October 1st – 3rd, 2024
Nashville, TN
Vibrant Emotional Health is proud to announce We the Resilient: A conference on disaster behavioral health and building a truly resilient community. Our fourth annual conference promises to be full of engaging and enlightening content on a subject that becomes increasingly more relevant every day.
As humans, we are resilient with an immense capacity to adapt, to evolve, to change and to grow. Our history is marked by adversity and how we as individuals and communities have emerged from crisis stronger and better prepared for the future. But this resilience doesn’t happen on its own. Resilience requires action and agency. As leaders in the Disaster Behavioral Health space we are not only advocates for a more resilient community but the ones creating it.
Our goal for this conference and beyond is to design human-first systems and structures that build up communal resilience in a sustainable and equitable way in each of our disciplines.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Regardt Ferreira
Regardt (Reggie) Ferreira PhD is a tenured full professor at Tulane School of Social Work, director of Tulane University’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, and executive director of the Consortium for Equitable Disaster Resilience. Reggie is a busy man, spending his time toggling between administration, applied and community-based research, program development, community work, and teaching activities. He is currently the Chief Editor of the prestigious American Psychological Association’s Traumatology journal, focused on resilience practices amongst traumatized individuals, families, and communities. He primarily conducts research in Europe, Africa, North America, the Caribbean, and South Asia, focusing on the intersection of disaster, climate change, resilience, and behavioral health.
Learn more about Dr. Ferreira at: cedrhub.org/regardt-ferreira/ or tssw.tulane.edu/reggie-ferreira
Dr. George Bonanno
Dr. George Bonanno is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University’s Teachers College and has been recognized by the Web of Science as among the top 1% most cited scientists in the world. His pioneering research on human resilience in the face of loss and potential trauma has earned him lifetime achievement awards from the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). In addition to his books, The End of Trauma and The Other Side of Sadness, George has published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles, many appearing in leading journals such as Nature, JAMA, and American Psychologist.
Learn more about Dr. Bonanno at: www.georgebonanno.com
Dr. Robin Stern
Robin Stern, Ph.D., is a licensed psychoanalyst, educator, commentator, and author of The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. As a renowned expert in gaslight manipulation, women in leadership, and emotional intelligence/resilience, her work bridges the gap between theory and the public square. She co-founded the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and currently serves as the senior advisor to the director. Robin hosts the Gaslight Effect Podcast, and is a regular consultant and keynote speaker with companies (Meta, Lancôme, Google, Samsung, Time Inc.) and hospitals (Yale New Haven Hospital, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital) on the application of emotional intelligence in management and leadership.
Learn more about Dr. Stern at: robinstern.com
Dr. Michael Lindsey
Dr. Michael A. Lindsey is the Dean and Paulette Goddard Professor of Social Work at NYU Silver School of Social Work, and an Aspen Health Innovators Fellow. A noted scholar in the fields of child and adolescent mental health, as well as a leader in the search for knowledge and solutions to generational poverty and inequality, Dr. Lindsey is the President of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (NAP) in Social Work. He serves on numerous editorial boards and led the working group of experts supporting the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health.
Learn more about Dr. Lindsey’s work at: socialwork.nyu.edu
Dr. Jessi Gold
Dr. Jessi Gold is the inaugural Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. An expert in destigmatizing mental health issues, Dr. Gold is a researcher, speaker, and author and was recently named by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the Top 14 Chief Wellness Officers To Get To Know in 2024. She specializes in working with college students, healthcare professionals, and the entertainment industry. Her latest book, How Do You Feel?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine is due to be published in October.
Learn more about Dr. Gold’s work at: www.drjessigold.com
Maddie Gentile
Maddie Gentile is the founder of Manual Movement Therapy, a transformative healing methodology designed to unlock your bodies natural intelligence as well as the founder of The Corrective Collective, a global community for pain relief and healing. Her background in dance, kinesiology, and massage therapy, and past life as a personal trainer, underscore Maddie’s unique point of view when it comes to problem-solving for pain patterns through movement and manual manipulation. She holds certifications in multiple fitness disciplines and is also an entrepreneur, having been part of two successful fitness startups. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and 12 year old rescue dog.
Learn more about Maddie at: www.manualmovement.com
Stay With Us
Book your room at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in the heart of downtown Nashville.
Amenities
- Located just steps from Lower Broadway and local attractions
- Full-Service Restaurant: Fourth & U
- Pet-Friendly
- Full Service Starbucks®
- Live music at on-site bar
- Beautiful outdoor patio with TVs, fireplace, and games
- Fitness Center
- Just minutes from Nashville International Airport
Honoring Vibrant Heroes
As part of the conference, we are planning an evening to celebrate the resilience of the local Nashville community.
Don’t miss it! This special evening is included as part of your general conference registration and the 10/1 single-day registration.
Nashville locals are welcome too! If you need more tickets, check out the link below.
Call for Submissions
Poster submissions are still open! Share your observations and findings on the subject of building truly resilient communities after a disaster by creating a poster showcasing your research, program development, or other collaborative undertakings.
Submit your findings by August 30, 2024.
Submissions for presenters and panelists for the 2024 We the Resilient Conference have been closed. Selected presenters and panelists will be contacted in June.
For questions or inquiries about the conference or sponsorship, email us at [email protected].