• Event Info
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Collaboration in Action: A Youth-Based Mental Health Conference

About this event


Thursday March 5 - Friday March 6, 2026

School of Visual Arts, 132 W 21 Street, New York, NY

Counseling In Schools (CIS) is proud to present the return of our dynamic school-based mental health conference. Over two days, a diverse roster of presenters will illuminate the vital mental health and social-emotional work happening in NYC schools. Now more than ever it is imperative that we come together, share space, share perspectives, and share hope, through collaborative interventions that support and uplift the strengths of young people and their families.

WHY ATTEND

- Gain actionable strategies designed to equip real clinicians and youth providers in real practice.

- Learn from clinicians and educators working in a range of therapeutic and pedagogical disciplines.

- Be in community with like-minded professionals serving young people in the New York Metropolitan area.

- Each session is designed to engage attendees in active participation and discussion, and have you leave with strategies and interventions you can immediately apply in your work.

- Up to 13 CEUs for LMSW, LCSW, LCAT, and LMHC.

FEATURED KEYNOTE

We are thrilled to host Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, REAT, a leading international expert, writer, educator in the fields of art therapy, expressive arts therapy, trauma and arts in healthcare. She will be kicking off the conference with a keynote speech, and will also present an experiential workshop.

AUDIENCE

This conference is meant for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Creative Arts Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, MFT's, as well as educators and youth developers - who want to not only gain information, but also get out from behind the screen and integrate their learning in community with others.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the field, this event will offer practical tools, fresh insights, and meaningful connections to enhance your impact.  

OTHER INFORMATION

- Coffee, snacks, and lunch will be served.  

- Special group rates of 20% ticket price for 5-9 ppl, and 30% off for groups of 10 or more.

- Up to 13 CEUs for NYS LMSW, LCSW, LCAT and LMHCs.


Please note: Attendees will be able to register for individual sessions from the attendee dashboard, which will be made available after registration is complete.







