The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR)is excited to announce that Alternatives 2019 will be held at The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., July 7 - 11, 2019.
Last year we returned to our roots: We held Alternatives 2018 at a university for the first time in decades, without relying on federal funding, the way our movement for social justice first began. The freedom of truly being “On Our Own Again” was felt as a palpable energy. The opportunity to do advocacy training and host a “Hill Day” was exciting and rewarding. We are eager to repeat this Pre-conference Action at Alternatives 2019.
The Alternatives conference is the oldest and largest conference of its kind, organized and hosted for more than three decades by peers for peers (people with lived experience of the behavioral health system, emotional distress/crisis, trauma, substance use, and/or addiction). The Alternatives conference is renowned for offering the latest and best information in the peer recovery movement, and provides an invaluable opportunity for peers to network with and learn from one another. This conference is funded entirely through registration fees and donations.
Alternatives 2019 will include a two-day pre-conference, July 8 and 9, with advocacy training on Monday and a “Hill Day” on Tuesday, when peer advocates will meet, by appointment, with the staff of their U.S. senators and congressional representatives. Now more than ever, it is important for us to participate in the national debate.
The conference will officially open with dinner and keynote presentations on Tuesday evening, July 9, followed by workshops and caucuses on Wednesday and Thursday. A call for workshop proposals will be announced soon.
Newer college dorm rooms with single beds and private or shared bathrooms will be available for an affordable price, and three buffet-style meals a day will be provided in the dining hall. All meeting rooms are ADA-accessible; some accessible dorm rooms can be reserved. There is a newly renovated Metro stop on campus; parking is also available. There are many hotels a few Metro stops away for those who wish to stay off campus.
NCMHR appreciates CUA’s mission statement for Alternatives 2019: Catholic University encourages “serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures, and beliefs, and promotes intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding. We embody this principle in the diversity of our students, faculty and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness, and our international character.”The Alternatives conference strives to be a welcoming environment for all people, and we have been assured that all of our attendees will be treated with respect.
Alternatives 2019 is a great opportunity to learn new skills and share your passion for recovery, advocacy, the arts, multicultural and diversity awareness, youth involvement, and more! Come, find and raise your voice, share your expertise, meet old friends and make new ones!
We hope you will save the date, share it with others, and join us at Alternatives 2019!
More information about Alternatives 2019 is available at
Follow
@AltCon_2019 on Twitter; the hashtag is #Alternatives2019.
We will update the Alternatives 2019 website and social media as new information becomes available.
