10th Annual Wellness Together Conference: Full Schedule

Dr. Shirley N. Weber is California’s first Black Secretary of State and has spent decades advancing education, equity, and civil rights. Her extensive career in education and public service has included strengthening educational access, campus climate, and state accountability. Learn more here.

Speakers

Dr. Shirley Weber

California Secretary of State

Thursday September 10, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Ballroom 20 AB

Main Session

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, Higher Ed Faculty, HR Staff, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, Teachers & Instructional Leaders

9:15am PDT

Keynote: Chris Gethard

Thursday September 10, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Ballroom 20 AB

Renowned comedian, author, and mental health advocate Chris Gethard brings his signature blend of humor and vulnerability to the main stage, sharing insights on human connection, resilience, and navigating mental health struggles.

Speakers

Chris Gethard

Comedian, Actor, and Author, Wellness Together

Chris Gethard is a comedian, podcaster, author, actor, and former television host. He’s been an active performer for over two decades. His work expanded to include mental health advocacy and activism after the release of his 2017 HBO special Career Suicide, in which he detailed... Read More →

Thursday September 10, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Ballroom 20 AB

Main Session

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, Higher Ed Faculty, HR Staff, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, Teachers & Instructional Leaders

9:15am PDT

Keynote: Dr. Zainab Okolo

Thursday September 10, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Ballroom 20 AB

Zainab Okolo explores how today’s changing policy landscape is shaping youth mental health and education. Through an inspiring message of purpose and possibility, she’ll show how each of us, regardless of role or title, can help create meaningful change for young people.

Speakers

Zainab Okolo, Ed.D., LCMFT

Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy & Government Relations, The Jed Foundation

Dr. Zainab Okolo is a seasoned expert in higher education policy and mental health, dedicating her career
to breaking down barriers for students, enabling them to thrive academically and lead fulfilling lives.
Currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and... Read More →

Thursday September 10, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Ballroom 20 AB

Main Session

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, Higher Ed Faculty, HR Staff, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, Teachers & Instructional Leaders

10:30am PDT

Laughing Together

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

33 A

Improvised comedy has placed many legendary actors in television shows and movies - but it all started as social work. Laughing Together brings improv back to its roots, providing schools with workshops that allow participants to connect through the power of improvised play, bond through laughter, feel the joy of failure, practice unconditional support, and teach ways to communicate ideas simply and clearly. During our workshop, audience members will have a chance to play games and look at the many ways comedy is a Trojan horse that increases social health.

Continuing Education Session Information:

Course Syllabus | Speaker Resume | Session Flyer | Course Attendance | Course Evaluation

Upon completion of the course, attendance form, and evaluation, you will receive a Confirmation of Attendance Certificate through email. If you do not receive your Confirmation of Attendance Certificate within ten business days, please contact [email protected]

This course meets the qualifications for 1.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Wellness Together, Inc., Provider #141369, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor Continuing Education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Wellness Together maintains responsibility for this course and its content.

Speakers

Chris Gethard

Comedian, Actor, and Author, Wellness Together

Laughing Together Flyer pdf

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
33 A

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Higher Ed Faculty, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, HR Staff, Teachers & Instructional Leaders
Continuing Education Tracks BBS Continuing Education

10:30am PDT

Lighthouse Talk: Adult Resilience First: The Missing Link in Student Mental Health

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

30 C

Join us for a dynamic 12-minute Lighthouse Talk, designed to showcase bold ideas, innovative practices, and inspiring stories shaping the future of student mental health and wellness. This presentation is one of four featured during this one-hour block. Due to the fast-paced format, there will be no formal Q&A, but we encourage you to connect with the speaker directly after the block to continue the conversation.