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  • Kelly Arriaga, MA, LMHC
    Kelly Arriaga is a Community School Director and Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Counseling In Schools, where she oversees school-based mental health and expanded learning programs. With over 9 years of experience in mental health, Kelly is dedicated to bridging cultural and systemic gaps in mental health services. She specializes in child welfare, community mental health, and program management, with a focus on equity and accessibility for underserved communities.
    Sessions
    • 0602 : Anti‑Oppressive Practice in Schools: Tools for Reflection, Action, and Systemic Change
  • Rob Marchesani, MSSC, LP
    Rob Marchesani was a counselor in various schools throughout New York City for 16 years for Counseling In Schools. He now has a private practice as a psychotherapist. He has more than 30 years of experience working in the mental health field, including previous roles as co-editor of The Psychotherapy Patient Journal and Book series exploring issues of anxiety and awe, inner conflicts, stage fright and performance anxiety and other challenges that face us. He was also dean and executive director of the Westchester Institute for Training in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. He received his graduate degree from the New School in 1998 focusing his thesis on psychoanalysis and film in Hollywood to help understand our dreams, desires and our society. Rob has devoted most of his career working with and understanding adolescents and their parental, sibling and peer relationships as well as the importance of their self esteem and growth.
    Sessions
    • 0505 : Advisory: Empowering High School Students Through Growth, Community Building, and Mental Health Support
    • 0605 : Advisory: Empowering High School Students Through Growth, Community Building, and Mental Health Support
  • Anamarija Vuic, LCAT-P (MA, MPsych)
    Sessions
    • 0506 : Projective Techniques in Adolescent Assessment: Drama Therapy in Schools
  • Drina Edwards, MS. Ed.
    With a Master's in Education from Lehman College, Drina facilitates transformative experiences for her students and community. She extends her dedication to education as an Undergraduate Professor at Monroe University, specializing in Public and Human Health Services. Her decade-long experience as a CPR instructor highlights her commitment to equipping individuals with life-saving skills. Drina's career journey reflects a deep commitment to supporting diverse populations, including survivors of domestic violence, foster care youth, migrant families, and unaccompanied minors, advocating for their rights and providing vital support.
    Sessions
    • 0602 : Anti‑Oppressive Practice in Schools: Tools for Reflection, Action, and Systemic Change
  • Maria Militano, MA, LCSW
    Maria Militano, MA, LCSW is a licensed, bilingual school social worker at MECA High School with extensive experience in school-based mental health, crisis intervention, and prevention programming. She leads the school’s peer counseling program and facilitates student-led initiatives including Bring Change to Mind and SafeBAE, a program dedicated to preventing dating violence and promoting healthy relationships. Maria collaborates closely with multidisciplinary school teams to provide individual and group counseling, suicide risk assessment, and behavioral supports. She is a recipient of New York University’s Social Justice Award and Global Social Work Award, recognizing her equity-centered practice and international capacity-building work in Ghana. She is passionate about advancing student-centered, youth-led movements that empower young people to shape mental health and wellness in schools.
    Sessions
    • 0508 : Every Conversation Counts: Amplifying Teen Voices
  • Margaret Burton, BS in Psychology
    Sessions
    • 0508 : Every Conversation Counts: Amplifying Teen Voices
  • David Kener, BA, MA (forthcoming)
    David Kener is the Executive Director of the Non-Violence Project USA, an international educational initiative that promotes conflict transformation, emotional literacy, and social change through creative and community-based programs. Under his leadership, the organization has partnered with the WNBA, Columbia University, and the New York City Department of Education to bring nonviolence education to schools nationwide. A longtime producer and educator, Kener’s work centers on storytelling, empathy, and youth empowerment as tools for personal and cultural transformation.
    Sessions
    • 0609 : Teaching Peace in a Time of Turbulence: The Practice of Nonviolence in Schools
  • Javonia Smith, LMSW
    Javonia Smith is a licensed social worker, experience curator, and the co-founder of ReForum Consulting, an M/WBE-certified firm that centers wellness, equity, and collaboration in school and community spaces. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the mental health, education, and community wellness fields, including previous roles in school-based mental health, youth development, crisis response, and community program leadership. A proud alumna of Hunter College School of Social Work and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Javonia weaves together theory and practice with deep intention. Javonia specializes in culturally responsive, strengths-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and designing trauma-informed systems. Whether she’s curating space for school leadership teams or community wellness initiatives, her facilitation invites participants to reflect, reconnect, and reimagine what’s possible when we move from silos to synergy.
    Sessions
    • 0608 : From Silos to Synergy: Centering Cultural Humility and Identity Mapping in Collaborative School Mental Health Practice
  • Eloise True, LCSW
    Eloise True is a white, nonbinary clinician with over 10 years of clinical experience, and has worked as a counselor and Professional Development facilitator for CIS since 2016. Eloise completed the four year Clinical Externship at Ackerman Institute for the Family and has continued to pursue education in models such as IFS and Polyvagal Theory which have equipped them to bring a multi-modal approach to the supervisory and facilitation style. Their approach is systemically minded, collaborative, and transparent. In clinical practice, Eloise has extensive experience working with queer and poly couples, K-12 gender-expansive youth and their families, and individuals living in some way outside of cis-het-mono-normative paradigm.
    Sessions
    • 0606 : Working with Families of Queer and Trans Youth: A Clinical Skills Workshop
  • Sara Kliger, LCAT, RDT
    Sessions
    • 0604 : Stepping Into a New Role: A Drama Therapist’s Journey to School Leadership
  • Brogan Ganley, Masters in Art Therapy with Emphasis in Counseling
    Brogan has a Masters in Art Psychotherapy, is an artist and registered yoga teacher with over 25 years of experience in meditation, studying in the UK, Nepal, India, Spain, New Zealand and the US. She has developed and led programming in schools, hospitals, community spaces, corporate and private settings, as well as restorative workshops and retreats. Brogan’s background is supporting people navigating stress, anxiety, burnout, chronic pain, and end-of-life transitions.
    Sessions
    • 0603 : Mindful Renewal for Clinicians: Integrating Slow Practices to Reduce Burnout
  • Alexa Prodromakis, Psy.D
