25th Central Texas African American Family Support Conference
Venue: Palmer Events Center. (900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704.)
Date: Feb. 4-5, 2025
Time: 8 AM - 4 PM
Theme: Empowering Resilience: Celebrating 25 Years of Hope and Healing.
2025 Keynote
Kirk Franklin,
America’s Leading Gospel Singer & Motivator
Conference Schedule
DAY 1: February 4, 2025 Schedule
| Start Time | End Time | Track | Venue | Session Title | Speakers |
| 7:00 AM | 8:30 AM | Arrival | EXH 2 | Registration. Check-in. | |
| 9:00 AM | 9: 45AM | Opening Ceremony | EXH 2 | Opening Ceremony | • |
| 10:00 AM | 11:15 AM | Faith, Spirituality, and Community Resilience | RM 1 | Bridging the Gap: Faith, Mental Health, and Community Well-Being in the Black Church | Jasmine Johnson, Dr. Marja Humphrey |
| 10:00 AM | 11:15 AM | Advocacy and Peer Support | RM 2 | Breaking Barriers: Mental Health Advocacy and Policy Reforms in the African American Community | Abdullah El-Bey |
| 10:00 AM | 11:15 AM | Empowering Families and Caregivers | RM 3 | Strength in Support: Navigating Caregiving for Loved Ones with Complex Mental Health Challenges | Bianca Jones |
| 10:00 AM | 11:15 AM | Holistic Healing and Wellness Strategies | RM 4 | Release Stress, Refresh, and Reconnect with Sound Healing | Denise Alamo |
| 10:00 AM | 11:15 AM | Navigating Resilience, Grief and Healing | RM 5 | Transformative Grief Healing for Families of Color Affected by Homicide: Integrating Nature, Therapy, and Kinship | Dr. Deserah Telles, Jill Henderson |
| 10:00 AM | 11:15 AM | Holistic Healing and Wellness Strategies | EXH 2 | Brotherhood Bonds: The Black Male Experience and Mental Health | George Love |
| 11:30 AM | 12:00 PM | Lunch | EXH 2 | Lunch | Lunch Award Ceremony |
| 12:00 PM | 12:40 PM | Entertainment | EXH 2 |
Live Band: The Peterson Brothers Award Ceremony |
The Peterson Brothers |
| 12:45 PM | 1:45 PM | Keynote | EXH 2 | Mental Health in the Black Community | Dr. King Davis, Minister Sonya Hosey |
| 2:00 PM | 3:15 PM | Faith, Spirituality, and Community Resilience | RM 1 | Mind, Body, and Spirit: Faith-Based Initiatives That Help Reduce Mental Health Stigma in African American Communities | Angela Bigham, Sabrina Woods-Taylor, Tiffany Ewere |
| 2:00 PM | 3:15 PM | Advocacy and Peer Support | RM 2 | Ignite Change with Peer Support | Miracle Akortha |
| 2:00 PM | 3:15 PM | Empowering Families and Caregivers | RM 3 | Addressing Racial Trauma: A Family-Centered Approach through Racial Socialization | Dr. Warren Wright |
| 2:00 PM | 3:15 PM | Empowering Families and Caregivers | RM 4 | Ignite and Thrive: A Framework for Building Mental Resiliency | Robert Britton III |
| 2:00 PM | 3:15 PM | Navigating Resilience, Grief and Healing | RM 5 | From the Voices of Black Dementia Family Caregivers: The Need for Culturally Responsive Education on Navigating Care | Fayron Epps |
| 2:00 PM | 3:15 PM | Advocacy and Peer Support | EXH 2 | Sisterhood Sanctuary: Protecting Our Peace | Berlina Washington, Keocha Lafleur-Anders, Candyce Hunt |
DAY 2: February 5, 2025 Schedule
| 7:00 AM | 8:15 AM | Arrival | EXH 2 | Registration. Check-in. | Registration. Check-in. |
| 8:20 AM | 8: 45AM | Welcome | EXH 2 | Morning Gathering | Guest Speaker |
| 9:00 AM | 10:15 AM | Faith, Spirituality, and Community Resilience | RM 1 | Not Like Us: How Displacement from Culture and Community Impacts Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery | Elaine Burgess, Jasmine Weiss, Channnelle Mahome, Derrick Forbes |
| 9:00 AM | 10:15 AM | Advocacy and Peer Support in Mental Health | RM 2 | Leveraging Lived Experience: How Peers are Helping to Stop Gun Violence | Sean Oliver |
| 9:00 AM | 10:15 AM | Empowering Families and Caregivers | RM 3 | Caregiver Burnout: Building Resiliency Through Self-Care | Nyisha Causey |
| 9:00 AM | 10:15 AM | Navigating Resilience, Grief and Healing | RM 4 | Building Confidence & Reducing Aggressive Behaviors in Special Minority Youth | Asha M. Creary, Robert Lynch III |
| 9:00 AM | 10:15 AM | Holistic Healing and Wellness Strategies | RM 4 | Self-Care or Self-Tending Strategies: Practical Tools for Daily Living | Kevin Overton-Hadnot, Marcus Folkes |
| 9:00 AM | 10:15 AM | Holistic Healing and Wellness Strategies | EXH 2 | Crush, Kill, Destroy --> Stress! | Dr. Jarret Patton |
| 10:30 AM | 11:45 AM | Advocacy and Peer Support | RM 1 | Empowering Minds for a Brighter Future | Mary Moran, Deborah Jones Pool, Rochion Gregg |
| 10:30 AM | 11:45 AM | Empowering Families and Caregivers | RM 2 | Empowering Parents and Caregivers: Cultivating Mental Resilience in Adolescents and Teens to Thrive Through Challenges | Elizabeth Jennings |
| 10:30 AM | 11:45 AM | Empowering Families and Caregivers | RM 3 | Thriving, Not Surviving: Intentional Strategies for Creating Work-Life Balance | Dynetta Clark |
| 10:30 AM | 11:45 AM | Holistic Healing and Wellness Strategies | RM 4 | Embracing Wellness: A Look at Holistic Healing Opportunities for the Black Community | Latosha (Kessell) Thomas |
| 10:30 AM | 11:45 AM | Navigating Resilience, Grief, and Healing | RM 5 | Empowering Resilience Across Generations: Community-Based Mental Health Strategies in Rural Central Texas | Grace Georges, Mary Moody, Norma Mercado |
| 10:30 AM | 11:45 AM | Advocacy and Peer Support | EXH 2 | Promoting Mental Health and Well-being for Veterans | Ulysses Moore, Andrew Miller |
| 11:45 | 12:15 PM | Lunch | EXH 2 | Lunch | Lunch |
| 12:15 | 12:30 PM | Entertainment | EXH 2 | Live Band | Live Band |
| 12:45 PM | 1:45 PM | Keynote | EXH 2 | Kirk Franklin | Kirk Franklin |
Our 2025 Sponsors
Conference Underwriter
Signature Sponsor
($50,000)
Sustainability Sponsor
($7,500)
Wellness Sponsor
($5,000)
Community Impact Sponsor
($3,000)
Community Partner Sponsor
($1,500)
Conference Supporter
($25,000)
Our 2024 Exhibitors
