Third Annual CT BHP 'iCAN' Conference Showcases Behavioral Health Services, Programs and Resources Available to Medicaid Recipients, Agencies and Providers throughout State

ROCKY HILL, Conn., Aug. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Consumer and Family Advisory Council of the Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership (CT BHP), administered by Beacon Health Options (Beacon), will host the third annual "iCAN" Conference. The conference showcases the keys to success and the power of partnerships among Connecticut HUSKY Health consumers, families, agencies, and providers. The free conference is on Thursday, September 28, 2017, from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm at the Artists Collective, 1200 Albany Avenue, in Hartford. Breakfast and lunch will be served.

The "iCAN" conference is committed to supporting consumers and families to successfully self-advocate for needed behavioral health services in order to live their lives to the fullest potential. Conference key panelists will include Susan Kelley, National Alliance on Mental Health, Connecticut (NAMI, CT), and Sarah Eagan, Office of the Child Advocate for Connecticut.                                  

"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 Beacon Consumer and Family Advisory Council. "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 Padres Unidos of Greater Danbury, Connecticut and FAVOR, Inc. 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 also speak.

"The event is made possible by an array of corporate and industry sponsors that are invested in strengthening and increasing access to our behavioral health system in Connecticut," said Lori Szczygiel, CEO of Beacon Health Options in Connecticut. "We know the state's services are robust. We hope the conference will raise awareness among consumers, agencies and providers about what services are available and how to get the most from them."

Because space is limited, CT BHP requires you to reserve a seat by calling (860) 263-2442 or emailing [email protected]

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), and the Department of Social Services (DSS), with Beacon Health Options as its administrative services organization.

SOURCE Beacon Health Options