    Dr. Alexa Prodromakis serves as a Professional Development facilitator at Counseling in Schools. Dr. Prodromakis earned her Psy.D. in School-Community Psychology from Hofstra University where she developed her clinical interest in supporting adolescents and young adults with neurodivergent identities and post-traumatic stress. Throughout her graduate training she has worked alongside psychologists in public schools, college counseling centers, Hofstra's specialty emerging adults and autism clinics, and within a neuropsychological private practice. She currently works as a postdoctoral psychology fellow at Iona University Counseling Center where she specializes in working with neurodivergent college students.
    Sessions
    • 0601 : Practicing Neuro-Affirming Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Collaborative, Compassionate, Evidenced-Based Care
  • Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, REAT
    Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPAT, LPCC, REAT is a leading international expert, writer, and educator in the fields of art therapy, expressive arts therapy, trauma and arts in healthcare. She hold a doctorate in psychology, a Licensed Professional Art Therapist, Registered Expressive Arts Therapist, and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and has had over 30 years of experience and education in trauma intervention and disaster relief and integrative approaches to health. Cathy is the founder, director and lead faculty member of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, dedicated to teaching trauma-informed intervention that integrates expressive arts, neurobiology principles, somatic approaches, mindfulness-based strategies, and embodied awareness. In particular, it supports the specific use of expressive arts therapies including art, music, sound, movement, rhythm, synchrony, play , dramatic enactment, humor and mind-body approaches for trauma recovery and wellness in children, adults, families, groups and communities. Cathy is also the President of Art Therapy Without Borders and is one of its founders.
    Sessions
    • 0509 : Expressive Arts Therapy in the Classroom: Evidence-Based and Neuro-Affirming Practices
    • 0600 : Keynote Speaker - Cathy Malchiodi
  • Viola Varner, LMSW, M-CASAC, SIFI
    Viola Varner is a Program Director at Counseling In Schools for the past three years. With over a decade of experience in the mental health field, Viola has worked extensively with underserved and vulnerable populations, bringing a wealth of knowledge and compassion to her role. She holds a Master of Social Work degree specializing in Family Mental Health Services from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Viola’s career has been marked by her dedication to improving access to mental health care, particularly in the areas of substance use treatment and education. She is passionate about spreading positivity and creating a culture of wellness through teaching, public speaking, and staff development. Outside of her professional life, Viola enjoys traveling with her family, writing poetry, and finding moments of rest with a good nap.
    Sessions
    • 0507 : It takes a Village: Complex Family Systems and Student Success
  • Max Durant, RDT, CAT-LP
    Max Durrant (He/Him), RDT, CAT-LP, currently serves as a Drama Therapist at Counseling In Schools since receiving his Masters in Drama Therapy from NYU. He currently works with middle and high school students, supporting growth in advocacy and development of essential skills during times of uncertainty. He is passionate about providing others with the tools to rewrite the script in their own personal lives.
    Sessions
    • 0506 : Projective Techniques in Adolescent Assessment: Drama Therapy in Schools
    • 0607 : Expanding Collaboration with Teachers and Parents: Applying Clinical Supervision Tools
  • Rachel Dahill-Fuchel, PhD
    A native New Yorker, Rachel Dahill-Fuchel is herself the product of 12 years of NYC public schools. She then earned her BA in English and Theatre Arts from Queens College of the City University of New York, followed by her Masters in Performance and Theatre Education from Emerson College in Boston, and then earned her Professional Diploma in the Administration of Urban Education from Fordham University. Rachel began her career in the NYC Department of Education more than 35 years ago, and has taught English Language Arts, Theatre Arts, Spanish, Humanities, Advisory, Conflict Mediation and a variety of classes in schools throughout NYC, Boston, California, and Mexico. Helping support educators and students with using Social Emotional Learning is an area of Rachel’s deep commitment and interest. She brought this vital work to her role as a professional developer with UFT Teacher Centers, where Rachel supported teachers and communities for many years, before being charged with pioneering a new high school. She culminated her career within the New York City Department of Education as the Executive Director of Academic Support for District 79 – where the most marginalized students strive to succeed. Rachel teaches secondary education for the City University of New York and trains hundreds of staff, families, and students around the city through her work at the esteemed not-for-profit, Counseling in Schools. During COVID, Rachel pursued her doctoral degree with the International University of Graduate Studies, which she completed with the successful defense of her manuscript – Gathering the Extraordinary. Having written many published articles and essays for many years, this is Rachel’s first book.
    Sessions
    • 0505 : Advisory: Empowering High School Students Through Growth, Community Building, and Mental Health Support
    • 0605 : Advisory: Empowering High School Students Through Growth, Community Building, and Mental Health Support
  • Amanda Smith, ATR-BC, LCAT
    Amanda is a board-registered certified art therapist and licensed creative arts therapist that has been with Counseling in Schools (CIS) since 2015. She currently serves as a counselor and field instructor at the High School for Youth and Community Development (YCD) in the Erasmus Hall Campus. Amanda is an alumni of the School of Visual Arts' (SVA) MPS art therapy program. She has clinical and supervisory experience supporting folks in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, community centers, supportive housing and shelters as well as private practice. Amanda believes in cultivating space for joy and humor within her work. She is dedicated to honoring others’ strengths, wounds and creativity in the hopes of nurturing radically caring, liberatory experiences for those she connects with.
    Sessions
    • 0504 : Roses in December: Navigating Grief with Adolescents in the School-Based Setting
  • Tabatha Ferrer, MSW, LCSW
    Sessions
    • 0503 : Drama Therapy as a Developmentally Aligned and Equity Centered Intervention for Middle Childhood
  • Veronica Coffie, LCAT, ATR-BC
    Veronica Coffie is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and internship supervisor at a Brooklyn high school through CIS, a role she has held for 4 years. Veronica specializes in supporting young adults and their families from diverse cultural backgrounds, particularly those from Caribbean, Latin American, and Southeast Asian communities. As a Puerto Rican native who grew up in Curaçao, she brings a unique, culturally attuned approach to her work, helping young adults and their families navigate transitions, process emotions, and cultivate a sense of belonging. Her practice integrates creative arts therapy and mindfulness, empowering young adults and their families to align their lives with their values and build emotional resilience. She is passionate about using art as a tool for healing, self-discovery, and community well-being.
    Sessions
    • 0502 : Creating Spaces for Belonging: Art Therapy Groups to Enhance School Engagement
  • Tal Bar-Zemer, MSED
    Sessions
    • 0501 : Advancing Student Engagement: Theater, SEL, and Trauma-Informed Practices in Education

