CARE4YOU

What can we learn if we approach each moment with an open mind? This is easier said than done, particularly in a world in which powering through, shutting down, and shutting out is encouraged, and often rewarded. But if we can find moments to pause and ask questions, we can make subtle shifts that, over time, can bring more joy and connection into our work.

In this session, Françoise Mathieu will share her lessons learned from working alongside helping professionals from across the world. Through a combination of store-telling and research, she will share strategies and everyday practices that foster curiosity, sustain compassion, and protect our emotional well-being in trauma-exposed work.

Addiction is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized health conditions of our time, and that stigma can have painful consequences. It can shape how we think, how we speak, and, ultimately, how we support those struggling with addiction.

In this session, psychiatrist, addiction medicine specialist, and author Dr. Nzinga Harrison invites us to challenge what we think we know about addiction. Drawing on her clinical expertise and insights from her book Un-Addiction: 6 Mind-Changing Conversations That Could Save a Life, Dr. Harrison will explore how fear and judgment can get in the way of connection and care – and what becomes possible when we replace them with curiosity and compassion.

This is a conversation for anyone who is interested in learning more about addiction from both a personal and professional perspective.

Many organizations recognize the need for peer support following difficult events, yet struggle to move beyond isolated initiatives. Communities of practice offer a powerful model for building shared learning, strengthening peer support skills, and sustaining engagement across teams.

This presentation shares lessons learned from developing a Mutual Support Community of Practice within a large healthcare system. Participants will learn how communities of practice can connect peer supporters, normalize conversations about stress and trauma exposure, and create structures for ongoing skill development.

The session will provide practical guidance on launching a community of practice, maintaining participation, and translating shared learning into everyday support practices within teams.

Participants will learn how communities of practice strengthen peer support initiatives, strategies for building engagement among helping professionals, and practical tools that can be implemented immediately within teams

As systemic pressures continue to grow, many helping professionals are struggling to stay connected to their values. Systemic constraints, resource shortages, and increasing complexity have left many of us questioning whether our efforts are truly making a difference. Over time, this cumulative strain can quietly erode our sense of purpose and meaning.

One way we can respond to this erosion is by strengthening our capacity for thoughtful, values-aligned advocacy. This is not just about large-scale reform; it is about the small, daily actions we can take to stand up for what we believe in. Through rarely comfortable, advocacy can serve as a protective factor against the challenges of complex, trauma-exposed work.

In this session, Dr. Jillian Horton explores how advocacy can serve as a pathway back to purpose. She will share small, strategic actions you can take to reclaim your voice and reconnect to the meaning that brought you to this work.

In this closing address, Françoise explores small, everyday practices for bringing curiosity into both our professional and personal lives.