A pre-conference day of networking, career connections, and student posters — then two full days of breakout courses, our signature panel, and the awards ceremony and keynote address. September 9–11, 2026.
New to BMHS? Join our breakout welcome and networking session — meet fellow first-timers and ask returning attendees what to expect.
12:00 PM3 hours
Career Fair
Virtual Career Fair
Drop in for 30-minute job talks from hiring organizations throughout the afternoon. Final job talk begins at 2:30 PM.
1:00 PM60 min
Posters
Student Poster Presentations
Support the next generation of Black mental health scholars.
View the 4 poster presentations
1:00 – 1:30
Naming the Wound: Father Absence, Masculinity, and the Emotional Lives of Black MenDavid Awoyemi — MS, LPC
1:00 – 1:30
The Impact of ADEI Dismantling on Black LGBTQIA+ Individuals: A Theoretical and Social Work AnalysisJasmine Dunnaville — LCSW
1:30 – 2:00
Reclamation for “Angry Black Women”: Transforming Our Rage into Community Empowerment and HealingDejia Jackson
1:30 – 2:00
Remembering the Wound, Resetting the Lens, Reclaiming Healing for Black Women Impacted by Intergenerational TraumaElaine Smith
2:00 PM60 min
Community
Film Screening with Moderated Q&A
Close out pre-conference day with a community film screening and discussion.
Pre-conference events do not carry CE credit — they’re open networking, career, and community programming to kick off your Symposium experience.
9:00 AM
Plenary
Welcome and Opening Act
9:15 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 9:15 to 10:15
Choose one of four concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 4 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Healing Racial Trauma: Rhythm and Processing (RAP), Anti-Racist Psychotherapy, and Complex PTSDDavid Archer — MSW, MFT
Breakout 2
The Future Belongs to Translators: Career Strategy, Portfolio Careers, and Sustainable Impact for Mental Health ProfessionalsLea Herbert — PhD, LMHC, NCC
Breakout 3
Mama, Auntie, ‘n Them: The Intergenerational Impact of Domestic ViolenceTaylour Neal — MS, NCC, LCMHC
Breakout 4
Reclaiming Joy: Integrating Creativity and Expressive Arts into Clinical CounselingNiah Singletary — PhD, LCMHC, CRC
10:30 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 10:30 to 11:30
Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 5 courses in this block
Breakout 1
The Body Remembers What We Were Never Allowed to Say: Somatic and Energetic Healing for Trauma in BIPOC CommunitiesAsha Sims — MA Counseling
Breakout 2
Suicide Prevention Among Young African American Males: Implications for Evidence-Based PracticeOliver Johnson — Ph.D., LCSW, LCAS, CCS
Breakout 3
Melody as a Map: Using Music to Foster Cultural Humility and Relational Attunement in Clinical SupervisionBrianna Higgins — MA, LPC, NCCCo-presenter: Dr. Vincent W. Sears, PhD, MHC-LP
Breakout 4
Breaking the Silence: Black Counselor Educators Naming, Navigating, and Coping with Racialized Experiences of Compassion FatigueKaren Jubert — Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC
Breakout 5
Evaluating Equity: Using Research and Program Evaluation to Understand Service Access for Black FathersDr. Toni Sparrow — DPA, MBA
11:45 AM60 min
Special Event1 CE Credit
Panel Discussion & Press Conference
The State of Black Mental Health — our signature panel and press conference. One CE credit.
