Conference Session Details

Despite our deep desire to feel a sense of belonging, many of us feel isolated. The rise of technology and modern workplace practices have led people to be even more disconnected, even as we remain constantly contactable. And as our human interactions have decreased, so too have our happiness levels. This is sparking a crisis in mental health that will have repercussions for years, leaving people lonelier and organizations less productive and profitable, too. In this session, discover just how important thriving communities are to our well-being and the success of organizations and learn what steps you can take to create them.

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Christine Porath, Ph.D., is a Visiting Faculty at Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on how to help people and communities thrive. She is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review and has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. Dr. Porath is the best-selling author of Mastering Civility and co-author of The Cost of Bad Behavior. Her new book, Mastering Community explores building community in the modern workplace where the digital revolution has increased our ability to connect but left us more isolated than ever before.

This panel discussion will feature leaders from small and large employers who have addressed employee mental health at their organization or within the communities they serve. Through an interactive conversation, our panelists will highlight best practices and cover topics including how to create supportive work environments and what an effective wellbeing strategy should include, providing attendees with actionable strategies to foster a workplace culture that values employee mental health.

Image	Sean Egan, J.D., is the deputy director of Labor at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Sean has served the state of Michigan with a variety of experiences across all areas of the state’s economy. After serving in the Navy, Sean began his career as an electrician and went on to earn his Juris Doctor. Before taking his role at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Sean served as general counsel to IBEW Local 876.
Image	Darcy Gruttadaro, J.D., serves as the chief innovation officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In this leadership role, she works with her team to advance NAMI’s strategic goals designed to address the mental health needs of youth and young adults, expand NAMI’s workplace mental health initiatives, and foster cross-cultural innovation and engagement across diverse communities. Before joining NAMI, Darcy served as the director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF), Center for Workplace Mental Health and was awarded a 2020 APA Leadership Award in recognition of her achievements and stature as a nationally recognized leader on workplace mental health and related issues.
Image	Holly Miller serves as the president and C.E.O. for United Way of Midland County. She is a collaborative community leader driven to improve lives by bringing people together. She is an active participant in numerous collaborative community groups. Additionally, she serves on the United Way Worldwide Network Decision-Making Council, the Michigan Association of United Way’s board of directors and is leading the statewide ALICE project work.

 Moderated by

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Sinziana Luchian, M.B.A., serves as director, Health Care Initiatives for the Detroit Regional Chamber. In this role, she directs strategies to encourage healthier workplaces and communities through various initiatives and partnerships. Sinziana works closely with healthcare experts and business leaders to align efforts around community health and employee well-being. Prior to joining the Chamber, Sinziana led community engagement efforts in the nonprofit sector, advocating for mental health, disability inclusion, and underserved children and families.

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Sagar V. Parikh, M.D., FRCPC is the John F. Greden Professor of Depression and Clinical Neuroscience at and professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan.  He is the medical director of the National Network of Depression Centers (USA) and education chair of the Canadian Network of Mood and Anxiety Treatments. An award-winning researcher, Dr. Parikh has contributed to many innovative approaches to the prevention and treatment of depression and bipolar disorders.

Delve into the principles of accommodations for mental health while gaining insights from the unique perspective of Peckham Inc., and uncover practical suggestions to foster a deeply inclusive environment where personal growth and success are within reach for all.

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Emily McElmurry, CRC, LPC, has spent over 10 years working in the field of Vocational Rehabilitation in public, private and non-profit sectors. She currently serves as the Director of Vocational Services at Peckham where she leads a team of vocational rehabilitation professionals working with youth and adults with disabilities. Emily has a passion for helping others reach their full potential and has dedicated her career to helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment.

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Kat Thompson is an HR Professional that offers one-on-one coaching to Peckham’s front-line supervisors. She assists leaders in goal-setting activities with a focus on development in areas such as effective communication, approachability and empathy, confidence and agility, and growth mindset

Supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) and mental health at work is about making sure every employee has the support they need to thrive. Core principles of DEIB challenge us to consider how intersecting identities and cultural backgrounds influence how people navigate the world, including how they show up to work一all of these are very much related to mental health. This session will highlight opportunities for organizations to consider the role of DEIB in workplace mental health. 

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Cierra Gillison, M.A., joined Lyra in October 2020 as the director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Lyra Health.  In this role, Cierra partners with internal and external stakeholders to align all facets of Lyra's business on a central diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging mission and vision.  Before joining Lyra, Cierra served as an Assistant Director for Student Life at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business where she championed student identity group engagement.

Cultivating a productive, healthy workforce requires business leaders to go beyond the traditional employment contract. Join this session to learn what it means to leave workers “Net Better Off” by supporting them across a variety of innate human needs, and hear how leading companies are creating bottom-line impact through healthier employees.

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Gabby Burlacu, Ph.D., is a Talent Research Manager at Accenture, leading global research focused on effective organizational and talent management practices for a changing world of work. Prior to joining Accenture, she was a Principal Researcher at SAP, focused on exploring and defining how companies can use technology to address broad workforce challenges such as addressing systemic bias and driving continuous feedback cultures. She has also published a variety of peer-reviewed studies, articles, and book chapters on critical topics facing HR.

Learn the science behind how the brain plays a role in resilience including naming your emotions, optimism, the concept of Niksen, and learning how to respond not react. This session will also cover how you can apply these principles to develop resilient teams and build a culture of resilience at your organization.

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Cindy Bjorkquist, M.S., is the director of Well-being for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM). With over 40 years of experience in various roles in the health and well-being industry, Cindy has worked directly in health care for the past 24 years.  She has a passion for helping people engage and improve their overall well-being, a critical part of her role at BCBSM.