2:00 pm - 2:10 pm

Introduction and Welcome
Richard Lawrence (Larry) Merkel, Jr. MD, PhD
Professor, Director of Outreach, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia

2:10 pm - 3:30 pm

Opening Keynote – The Social Determinants and Mental Health of Youth in Central Appalachia (Includes Q&A)
Anita Everett, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Director of the Office of Chief Medical Officers (OCMO).

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Break

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Prevention and Community Development Panel
Moderated By Sam Collins, PhD University of Virginia 

Panelists:

Alfgeir Kristjansson, PhD
West Virginia University

Alice McCaffrey
Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition 

David Driscoll, PhD
Healthy Appalachia

CANMHA Conference
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

9:00 am - 10:30 am

Youth and Substance Use Panel – focusing on cannabis, new filling station drugs, and methamphetamine.
Moderated by Angela Hagamen, Co-Director, Addiction Science Center, East Tennessee State University

Panelists:

Avery Michienzi, MD
University of Virginia

Sam Collins, PhD
University of Virginia

Dan Elswick, MD 
West Virginia University

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Break

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Working with Families in Prevention and Recovery Panel
Moderated by Alexandria Widener

Speakers:

Rachel Chernick, LCSW, PhD
Senior Vice President, Family Services and Evaluation Research

Lexi Taylor
Research Coordinator, Mountain Manor Treatment Center

James Griffith MD
GWU Crisis Response

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Lunch Plenary: The Role of Story Telling and Narrative in Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Panel
Moderated by Theresa Burriss, PhD, Appalachian Studies Scholar, Emory & Henry University

Robert Gipe
Illustrated Novelist

Mandi Fugate Sheffel
Memoir Writer

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Poster Session

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Break

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Technology and Youth MH Panel
Moderated by Dilip Chandran, MD, West Virginia University

Panelists:

Sy Saeed, MD
ECU – Telepsychiatry and VR with Adolescents

Tim Perry, Th.D. LPC-MHSPs
Sr. Vice President, TN Outpatient Services; Frontier Health - Understanding AI