1:00 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 1:00 to 2:00
Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 5 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Silencing as Violence: Understanding and Challenging Epistemic Injustice in Counseling, Supervision, and ResearchClaire Martin — PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS, BC-TMH
Breakout 2
Culturally Responsive Trauma Care for Black Families: Attachment, Resilience, and HealingDonielle Cohen — LMFT, PhDCo-presenter: Zachary McNiece, PhD
Breakout 3
When Worship Hides Wounds: Grief, Praise, and Mental Health in the Black ChurchDemetrius Jifunza — MSCo-presenters: Tremaine N. Leslie, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS; Elaine Smith, MS, LCPC, NCC
Breakout 4
No One’s Coming to Save Your Private Practice: Marketing Basics & Strategies Every Private Practice Owner Should Know in Today’s Tumultuous LandscapeNatasha Oates — MA
Breakout 5
Training the Next Best: Succession Planning for Executive Leaders and Senior CliniciansDebra King — PhDCo-presenter: Channing Moss, M.A., LPC, NCC
2:15 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 2:15 to 3:15
Choose one of four concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 4 courses in this block
Breakout 1
We Have a Problem: Navigating Relational Dynamics and Challenges in Black Women and MenKalesha Jenkins — PhD, LPC, NCC
Breakout 2
Algorithms Ain’t Neutral: Care Ethics, AI, and the Future of Black Mental HealthMichael Jones — PhD, LPC-S, NCC, BC-TMHCo-presenter: Tiffanie Sutherlin, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, ACS
Breakout 3
From Trauma to Incarceration: Examining Unresolved Childhood Experiences Among Black Men in the Criminal Justice SystemTyronisha Williams — M.Ed.Co-presenter: Karla L. Sapp, EdD, LPC-S, LMHC-S, LCMHC-S
Breakout 4
From Stigma to Safety: Recovery-Oriented, Healing-Centered Substance Use Care in Black CommunitiesLydia Thomas — MS, NCC, ACS, CAADC/CSAC
3:30 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 3:30 to 4:30
Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 5 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Lean On Me: Creating Safe Spaces for Black Men’s Mental HealthCecilia Guyton — EdD, LMHC-QS (FL), LPC (TX)
Breakout 2
From Burnout to Bloom: Reclaiming Black Joy as a Clinical and Communal Act of ResistanceDr. Patrice Dunn — PhD, LPC, LPC-S, NCCCo-presenter: Dr. Rebecca Opamen, LPC, LPC-S, NCC
Breakout 3
Forgive & Forget: Examining the Neuroscientific Dilemmas and Cultural Context of Forgiveness as It Relates to Black AmericaMelissa Tate-Scruse — Ed.D, LCMHCS, C-NPT
Breakout 4
Using Black Storytelling as a Qualitative Research MethodAngela Banks — PhD, LPCC-S, NCC
Breakout 5
From Historical Erasure to Identity Resilience: Introducing a Primary Prevention Model for Black Youth Mental HealthAndrea Alleyne — PhD, LCSW, CFNMP
4:30 PM30 min
Plenary
Blessing of the Hands Ceremony & Closing
Maximum CE credits for Day One: 6 — one credit for each breakout block you attend, plus one for the Panel Discussion & Press Conference.
7:30 AM
Wellness
Trap Yoga with Ori Lotus
Start day two with our signature wellness session. (No CE credit.)
9:00 AM
Plenary
Welcome Back and Opening Act
Featuring spoken word by Soliloquys.
9:15 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 9:15 to 10:15
Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 5 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in Black Communities: Evidence-Based Prevention, Treatment, and Relapse Prevention Funded by Opioid Settlement DollarsShon Smith — EdD, MA, LMHC, LCAS-A, LS, CRC, HS-BCP
Breakout 2
Transformational Spaces: Reflecting on, Observing, and Applying Yalom’s Curative Factors in Black BarbershopsBredell Moody — Ph.D, LCMHC, LCAS-ACo-presenters: Kourtney Royseter, LCMHC, NCC; James Love; Montrell Staton; Jimmy Evans — Entrepreneur, Barbershop Owner, Barber
Breakout 3
Training Gaps and Growth: Counselor Trainees’ Experiences Serving Black Women Experiencing HomelessnessNatese Dockery — PhD, LPC
Breakout 4
Perceived Black Maternal Narcissism and Their Daughters’ Delinquency: Chronicles from a Daughter’s InterpretationDr. Nzinga Cates — PhD
Breakout 5
Beyond Survival: Reimagining Black Mental Health Through Cultural Humility, Faith, and Housing JusticeMonique Willis — DSW, MSW, ASW
10:30 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 10:30 to 11:30
Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 5 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Beyond Survival: Slavery’s Psychological Legacy and Clinical Implications for Work with Black WomenAngela Banks — PhD, LPCC-S, NCC
