2012 ACT Conference Brochure Online - Assertive Community ...

10
General Session Commences
Wednesday Afternoon • May 16, 2012
1:00 - 1:10 PM Opening Remarks and Welcome to the Conference
Speaker: Steve Harrington, MPA, JD, President, ACT Association, Post-doctoral Fellow, Boston University’s
Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Revere, Massachusetts
1:10 - 1:20 PM Introduction of Antonio Lambert
Speaker: Steve Harrington, MPA, JD, President, ACT Association, Post-doctoral Fellow, Boston University’s
Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Revere, Massachusetts
1:20 - 2:30 PM Opening Plenary
ACT Means Action!
Antonio Lambert
The ACT Association is pleased to welcome Antonio Lambert as the opening
speaker at this year’s 28 th Annual ACT Conference. In the 2012 ACT Conference
Opening Plenary, Antonio will deliver a high energy speech about his life and mental
health experience. Trouble for Antonio began as a child. Sexual and emotional
abuse and neglect led to a life on the streets where he joined a gang and abused
drugs. He learned how to survive in an urban jungle but those survival skills led
to bullet wounds and prison. At age 17, Antonio Lambert had been shot nine times
and was sentenced to 22 years in prison. After 16 years of incarceration, Antonio
emerged severely depressed, confused and uncertain. There was one thing he was
sure about—he had to change his life or he would end up dead or spend the rest of
his life behind bars. With the help of a mentor, Antonio found hope and a new direction for his life. He began
work as an ACT peer specialist in 2001 and became a respected trainer for mental health professionals for a
large mental health service organization. Antonio learned he could turn adversity into opportunities and set about
building a life full of meaning not only for himself but others he saw in a similar circumstances.
Antonio has worked as a consultant to help create ACT teams in North Carolina. He has presented moving keynote
addresses at national mental health conferences throughout the United States. Antonio’s workshops and courses
are not your average fare. He brings courage to be creative in ways that engage and motivate participants who
leave with new ideas, inspiration and meaning. As a result of his remarkable journey and contributions to mental
health and substance abuse services, Antonio was the subject of a feature story in the New York Times. He has
also been featured in other news, mental health and popular publications. Currently, Antonio is the training
manager for Recover Resources. He assesses the needs as expressed by those seeking training and forms teams of
facilitators to bring a special brand of training—one that is long remembered and meaningful. He is also an ACT
Association Board Member.
2:30 - 3:00 PM Beverage Break
Promoting Quality Assertive Community Treatment Services & Integrated Systems-of-Care Models ACT Conference 2012