Speakers

Meri McCoy-Thompson

Executive Director, Dovetail Learning

Meri McCoy-Thompson is the Executive Director of Dovetail Learning, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening resilience and well-being in adults, youth, and children. Her work focuses on the often-invisible skills that help people stay grounded under pressure, work well together, and... Read More →

WTC10 Adult Resilience First The Missing Link in Student Mental Health pdf

All Protective Patterns Introductory Handouts with CTA 221201 260527 pdf

Seize the Space Jumbo Postcard pdf

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
30 C

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Teachers & Instructional Leaders

10:30am PDT

Lighthouse Talk: The Invisible Self: Taking a Look Inside The Classroom

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

30 C

Speakers

Kara Hamblin

NJUHSD

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
30 C

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, District Administrators, Education Leaders, HR Staff, Teachers & Instructional Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, Teacher

10:30am PDT

Lighthouse Talk: Values, Identity & Youth Mental Wellness

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

30 C

Join us for a dynamic 12-minute Lighthouse Talk, designed to showcase bold ideas, innovative practices, and inspiring stories shaping the future of student mental health and wellness. This presentation is one of four featured during this one-hour block. Due to the fast-paced format, there will be no formal Q&A, but we encourage you to connect with the speaker directly after the block to continue the conversation.

Speakers

Rudy Regalado

Community Education Manager, PRO Youth

Hello! I serve as a community education manager at PRO youth. For the past eight years, I have worked in the nonprofit sector, supporting young people and reaching their goals. I pulled a masters degree in educational leadership from Sacramento state I have mentor youth supported... Read More →

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
30 C

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, District Administrators, HR Staff, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, Higher Ed Faculty, Teachers & Instructional Leaders

10:30am PDT

Rooted in Purpose, Driven by Possibility: The COELSC Story and What It Means for California School Counselors

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

30 D

What does it look like when county office leaders across California unite to advance the school counseling profession — with purpose, passion, and possibility at the forefront?

COELSC — County Offices of Education Leadership for School Counseling — is a statewide network of California County Office of Education (COE) administrators who provide leadership, technical assistance, and professional development for school counseling programs and services across K-12 districts. Founded in November 2017 by a coalition of Southern California COE administrators and state leaders in school counseling, COELSC was built on a singular conviction: that school counselors across California deserve a unified, data-informed, and equity-centered system of support.

Grounded in the ASCA National Model and the California Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework, COELSC provides county-level leaders with a collaborative infrastructure to consult, coordinate, and advocate — from supporting districts with supervision and training needs to providing input to the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credentialing workgroup.

This session invites school counselors, district coordinators, and county office leaders to learn how COELSC is working statewide to elevate the school counseling profession, strengthen MTSS alignment, and drive policy advocacy on behalf of California students. Participants will explore how county-level collaboration translates into on-the-ground impact — and how they can connect with and leverage COELSC in their own professional communities.

Speakers

Dr. Tanya Bulette

Coordinator, PK-12 School Counseling Services, San Diego County Office of Education

Tanya Bulette, Ed.D., serves as the Coordinator for PK-12 School Counseling Services at the San Diego County Office of Education, where she supports and advocates for school counselors across 42 districts. In this role for the past seven years, Tanya has led countywide initiatives... Read More →

Lori Narahara

College and Career Engagement Specialist, Tulare County Office of Education

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
30 D

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, Teachers & Instructional Leaders, Human Resources Professionals, Mental Health Professionals

10:30am PDT

Under Construction™: Adolescent Brain Development in Real Classrooms

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT

32 A-B

Under Construction™: Adolescent Brain Development in Real Classrooms is a highly interactive session translating adolescent brain science into practical, educator‑ready strategies that improve behavior, engagement, and learning. The session begins by addressing a common challenge in middle and high schools: adolescent behavior is often misunderstood and punished rather than interpreted through a developmental lens shaped by brain maturation, stress sensitivity, and evolving executive functioning.

Participants are introduced to the BUILD™ Model—Belonging, Understanding risk‑reward systems, Impulse buffering, Learning through errors, and Dignity‑preserving accountability—as a framework for aligning instruction, discipline, and MTSS supports with how the adolescent brain develops. Brain myth‑versus‑fact polls engage participants in debunking common misconceptions and building shared understanding of impulse control, decision‑making, and emotional regulation.
Using real‑world school scenarios, participants engage in facilitated, small‑group problem solving to apply the BUILD™ framework to classroom responses, discipline decisions, and policy alignment while maintaining accountability and safety. Structured discussions explore how misaligned policies can unintentionally escalate adolescent behavior.

