CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

apply to be a presenter at the 2026 zarrow mental health symposium

RE:CONNECT - RECOVERY, RESILIENCE, & REBUILDING COMMUNITY

october 1-2, 2026 - arvest convention center, tulsa

In October, 2019, Mental Health Association Oklahoma hosted the 25th annual Zarrow Mental Health Symposium, Resilience, Recovery, Rethink Mental Health. Just five months later, the world shut down for the Covid-19 pandemic. Our team could never have imagined the difficulty, isolation, and necessary resilience that would follow.  

The Symposium shifted to a virtual format, with service providers, clinicians, and helpers across our community banding together to support those in-need. Likewise, the mental healthcare system advanced to meet the nuanced needs created by evolving culture and enduring uncertainty. 

Now, recognizing the desire for deepened connection, MHAOK is excited to welcome clinicians, community members, nonprofit workers, and impacted individuals back into a shared physical space at the Arvest Convention Center for Re:Connect- Recovery, Resilience, & Rebuilding Community. Together, October 1st-2nd, 2026, we will learn from local and national experts, explore cutting-edge science, and gain insight to better serve our neighbors in Tulsa and beyond.  

Focused on forging new connections within the mental healthcare community, our 32nd annual Zarrow Mental Health Symposium will be one to remember, and we hope you will be a part of it. 

CONFERENCE THEME

Through in-person learning and discussion, Re:Connect- Recovery, Resilience, & Rebuilding Community explores how individuals and communities can heal from isolation and trauma by strengthening relationships, restoring social connections, and fostering resilience through evidence-based clinical practice.

With breakout content, we hope to build around keynote presentations and address topics including: 

• How do community members rebuild social connections following isolation or trauma? 

• How can clinicians support the resilience of their clients? 

• What are the current resources available for those seeking recovery and healing? 

• How can healthy relationships contribute to mental health? 

• Emerging knowledge, clinical tools, and resources, along with ethics will also be included in the agenda. 

PRESENTATIONS

Mental Health Association Oklahoma seeks presentation proposals from presenters interested in sharing information about treatment modalities, programs, research findings, policies, and practices that are informed by science and use creative and innovative approaches to mental health. Presentations utilizing technology, innovative collaborations, new treatment and program models, and emerging knowledge and methodologies are encouraged. 

Breakout sessions will be 60 or 90 minutes in length with an emphasis on evidence-based, best practice, and/or emerging knowledge.  

Actual presentation length will be 45 or 75 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes allotted for questions and answers and a facilitated discussion.  

Sessions may feature a single presenter, multiple presenters (3 maximum), or a moderated-panel discussion.  

When developing your session overview and narrative, please reflect the relevance to the conference theme, and indicate any technology or materials you intend to utilize in your presentation. 

AREAS OF INTEREST

The following list of topics serves as a starting point, but feel free to make submissions on any topic relevant to the conference theme.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In submitting a proposal, I understand that I am agreeing to the following on behalf of all individuals participating in this presentation:

• Presenter(s) must be available to participate in the conference at the time scheduled by the conference organizers and at the discretion of the organizers.

• Presenter(s) acknowledge that they have the ability to attend the 2026 Symposium, October 1-2, in-person in Tulsa, OK. Travel and accommodations will not be provided for presenters; however a room block with discounted rates is available.

• Agreement to participate in the conference grants permission for the presentation to be recorded (audio and/or video), photographed, and archived for limited participant playback, as well as used in social media and other conference-related summaries and promotion.

• All presenters must include a conflict of interest/disclosure statement as part of their introduction and slides. Corporate support, if any, must be disclosed.

• Presenter(s) will not promote a specific product and/or service for personal gain during the presentation and will not charge participants for handouts or materials.

• Presenters are expected to submit a copy of their presentation and/or a related workshop summary and support materials, which will be shared with conference attendees. Materials may also be made available post-conference in PDF format via the Zarrow Symposium website. Presenters are responsible for the use of technology related to their breakout session, including operating their own slideshow or presentation materials.

• All handouts must be received in the requested format by August 28, 2026.

• Presentations are expected to last the time specified for your session, inclusive of time for questions and discussion.

• Breakout session presenters will receive a complimentary full conference registration. Maximum number of presenters will vary depending on assigned session length and type. Complimentary registrations are non-transferable.

• Lead presenter is responsible for coordinating all presentation-related details and logistics with co-presenters, including completion of online conference registration and disclosure statements. All presenters are required to register for the conference.

DISCLAIMER

Mental Health Association Oklahoma reserves the right to exclude incomplete submissions from consideration. Workshops may be combined at the discretion of the Conference Planning Committee. Workshop-related verbiage may be edited for inclusion in conference-related materials.

Call for presentation submissions will be reviewed and scored using the following criteria:

• Relevance to conference theme

• Potential interest to audience

• Evidence-based/best practice guidelines (as appropriate)

• Presenter’s experience, credentials, and presentation history

• Completeness and quality of required materials

• Inclusion of content with relevant implications for practice

Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026

You will be notified of the Conference Planning Committee’s decision by April 30, 2026.

Please email zarrowsymposium@mhaok.org with any questions.