Preconference Events

This year at NatCon, we’re offering more content than ever — starting with our preconference events. We’ve heard your feedback: You want programming that dives deeper into the challenges you face and delivers practical, real-world solutions. Make the most of your NatCon experience by adding a preconference event to your registration!

Multi-day Special Event

Middle Management Academy (MMA)

Wednesday, April 22 through Saturday, April 25
Members and Nonmembers: $2,600

Middle Management Academy (MMA) is the only program of its kind to develop future health care leaders into strong links in the management chain. They learn the skills to engage staff, improve performance and fulfill their role as influential front-line leaders. MMA blends best-in-class management and supervision tools with experiential learning customized for behavioral health and health care managers and leaders. Participants explore real-world questions that spark insight into their own management strengths and help resolve thorny supervision challenges. The curriculum emphasizes learning and applying skills related to employee engagement, staff supervision, change management, healthy conflict, teamwork and trust. Registration includes admission to the 3.5-day training, an MMA Workbook, a personalized Myers-Briggs Type Indicator report and breakfast each day.  To learn more, contact Kim Murray.

National Council Medical Director Leadership Program

Saturday, April 25 I 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT (followed by a six-month virtual session series)
Members and Nonmembers: $2,500

The National Council Medical Director Leadership Program is designed for physicians and advanced practice professionals serving as medical directors in community-based organizations or health systems delivering mental health services. This comprehensive program strengthens participants’ effectiveness as medical leaders by equipping them with advanced strategies for team management, decision-making and communication in complex health care environments. Participants also gain in-depth insight into Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) and public-sector community models of care, supporting best practices and innovative leadership approaches. The program includes an in-person preconference session at NatCon followed by a six-month series of interactive virtual sessions. Together, these experiences help leaders navigate clinical complexity with confidence while building a strong professional network for collaboration and peer support.

Learning Objectives

• Develop advanced strategies to enhance effectiveness in medical leadership, including team management, decision-making and communication.
• Deepen their understanding of CCBHCs and public-sector community models of care to inform best practices and innovation.
• Strengthen leadership skills to navigate complexity and uncertainty in clinical settings while driving positive outcomes.
• Build meaningful connections with fellow medical leaders to foster peer learning, shared problem-solving and ongoing professional support.

Target Audience

• Physicians and advanced practice professionals serving as medical directors in community-based organizations or health systems delivering mental health services.

Program Commitment

• Attend the in-person preconference session at NatCon.
• Participate in a six-month series of 90-minute virtual sessions following the preconference.

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Full-day Preconference Events

2026 CCBHC Forum

Sunday, April 26 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT
Members and Government Officials: $425 | Nonmembers: $475

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are a proven model for delivering care to people with substance use and mental health challenges. But implementing the model can be complex. Many different stakeholder groups (e.g., providers, advocates, consultants, associations, state officials) must work together to create a framework that aligns with the federal criteria while meeting state and community needs. 

Want to learn more? Join our second annual CCBHC Forum! This is the only meeting in the country that brings all key stakeholders into one space to share innovations and collaborate for success. Hear from leading national experts in CCBHC research, implementation and policy as they explore local, state and national efforts and share their vision for the future of mental health and substance use treatment through the CCBHC model.

Value-based Payment Contracting

Sunday, April 26 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT 
Members: $425 | Nonmembers: $475

Value-based payment (VBP) mechanisms have expanded across a wide range of health care settings over the past 15 years. This session on VBP contracting is structured in three parts:

1. Establishing a baseline of VBP theory and mechanisms to build a shared foundation for innovation and problem-solving.
2. Clarifying the different value propositions for community mental health providers.
3. Synthesizing recommendations for how these providers can participate in VBPs, including roadmaps for developing value-based care capabilities and economic engines over time.

The session will be chaired by Dr. Patrick Runnels. He brings six years of experience as chief medical officer of population health for an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) with 600,000 attributed members across Medicaid, Medicare and commercial contracts. His organization achieved the second-highest Medicare ACO performance nationwide last year. Dr. Runnels also has 10 years of leadership experience as medical director at a large community mental health center in Cleveland.

Register now to take the next step in your VBP journey!