The session concludes with guided application and reflection, ensuring participants leave with ready‑to‑use tools, including a Decision‑Making Delay Tool, Risk‑vs‑Reward Interview Guide, and a Brain‑Aligned Discipline Planning Sheet. Grounded in evidence that brain‑aligned approaches improve self‑regulation and decision‑making, this session equips educators to respond to behavior with clarity and purpose while supporting mental well‑being as a foundation for learning.

Continuing Education Information

Course Syllabus | Speaker Resume | Session Flyer | Course Attendance | Course Evaluation

Upon completion of the course, attendance form, and evaluation, you will receive a Confirmation of Attendance Certificate through email. If you do not receive your Confirmation of Attendance Certificate within ten business days, please contact [email protected]

This course meets the qualifications for 1.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Wellness Together, Inc., Provider #141369, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor Continuing Education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Wellness Together maintains responsibility for this course and its content.

Speakers

Dr. Tiffany Chaney

LPC S, PSC, Climate & Culture Specialist, Harris County Department of Education

At the heart of everything I do is a deep commitment to children. I believe every child deserves champions who see their strengths, nurture their potential, and help them navigate life's challenges. As a School Climate and Culture Specialist, I work to build school communities where... Read More →

Dr. Michelle B. Calhoun, LPC-S, PSC

Climate and Culture Specialist, Harris County Department of Education

The Adolescent Brain and Student Success Participant Slides pdf

Tools Adolescent Brain Development Tools.docx pdf

Under Construction Flyer pdf

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
32 A-B

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, Mental Health Professionals, Teachers & Instructional Leaders
Continuing Education Tracks BBS Continuing Education

11:30am PDT

Off Site Lunch

Thursday September 10, 2026 11:30am - 1:15pm PDT

Networking

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, Education Leaders, Higher Ed Faculty, HR Staff, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, School Site Admin, Teachers & Instructional Leaders, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, District Administrators

1:15pm PDT

Main Session #4

Thursday September 10, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm PDT

Ballroom 20 AB

Thursday September 10, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm PDT
Ballroom 20 AB

Main Session

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, Education Leaders, Higher Ed Faculty, HR Staff, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Teachers & Instructional Leaders, School Site Admin, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, District Administrators

1:20pm PDT

Growing Up Now: Identity, Resilience, and Belonging - How Families, Communities, and Culture Shape the Next Generation

Thursday September 10, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm PDT

Ballroom 20 AB

Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs, Dr. Lisa Damour, and Dr. Nicole Stelter explore how identity, family, culture, and community shape young people’s emotional development and sense of possibility. This timely conversation offers practical, hopeful ways to foster resilience and belonging amid today’s complex challenges.

Speakers

Dr. Nicole Stelter

Blue Shield of California

Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs

Sociologist and Author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Three Mothers

Anna Malaika Tubbs is a New York Times bestselling author and multidisciplinary expert on current and historical understandings of race, gender, and equity. With a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Masters in Multidisciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge in addition to... Read More →

Dr. Lisa Damour

Clinical Psychologist, Bestselling Author, & Scientific Consultant for Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out 2

Dr. Lisa Damour is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and internationally recognized expert on adolescent development and student mental health. For more than two decades, she has worked directly with young people and families while translating psychological research into... Read More →

Thursday September 10, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm PDT
Ballroom 20 AB

Main Session

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Corporate Leaders, Higher Ed Faculty, HR Staff, District Administrators, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin, Teachers & Instructional Leaders

2:30pm PDT

From System to Student: A Collaborative, Countywide Approach to Building an Integrated System of Care