CE Info

Earn up to 13 CE Credits for NYS LCSW, LMSW, LCAT, and LMHC.

March 5: 7 CE credits per full day of the conference, 2 CE credits per individual session. 
*Includes 1 CE for the Keynote Speaker

March 6: 6 CE credits per full day of the conference, 2 CE credits per individual session.

Please note: You must attend "live" (in real-time) for the duration of the training to earn CE credits.


After the event, you will receive access to your evaluation and continuing education certificate via a personalized "attendee dashboard" link, hosted on the CE-Go website. This link will be sent to the email account you used to register for the event.

Upon accessing the CE-Go "attendee dashboard", you will be able to:

  • Complete evaluation forms for the event
  • Download your continuing education certificate in a PDF format

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the CE-Go platform, please contact CE-Go at 888-498-5578 or by email at support@ce-go.com Please Note: Emails for this event will come from "support@ce-go.com".

If you have any continuing education related questions, please contact your event organizer.

Please make sure to check your spam/junk folder in case those emails get "stuck". We'd also suggest "Allowlisting" support@ce-go.com. This tells your email client that you know this sender and trust them, which will keep emails from this contact at the top of your inbox and out of the junk folder.

Target Audience

This conference is meant for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Creative Arts Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, MFT's, as well as educators and youth developers - who want to not only gain information, but also get out from behind the screen and integrate their learning in community with others.
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Collaboration in Action: A Youth-Based Mental Health Conference
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  • Type
    In-Person Event
  • Location
    School of Visual Arts (132 W 21 Street, New York, NY 10011)
  • Date
    March 05 - 06, 2026

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