented and person-centered mental health interventions.
Biography of presenting author
Je hyang Park is a master’s program completer in the Department of Nursing at Dankook University, South Korea. She is a psychiatric nurse with three years of clinical experience at Yeolinseongae Hospital. She is interested in mental health nursing and auditory verbal hallucinations.
Speaker: Miss. Kristina Curott
Affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
Presentation Title: The Unspoken Self: Cultural Norms and Mental Health Among Asian Indian Americans
Presentation Categorys: Oral (Virtual)
Session Name: Public Mental Health and Global Mental Health
Abstract:
Asian Indian Americans are a diverse population that possesses unique cultural norms and communication patterns based on communal values including interdependent familial relationships, multigenerational respect, and cultural pride.There are about 22.2 million Asian Americans in the U.S., and 20% of this population are Asian Indian Americans The aforementioned qualities should be considered to tailor ethical treatment. The unique position of being caught between two distinct cultures (Indian and American) causes psychological distress due to the ongoing defining and redefining of identity. Additionally, this group of people in the United States struggles with discrimination, resulting in multiple psychological concerns including depression, anxiety, PTSD, somatic symptoms, and suicidality. However the lack of culturally competent providers who are skilled in interpreting behaviors and mental health patterns within this population has led to them being underserved. Other barriers to treatment include the sense of shame and stigma associated with treatment in this community, pressure to succeed, and lack of awareness of services. Asian Indian Americans are disproportionately impacted by several socio-cultural determinants of poor mental health, and clinicians must be educated on tailored treatment to effectively work with this “unspoken” population. This presentation seeks to provide information about cultural norms of this population and propose a culturally informed, seven-step framework involving family-based resources, psychoeducation on the purposes and methods of psychotherapy which can help combat feelings of shame associated with pride, normalize therapy and seek help and narrative from individual failure to holistic well-being. With this in mind, advocacy must include improving awareness of culturally sensitive treatment approaches, focusing on stigma reduction, including family systems, and normalizing treatment through education. Clinicians must challenge existing stereotypes and promote culturally informed care and promote cultural humility within mental health services.
Objectives
Learn about unique cultural norms and communication patterns based on communal values of Asian Indian Americans.
Identify how varied cultural backgrounds, communication styles, acculturation experiences, and collectivist values inform the treatment of Asian Indian Immigrants.
Recognize barriers to treatment engagement including stigma around mental health and intergenerational pressures and how these influence psychological distress.
Apply ethical and culturally sensitive clinical interventions and advocacy approaches that help support the psychological well-being of underserved Asian Indian American communities.
At the end of this presentation, participants will learn how cultural makeup, communication styles, and barriers to treatment affect the Asian Indian American community and how to tailor interventions and participate in advocacy
Biography of presenting author:
Kristina Curott is a PsyD student driven by a global perspective shaped by extensive international travel. She is dedicated to advancing multicultural psychology with holistic, mind-body-spirit paradigms. Challenging traditional, fragmented approaches to mental health, her perspective is shaped by international travel and a background in massage therapy and exercise science. She works to incorporate holistic, somatic and culturally sensitive frameworks with accessible, evidence-based clinical practices.
Speaker: Zarlie Carlino
Affiliation: Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner, United States
Presentation Title: From Survival to Innovation: How Artificial Intelligence Became My Pathway to Freedom, Purpose, and Reinvention
Abstract
For more than 20 years, Zarlie Carlino worked on the front lines of behavioral health, serving individuals impacted by serious mental illness, complex trauma, homelessness, human trafficking, gang violence, and systemic barriers to recovery. Throughout her career, she helped survivors navigate danger, build safety plans, recognize risk, and reclaim their lives.
What she never expected was that she would one day rely on many of those same lessons herself.
When domestic abuse and organized criminal victimization forced Zarlie to leave her established career and prioritize safety, she faced the overwhelming challenge of rebuilding her life while protecting herself and her children. Drawing upon years of experience supporting survivors of trafficking, violence, and exploitation, she recognized the importance of vigilance, strategic decision-making, risk assessment, and adaptability while navigating her own path to safety.
As she was propelled into a fast-paced journey of fighting for survival that would take every ounce of grit she had, an unexpected opportunity emerged in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries: artificial intelligence.
Working as an AI technical writer and domain specialist on cutting-edge AI initiatives provided far more than income. The intellectually demanding work required continuous learning, critical thinking, and rapid problem-solving at a time when trauma could easily have consumed her focus and confidence. Instead of becoming defined by crisis, she found herself immersed in mastering new technologies, developing specialized expertise, and contributing to innovative projects shaping the future of AI.
The flexibility of remote AI work proved life changing. While remaining under the radar for nearly ten months and relocating to maintain safety, Zarlie was able to work from anywhere, generate income quickly, and continue providing for her children. In circumstances where financial stability was essential to maintaining freedom and creating options to navigate unforeseen challenges in real time, the accessibility and immediacy of AI work accelerated her ability to rebuild her life and regain independence.
As her technical expertise grew, so did her confidence. Each new skill mastered became evidence that her career had not been destroyed by trauma—it was evolving. The combination of behavioral health experience, survivor insight, and AI innovation ultimately inspired the development of her newest accredited continuing education workshop, Safe Keeping, which equips providers to identify, assess, and support survivors of domestic abuse, human trafficking, gang-related harm, and other complex victimization experiences.
In this inspiring keynote, Zarlie shares how emerging technology became an unexpected ally in trauma recovery, how lifelong skills can transfer into entirely new industries, and why innovation and resilience often grow from the same place: the determination to keep moving forward. Attendees will leave with a renewed understanding of adaptability, the human side of artificial intelligence, and the remarkable ways new opportunities can emerge from life’s most difficult chapters.
This is a story of survival, reinvention, and hope—a reminder that even when trauma forces us to rewrite our plans, it does not have to define our future.
Author Biography:
Zarlie Carlino has served in behavioral health as a professional for over 20 years, dedicated to serving individuals facing serious mental illness, complex trauma, homelessness, poverty, and significant barriers to stability and recovery. As a Behavioral Health Case Manager Supervisor, re-entry specialist, provider trainer, and accredited workshop developer, she has led initiatives that empower both vulnerable populations and the professionals who serve them.
Zarlie’s passion has inspired her to develop and train accredited continuing education programs for behavioral health providers across multiple states. Her work draws from extensive frontline experience, leadership in behavioral health, and a deep commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered care.
Surviving domestic abuse and organized criminal victimization forced Zarlie to leave her established career and rebuild her life while prioritizing safety. A unique opportunity as an AI technical writer and domain specialist provided a pathway to financial independence, allowing her to work remotely while developing expertise in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Today, Zarlie bridges the worlds of behavioral health, personal recovery, and innovative AI. Her experience training advanced AI models for a leading AI laboratory inspired her newest accredited continuing education workshop, which equips providers to identify and support survivors of domestic abuse, human trafficking, and gang-related harm. The training explores real-time risk assessment, creative safety planning and escape strategies, stabilization, recovery, and long-term rebuilding for survivors navigating complex and dangerous circumstances.
Zarlie offers a powerful perspective on resilience, reinvention, trauma recovery, and the unexpected ways technology can create pathways to freedom, safety, and lasting change.