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

30 D

We are grateful to be part of a countywide effort, led by the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), in partnership with CalOptima, Rady Children’s Health (formerly CHOC Behavioral Health), and Anaheim Elementary School District (AESD). Together, we are working to better support the behavioral health, social-emotional, and mental health needs of students and families across Orange County.
OCDE has played a key role in bringing partners together and helping us stay aligned. By connecting education with healthcare, managed care, and community-based organizations, they’ve created space for meaningful collaboration and shared problem-solving. This has allowed us to move beyond working in silos and toward a more coordinated approach.
In this session, we will share how this partnership has helped connect the bigger picture, policy, funding, and system coordination with what happens every day in schools. We’ll talk about how AESD has strengthened its Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and CYBHI Fee Schedule implementation through this collaborative work, and what we’ve learned along the way.
Together, we are building a more connected system that supports students across the full continuum from prevention and early intervention to crisis response, hospitalization, and returning to school. This work is ongoing, and it continues to grow through strong relationships, shared responsibility, and a commitment to doing better for students and families.
Participants will leave with practical insights into how partnerships across systems can come together in a more thoughtful and sustainable way to support schools and communities.

Speakers

Shirley Diaz

Program Specialist, Anaheim Elementary School District

Mayu Iwatani

Senior Administrator, Mental Health and Wellness, Orange County Department of Education

Mayu Iwatani has 25 years combined experience in School Social Work, School Counseling, Student Services, Foster Care and Mental Health and Wellness in the educational field. She started her career as a School Social Worker in a district in Orange County, California, and since has... Read More →

Gabriela Hernandez

Psychosocial Supervisor, Radys Childrens Health - Orange County

Gabriela “Gaby” Hernandez, LCSW is the Mental Health Inpatient Center Psychosocial Supervisor who joined CHOC Children’s in 2018 as one of the first therapists to open the Mental Health Inpatient Center. She oversees a team of 25 staff members including mental health therapists... Read More →

Carmen Katsarov

CalOptima Health

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
30 D

Breakout

Audience Education Leaders, School Site Admin, Teacher, Mental Health Professionals, Teachers & Instructional Leaders, Community Partners & Nonprofits

2:30pm PDT

EMPOWER Youth: Evidence-based and Scalable Approaches for Addressing Mental health for young people in non-clinical settings

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:30pm - 4:45pm PDT

32 A-B

Led by Dr. Laura Bond and Emma Katherine Hill from Harvard’s Global Mental Health Lab, this session provides an accessible mental health skills training designed for anyone who works with children. Attendees will gain practical tools to cultivate empathy, facilitate collaborative problem-solving, and master conflict de-escalation strategies. Designed for non-clinical providers, this workshop equips everyday educators and mentors to confidently support youth navigating subclinical mental health challenges.

Please note: This is a 2-hour breakout session with a 15-minute break at 3:30 PM.

Speakers

Laura Bond, PhD, MA, is the Program Director at the Mental Health for All Lab. Laura's research is focused on task-shared mental health interventions, particularly in underserved communities.
Our website:https://mentalhealthforalllab.hms.harvard.edu/

... Read More →

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:30pm - 4:45pm PDT
32 A-B

Breakout

Audience Community Partners & Nonprofits, Education Leaders, Mental Health Professionals, Parents & Caregivers, Teachers & Instructional Leaders, District Administrators, HR Staff, Human Resources Professionals, Policy & Advocacy Professionals, School Site Admin

10th Annual Wellness Together Conference

7:30am PDT

7:30am PDT

9:00am PDT

9:15am PDT

Dr. Shirley Weber

9:15am PDT

Chris Gethard

9:15am PDT

Zainab Okolo, Ed.D., LCMFT

10:30am PDT

Chris Gethard

10:30am PDT

Meri McCoy-Thompson

10:30am PDT

Kara Hamblin

10:30am PDT

Rudy Regalado

10:30am PDT

Dr. Tanya Bulette

Lori Narahara

10:30am PDT

Dr. Tiffany Chaney

Dr. Michelle B. Calhoun, LPC-S, PSC

11:30am PDT

1:15pm PDT

1:20pm PDT

Dr. Nicole Stelter

Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs

Dr. Lisa Damour

2:30pm PDT

Shirley Diaz

Mayu Iwatani

Gabriela Hernandez

Carmen Katsarov

2:30pm PDT

Britney Stone, MA, LMFT

Emma Hill

Laura Bond

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