The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) is proud to host the 2018 Alternatives Conference which will be held in Washington, D.C. from July 29 through August 3, 2018. The site of the conference is the Catholic University of America which is strategically placed in the nation’s capital, not far from Capitol Hill. A pre-conference Hill Day will offer a hands-on, grassroots opportunity for us to organize, raise our voices and be heard by our federal representatives.

The Alternatives conference is the oldest and largest conference of its kind, organized and hosted for more than 3 decades by peers for peers (people with lived experience of the behavioral health system, emotional distress/crisis, trauma, substance use, and/or addiction). Alternatives is renowned for offering the latest and best information in the peer recovery movement, and provides an invaluable opportunity for peers to network with and learn from one another. This will be a “people’s Alternatives,” funded entirely through registration fees and donations. We will be ‘on our own’ again, connecting to the roots of our movement. We look forward to seeing you there!

This summer, the NIMH’s Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology Branch is hosting the 24th NIMH Mental Health Services Research (MHSR) Conference.

The MHSR is one of the nation’s premier mental health services research conferences. The MHSR promotes areas of high priority for services research and identifies opportunities that have the potential for significant impact on the health and well-being of people with mental disorders. The 2018 conference will feature state-of-the-art research presented via keynote speakers, thematic panels, discussion groups, papers, and posters.

Why would you want to attend Autspace, the Association for Autistic Community’s conference?

• Autistic people are the primary focus of the conference.  While parents, support staff, and others are welcome and can learn a lot, the conference is produced by autistic people for autistic people.  There is no “autistic track” or parallel conference – autistic people are the focus.
• Spend time with other autistic people!
• Enjoy some great presentations
• Be in an environment where being autistic is not only accepted but celebrated
• Color communication badges!
• Since the organizers are also autistic, we try to accommodate common autistic sensory and social needs – no clapping, presentations without fluorescent lighting, no-scent policy.
• Great opportunity to just see autistic community in action.
• Focus is not on cure, but on ways of living as autistic people, advocacy for ourselves, and having fun together.
• This is not a day program or highly structured event – you can attend presentations and activities or skip them. You can find a few other people and do your own thing. You can sleep in or stay up late. Or you can go to bed early and rise early to not miss any of the presentations!