As the largest conference in mental health and substance use care, attending NatCon can be a valuable investment in your professional growth and your organization’s goals.

From April 12-14, 2027, in New Orleans, you can connect with more than 5,000 health care leaders, put new ideas to work and help shape the future of behavioral health.

But before you can plan your schedule, connect with peers and bring home new ideas, you may need to secure your supervisor’s approval. A strong request does more than explain why you want to attend. It shows how the experience can benefit your team, support organizational priorities and deliver value long after the conference ends.

NatCon brings together thousands of professionals from across the field — including clinicians, executives, peer specialists, policy advocates, researchers, program managers and community partners — and with top-tier learning opportunities, NatCon is worth the investment.

Why NatCon Is Worth the Investment

NatCon is designed to turn learning into action. Its mix of mainstage keynotes, expert-led breakouts, panel discussions and small-group conversations allows attendees to choose experiences that match their roles, priorities and preferred learning styles. The curriculum spans emerging trends and evidence-informed strategies, helping attendees understand what is changing across behavioral health care and what those changes could mean for their organizations.

The value also extends beyond the formal program. NatCon creates opportunities to compare approaches with peers, learn how other organizations are responding to shared challenges and build relationships that can lead to future collaboration. Attendees can also connect with speakers, solution providers and leaders from across the field, creating a broader network they can draw on after the conference. With more than 150 continuing education credits to choose from, the experience can support professional credentials while strengthening the knowledge and perspective employees bring back to their teams.

Aligning With Organizational Priorities

Before making your case, identify the challenges and goals that matter most to your supervisor. Consider current projects, strategic priorities, staff development needs or emerging issues your organization is working to address. Then connect your NatCon attendance directly to those needs. Instead of focusing only on what you hope to learn, explain how the conference can help you return with relevant strategies, practical resources and new perspectives your team can use.

Demonstrating Return on Investment

Your supervisor is more likely to approve the request when the organizational value is specific. Build your case around outcomes such as:

• Learning approaches that can strengthen current programs, services or operations.
• Finding practical tools and resources that may save staff time or improve how work gets done.
• Connecting with peers who are addressing similar challenges and can share tested ideas.
• Bringing back insights on emerging trends, policies and practices that could affect your organization.
• Identifying potential partners, speakers, vendors or collaborators.
• Supporting your professional development, engagement and ability to contribute at a higher level.

Whenever possible, tie each outcome to a real need. For example, if your team is revising a program, explain that you will prioritize sessions relevant to that work and return with recommendations the team can evaluate.

Budgeting for NatCon

Do not leave your supervisor to estimate the full cost. Prepare a simple budget that includes registration, transportation, lodging, meals and any other anticipated expenses. NatCon offers both Early and Advance registration rates — so the earlier you register, the better the savings.

You can also demonstrate flexibility by identifying ways to manage costs, such as booking travel early, staying within your organization’s approved lodging rate or using public transportation. A clear, realistic budget shows your boss that you have considered both the opportunity and the expense.

Sharing Conference Learnings

Your request becomes stronger when the benefits extend beyond one attendee. Offer a practical plan for sharing knowledge after NatCon. You might:

• Lead a short team debrief on the most relevant takeaways.
• Create a summary of key ideas, resources and recommended next steps.
• Share session notes or useful materials with colleagues.
• Apply one promising strategy to an existing project and report on the results.
• Introduce new contacts to team members when a connection could support organizational goals.

Set expectations before you attend. Naming the format and timing of your follow-up shows that you are treating the conference as an organizational investment rather than a stand-alone experience.

Email Template for Supervisor Request

You don’t have to build your request from scratch! Use this customizable email template to start the conversation with your supervisor and present a clear, professional case for attending NatCon.

Before you send, make sure to personalize the message with:

• The sessions or learning areas most relevant to your role
• The organizational priorities your attendance could support
• An estimated budget and a brief plan for sharing what you learn with colleagues

The more specific you are about the expected benefits, the easier it will be for your supervisor to understand the potential return on the investment.

Invest in Learning That Comes Back to Work

Professional development is most valuable when new knowledge becomes action. NatCon offers a concentrated opportunity to learn from leading voices, discover practical approaches, earn continuing education credits and build relationships across the behavioral health community. By connecting those opportunities to clear organizational priorities, presenting a responsible budget and outlining how you will share and apply what you learn, you can give your supervisor the information needed to make a confident decision — and show that the benefits will continue well beyond the conference.

NatCon is coming to New Orleans, April 12-14! Registration opens Oct. 19, so start your request now so your organization has time to review the opportunity, plan for expenses and take advantage of early registration prices.