Welcome to the 5th Annual Mental and Behavioral Health Conference!

We are excited to welcome you to our 2024 Mental and Behavioral Health Conference focused on Calling-In: Cultivating Cultural Healing, Embodied Storytelling and Narrative Humanization. 

M&BH conference learning objectives:

  • Practice story telling techniques to promote healing
  • Understand embodiment healing techniques
  • Learn how to infuse cultural humility into one’s supervision practice

All conference materials are available on this website, or you can download the conference program here.

Use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate to our Keynote Presenter, and the two Concurrent Workshops. Below you will find the schedule of the day.

This event was brought to us by the Department of Social Work, College of Health and Human Sciences, The Health Institute, HRSA, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Thank you all for sponsoring the 5th Annual Mental and Behavioral Health Conference.

MSU Denver acknowledges the indigenous people and land of Auraria and the broader Denver area and the labor of enslaved and exploited people that built the country. Please see the full acknowledgement here.

  • Link to MBHC Keynote Recording: LINK
  • Slido – Interact LIVE with other conference participants by sharing questions and writing comments. These will be used for the Keynote Q&A Session: Link
  • Links to Workshops: Workshops Session 1 and Workshops Session 2
  • POST EVENT SURVEY: Link

Sessions will be recorded and uploaded post event!

5th Annual Mental and Behavioral Health Conference Schedule
Calling-In: Cultivating Cultural Healing, Embodied Storytelling and Narrative Humanization Friday, February 16th, 2024
Virtual Format
9:30 AM Check-In Zoom room opens with a Qualtrics link for check-in 
10:00 AM Welcome and Thank Yous Welcome and thank yous from our Program Director, Dean, and Office of Diversity and Inclusion

  • Dr. Tanya Greathouse, LCSW, MSW Program Director, and DEI Co-Coordinator, MSU Denver
  • Dr. Hope N. Szypulski, Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences, MSU Denver
  • Dr. Michael Benitez, Jr., Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, MSU Denver
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM Keynote Address

Featuring Dr. Loretta Ross

 Calling-In: Cultivating Cultural Healing, Embodied Storytelling and Narrative Humanization
5-Minute Transition Time
11:05 AM – 11:30 AM Keynote Q&A with Dr. Loretta Ross  Q&A Moderator: Dr. Adrianna Taylor
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Lunchtime Take this time to stretch, drink some water, and enjoy some food
 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM  Concurrent Workshops Session 1:

Culturally Adaptive Mental Health Practices: Centering the Counter Narrative   

 Building Bridges: The Utilization of a Narrative Humanization Approach in the Fight to Reduce and Unlearn Stigmatizing Belief with Dr. Kristin Spooner, LICSW, CST

Culturally-Responsive and Integrative Healing Practices: Centering the Brain-Body Connection with Dr. Adrianna N. Taylor, LCSW, CCTP

Sense-Making: Using Narrative Storytelling Across the Lifespan with Althea Simpson, LCSW, RPT-S 
15-Minute Break
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM  Concurrent Workshops Session 2: 

Supervision and the Healing Process 

 Authenticity in Practice with Dr. Andrea Daniels, LCSW-S 

Infusing Cultural Humility into Your Supervision Session; Promoting Brave Spaces with Manasseh Begay, MSW, LCSW, LADAC

Using Storytelling as a Supervisory Technique: Stories of Wounded Healers with Dr. Omekio Riggins, LCSW, LCAS-A, CCTP-II, LPN 
15-Minute – Closing Remarks – From Dr. Dawn R Matera Bassett MSW, LCSW, Grant Director – Webinar Link