Hope Rising Conference - The Woodlands 2024

Organizations Host a Conference on the Mental Health and Addiction Crisis

Non-profits, mental health companies and coalitions are collaborating to encourage important dialogue on mental health, addiction and how to make a difference in Montgomery County.

The 6th Annual Hope Rising community mental health conference will take place Friday, February 23rd from 8:00 - 3:00 and hosted by The Woodlands First Baptist Church. This event is a collaboration between the Spiritual Care Network, National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Houston (NAMI) and the Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention Taskforce of Montgomery County (BHSP). The annual event is open to the community, family members, mental health professionals and faith leaders.

The keynote speaker will be Elizabeth McIngvale, PhD., LCSW, the director of the OCD Institute. Dr McIngvale is also adjunct faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and she founded the Peace of Mind foundation. She is a renowned national speaker on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, anxiety , mental illness and mental health stigma.

Conference co-chairs are Dr. Brenda LaVar, president of NAMI of Greater Houston and Eric Ayles from Serenity Light Recovery, a local substance abuse treatment program.  Eric is also the Board President of the Spiritual Care Network, a national nonprofit with a mission to bridge the gap between mental health and the faith community.

The Hope Rising Conference is an invaluable platform for connecting families, professionals, clergy and lay leaders in the community with services, information and support while also forming meaningful connections, said  Dr. Brenda LaVar, president of NAMI of Greater Houston.

Dr LaVar will be coordinating “Ask The Experts” with breakout Q&A sessions to facilitate important discussions with physicians and other specialists that specialize in mental health and addiction. Other topics will include the overdose crisis and human trafficking in our community.

In addition, lunch and refreshments will be served by Teague’s Barbecue, making the conference a comfortable one-stop destination for all attendees to learn and network. Attendees will benefit from continuing education credit provided for counselors and social workers as well as have the chance to visit 25 resource tables from various local organizations and treatment programs.

“This event is an opportunity for both professionals, public officials and people in the community to come together and address topics that affect so many lives in our community,” said Eric Ayles.

Tickets include lunch and admission and range from $15 to $30 and a limited number of free scholarships are available. To register, visit https://www.spiritualcarenet.org/conference

WHEN: Friday, February 23rd, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

WHERE: The Woodlands First Baptist Church

11801 Grogans Mill Rd, The Woodlands, TX 77380