2026 Women's Recovery Conference: Four Decades of Cultivating Collaboration in a Changing World
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The 2026 Women's Recovery Conference will mark the 40th anniversary of this annual program, where gender-responsive care is exclusively presented to give focus to the need of women in recovery and their families. The conference will take place over three days, May 6th through May 8th, and will offer 16 credit hours with a variety of credit options.
In response to North Carolina's state of recovery from recent natural disasters, as well as the national economic environment, we are continuing to offer reduced registration costs, repeating last year's prices. Additionally, we will be offering the first main conference day of programming – Thursday, May 7th – as a livestream option, allowing those who are unable to join us in-person to benefit from a substantial portion of the conference's core content.
Evidence-based strategies to promote hope, health, and healing will be shared as we continue to live through an unprecedented time of change, affecting both public and social health-related crises. All while providing gender-responsive approaches on mandatory continuing education topics such as supervision, ethics, HIV, STIs, and bloodborne pathogens. The conference offers a choice of innovative care modalities that frontline providers may implement to motivate and empower women, while promoting balance on the inevitably precarious path of recovery.
More than ever, community connection, solidarity, and accurate information are vital in providing a solid foundation for sustained recovery. The 2026 Women's Recovery Conference: Four Decades of Cultivating Collaboration in a Changing World emphasizes the fostering of strong communities and the enhancement of psychological and physiological support for women in recovery and their families.
(Preconference Sessions on-site only)
Preconference Sessions- Choose between two different morning sessions and two different afternoon sessions.
Morning choices (9:00 AM - 12:15 PM) [3.0 Educational Hours]:
- Collaborative Change: Cultivating Creativity, Connection, and Community - Sage Chioma MPH, CSAC, CSAPC
- Let Go, Recover, and Realign with Your Soul - Shannon South, LPC, LCMHC, ThD
Afternoon choices (1:15 PM - 4:30 PM) [3.0 Educational Hours]:
- Yoga and Substance Use Recovery for Women in the Context of Regenerative Medicine - Kristine Kaoverii Weber, MA, c-IAYT, eRYT500 and Brett Sculthorp, LCSW, LCAS, CPS
- Ethical Considerations: Treating Substance Use Disorders in Rural Communities - Daniel Ball, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CCS, QS
Main Conference, Day One - May 7th
Keynote (9:00 AM - 10:30 AM- Everyone in Attendance) [1.5 Educational Hours]:Cultivating Collaborative Change by Weaving Connection into Community- Sage Chioma, MPH, CSAC, CSAPC
Track Sessions- Choose only one track: Track One OR Track Two
Track One - General Track (10:45 AM-4:30 PM) [4.5 Educational Hours]
- 10:45 AM - 12:15PM Releasing Trauma in Substance Use Recovery: Embodying the "Stillpoint"- Debra Alvis, PhD
- 1:15 PM - 4:30 PM HIV, Mental Health and Substance Use: Where Are We Now?- Keith McAdam, LCSW, LCAS, Behavioral Health Provider, Addictions Specialist, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Social Work, Duke University Health System
Track Two - DHHS Track (10:45 AM - 4:30 PM) [5.0 Educational Hours]
- 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Trauma-Informed Perinatal Care: Supporting Birthing People with Histories of Trauma and IPV- Brittany Jones MA, LCAS, CCS, CD(DONA), PMH-C
- 11:45 AM - 12:15 PM and 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM [Note: Lunch is 12:15 PM - 1:15PM/session resumes after lunch] You Quit, Two Quit: Tobacco Free Treatment Update- Megan Scull Williams, MSW, MSPH
- 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM Understanding the Effects of Drug-Related Stigma- Ashley Wurth, MA
- 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Recovery and Housing Through Their Eyes: Forty Years of Progress, Policy and Possibility- Essence Hairston, PhD, LCSW, LCAS, CCS, Clinical Instructor, UNC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of Community Engagement/Integrated Treatment Services, Project Director, Outpatient SUD and Co-Occurring Reentry Services
Main Conference, Day Two - May 8th
Opening Presentations (9:00 AM - 10:30AM- Everyone in Attendance) [1.5 Educational Hours]
- 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM Part One: Update from the State: Women's SUD Treatment in North Carolina- Hilary Beeler, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS, Women's Services Team Lead, Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Section, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, NC Department of Health and Human Services
- 9:15 AM - 10:30 AM Part Two: NC DHHS Circle of Security Parenting Project- Evette Horton, Ph.D., LCMHCS, RPT-S, IMH-E®, Associate Professor/UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Director of Child Services / UNC Horizons, Adjunct Faculty Member / Department of Psychiatry
- 10:45 AM - 12:45PM Supervision that Sparks: Empowering Women in Recovery and the Professionals Who Support Them- Kendra Davis, D.Min., MRC, M.Div., MAC, LCAS, CSOTS, CCJP, CCS, IAADC
- 10:45 AM - 12:45PM A Curated Collection: Effective Group Exercises for Women in Recovery- Geri Miller, PhD, LP, LCAS, CCS
There are a limited number of scholarships available through MAHEC. The deadline is 8 AM on April 6, 2026 by 5:00 PM. Please Click Here to Apply.
For those unable to attend in person, we will be broadcasting live on Thursday, May 7th, throughout the day – simply choose the Live Webinar option on that date at registration.
The 2026 Women's Recovery Conference offers up to 16 credit hours. * Please note that sessions will not be recorded, and live attendance at the webinar is required to obtain credit.
Click here for detailed information about NCASPPB credit.
Accommodations
- Double Tree by Hilton – Asheville-Biltmore
Tuesday, May 5th – Friday, May 8th, 2026
10 Rooms - $139 per night
Book online Here - Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton
Tuesday, May 5th – Friday, May 8th, 2026
10 Rooms - $146 per night
Book online Here
And
By registering for this event, you are granting permission for your information to be shared with Vaya and the Governor's Institute.
For more information, please contact Barbara Warren and barbara.warren@mahec.net.