Leading From a Secure Base: Building Resilient Organizations in Times of Uncertainty

Sunday, April 26 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT  
Members: $425 | Nonmembers: $475 | Exclusive to CEOs 

In today’s polarized climate, nonprofit behavioral health leaders must navigate unprecedented pressures and constraints. They face political pushback, workforce fatigue and shifting expectations. Research shows that the most effective leaders engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection. They recognize that the changing environment requires new skills and approaches. Even the most seasoned leaders can learn from emerging frameworks and from one another when there is dedicated time and space for both.

This interactive session will draw on attachment-based and trauma-informed leadership frameworks to explore how executives can serve as “secure bases” for their teams, cultivating trust and moral resilience while sustaining their missions. Participants will reflect on their own leadership stance, examine the factors shaping organizational climate, explore the array of constraints that influence their current reality, and identify strategies to align values with operations.

Through discussion, reflection and peer exchange, attendees will take away practical tools to strengthen availability, sensitivity, acceptance, cooperation and belonging within their teams. They’ll also gain a host of strategies to navigate turbulent times and sustain clarity and courage in the face of resistance.

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Morning Half-day Preconference Events

More Than a Model: Practical Strategies for Collaborative Care Implementation

Sunday, April 26 | 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. MT
Members: $250 | Nonmembers: $275

More than 100 randomized controlled trials have shown that the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is effective for managing depression and other mental health conditions in primary and specialty medical settings. In this session, you’ll learn key considerations, steps and program requirements for implementing CoCM. It will help you ensure financial sustainability while maintaining fidelity to the model. The presenters will share an implementation checklist, registry decision tree, billing summary and other tools to assess readiness and guide implementation within your own health system.

The training will also explore how CoCM has expanded to address a broader range of conditions. The presenters will share best practices for adoption and sustainability. They’ll use real-world examples from their work with hundreds of organizations and tailor the discussions to your interests.

988 Network Preconference

Sunday, April 26 I 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. MT
Limited capacity. By invitation only.

Vibrant Emotional Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are hosting a half-day gathering focused on peer learning, regional coordination, best practice sharing and networking for 988 Lifeline stakeholders. This free convening is open to NatCon registrants from 988 Lifeline crisis centers, State Mental Health Agencies and SAMHSA Tribal grantees. Attendance is limited to two representatives per organization, and the event will be capped at the first 200 registrants.

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Afternoon Half-day Preconference Events

Crisis Response Services Convening

Sunday, April 26 | 1-5 p.m. MT
Members: $250 | Nonmembers: $275

We are in a historic era for crisis services. In the three years since the launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, we’ve seen unprecedented funding and support for the entire crisis system. This encompasses call centers, mobile crisis teams and crisis stabilization services. Today, states and communities are actively enhancing and coordinating their crisis systems in innovative ways to better serve people.

To support this crucial work, we will hold a Crisis Response Services Convening during this year’s NatCon. Previous NatCon attendees have expressed a desire for more networking opportunities and chances to focus on their particular situations. With that in mind, we’ve expanded networking spaces to foster connections and collaboratively address shared challenges. We are also excited to offer attendees the opportunity to join the CCBHC Forum and Crisis Response Reception in the evening.

SAMHSA CCBHC-Expansion Grantees Preconference Convening

Sunday, April 26 | 1-5 p.m. MT
Members: Free | Nonmembers: Free | Exclusive to CCBHC-E Grantees

We invite current CCBHC-Expansion (CCBHC-E) grantees to join us for an in-person convening hosted by the CCBHC-E National Training and Technical Assistance Center. Attendance is free, and registration for NatCon is not required. This workshop will highlight best practices for CCBHC implementation and offer valuable opportunities for peer-to-peer engagement with staff from fellow CCBHCs. Attendees will learn from other grantees and forge connections to enhance CCBHC innovations and sustainability.

This convening is exclusively for current CCBHC-E grantees, including PDI and IA grantees. Each CCBHC may send up to two staff members. If additional members from your organization wish to attend, you can add their names to the waitlist. To complete your registration, please enter the registration code from your email invitation. If you have any questions regarding the SAMHSA CCBHC-E Preconference Convening, please contact us.