Breakout 2
The Cost of Constant Readiness: The Neuroscience of Burnout, Racialized Stress, and Healing for Black Mental Health ProfessionalsGinavra Gibson — Ph.D., NCC, ACS, LPC (SC, GA), LPC-S (SC), CDBTCo-presenters: Alexis Roberson, Ph.D. Candidate, MS, LPC; Latisha Chambers, MS, LCMHC
Breakout 3
From Masked to Mobilized: The POWER Framework as a Path to Racial Identity Reclamation, Clinician Wellness, and Embodied EntrepreneurshipJesaira Glover — LPC, NCC
Breakout 4
Betrayal, Loneliness, and App Use for Affectional Minority MenBreon Rose — PhD, LCPC, LPC, ACSCo-presenters: Dae’Qwaun Landrum, PhD, LCADC, NCC, ACS; Alfonso Ferguson, PhD, LPC, LMHC, NCC, ACS; Marcus Smith, PhD, LCPC
Awards Ceremony & Keynote Address — Dr. Michael Hannon
Presentation of our annual awards and scholarship, followed by the keynote address. One CE credit. Meet our keynote speaker →
1:00 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 1:00 to 2:00
Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 5 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Still Showing Up, Quietly Breaking Down: Remembering Rest, Resetting Survival, and Reclaiming Wholeness Among High-Achieving Black WomenNatika Johnson — PhD, LPC, LCDC, NCC
Breakout 2
The Blind Spot: How Internalized Oppression Shapes Black Clinicians’ Work with Black ClientsXanthia Johnson — LPCCo-presenter: Aisha Tyehimba, LPC
Breakout 3
Cracking the Code from the Inside Out: Racialized Trauma, Neural Adaptation, and Clinician ResilienceAllura Pulliam-Feemster — PhD, LPC-A, Licensed School Counselor
Breakout 4
More Than Misbehavior: Understanding Trauma in Black YouthKimberly Ward — LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, RPT
Breakout 5
Reimagining Parenting and Family Systems in Black Mental HealthKaren Cameron-Petroski — MA
2:15 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 2:15 to 3:15
Choose one of four concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 4 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Counseling and Cooperative Extension: Expanding Access to Mental Health Resources in Black CommunitiesNatese Dockery — PhD, LPC
Breakout 2
We Do This Till We Heal Us: Risk and Protective Factors of Burnout and Secondary Racial Trauma of Black Mental Health ProfessionalsEric Brown — PhD, LPC
Breakout 3
Heartbreak & Hormones: A 3-Part Framework for Identity RestorationKenya Dennis — LPCS, LPC, AMSR
Breakout 4
Inquiry-Based Learning in a Culturally Responsive Power of Difference Course: Impact on Student Belonging, Cultural Humility, and MotivationVictoria McNeil-Young — PhD, LCP
3:30 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit
Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 3:30 to 4:30
Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.
View the 5 courses in this block
Breakout 1
Diagnostic Colonialism in the Age of AI: The Epigenetic Transfer of Human Error and the Erasure of Black Cultural IdentityRyan Feemster — Ph.D., LCMHC, NCC
Breakout 2
When Money Hurts: Understanding Financial Trauma, Attachment, and Economic Healing in Black CommunitiesAlicia Tetteh — LCSW, CFSW, DSW
Breakout 3
Beyond Cultural Competence: A Three-Framework Approach to Serving Black Immigrant Men in Mental Health SettingsBernice Yamoah — PMP, M.Phil.
Breakout 4
Reclaim Your Practice: What Every Black Mental Health Provider Must Know About ADA Accommodation, FMLA, and Short-Term Disability ClaimsRachel Muchai-Taylor — Nursing Certificate, ADA and FMLA Certified
Breakout 5
The Science of Success: Exploring the Mindset and Behavioral Shifts the Brain and Body Must Adapt to for Sustainable Clinical EntrepreneurshipDr. Siobhan Flowers — PhD, LPC-S, NCC, CSC
4:30 PM30 min
Plenary
Blessing of the Hands Ceremony & Closing
Maximum CE credits for Day Two: 6 — one credit for each breakout block you attend, plus one for the Awards Ceremony & Keynote Address.
Continuing education: earn up to 12 CE credits across the Symposium (a maximum of 6 per day) by attending breakout courses, the Panel Discussion & Press Conference, and the Awards Ceremony & Keynote Address. Trap Yoga and pre-conference, social, and networking events do not carry CE credit. The BMHS is accredited by the National Board for Certified Counselors; application is made to the National Association of Social Workers. Certificates are emailed within 48 hours after the Symposium.
Build Your Three Days of Healing
Every registration includes the full schedule — pre-conference events, the keynote and awards ceremony, our signature panel, your choice of breakout courses, Trap Yoga, and networking.
