ROCKY HILL, Conn., Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --The Consumer and Family Advisory Subcommittee of the Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership (CT BHP), administered by ValueOptions of Connecticut, a Beacon Health Options company, announced today that it is sponsoring the first annual "iCAN" Conference to educate and empower current and potential Medicaid recipients and providers about available behavioral health services throughout the state. The conference is free for consumers, and takes place on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Artists Collective, 1200 Albany Avenue, in Hartford. A breakfast and lunch will be served.
Because space is limited, CT BHP requires you to reserve a seat by calling (860) 263-2172 or email [email protected].
The goal of the "iCAN" conference is to help consumers know they can successfully self-advocate for behavioral health services in order to live their lives to the fullest potential. Keynote Speaker Cortney Lovell, a spokesperson for Governor Cuomo's Combat Heroin Campaign, will speak on her own recovery and advocacy as the Director of Recovery Training and Education for Friends of Recovery New York and an active member of Young People in Recovery.
"Too many Connecticut families, young adults and youth receiving Medicaid services cycle in and out of our mental health and addiction systems because they are not accessing appropriate resources to gain wellness and self-sufficiency," said George McDonald, member of the CT BHP Consumer and Family Advisory Subcommittee. "In reality, Connecticut has an array of behavioral health and recovery programs; but consumers, agencies and providers are either unaware of them or they just don't share the information with each other."
Provider and consumer exhibitors will be on hand, along with representatives from advocacy groups, such as Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR), Advocacy Unlimited (AU), African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities (AFCAMP), and the Connecticut Hearing Voices Network (CTHVN). Spokespeople from the Partnership's state partners, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Department of Social Services (DSS) will provide updates.
"DMHAS's mission is to improve the quality of life of Connecticut citizens by providing comprehensive, effective and efficient mental health and addiction services," said DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon. "This conference supports that mission by promoting recovery, citizenship, dignity and respect."
About CT BHP
CT BHP is a Partnership composed of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Social Services (DSS), and the Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council with ValueOptions of Connecticut, a Beacon Health Options company, as its administrative services organization.
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SOURCE Beacon Health Options
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