THREADS 2026 Symposium Agenda
The THREADS 2026 Symposium agenda has been woven together to deliver three days of engaging presentations, collaborative discussions, and practical learning opportunities.
Continuing Education Units Available at THREADS
THREADS 2026 Run of Show – Day 1 - November 16, 2026
| Start | End | Session / Activity | Resources | Speaker / Lead | Description | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Registration / Welcome / Networking | ||||
| 1:00 PM | 1:10 PM | Welcome / Opening Remarks | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 1:10 PM | 1:20 PM | Welcome from Sonoma County DHS | Sonoma County Department of Health Services Director Nolan Sullivan | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 1:20 PM | 1:25 PM | Welcome from Sonoma County Board of Supervisors | Sonoma County BOS Chair, District 1 Rebecca Hermosillo | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 1:25 PM | 1:30 PM | Welcome from Sonoma County Board of Supervisors | Sonoma County BOS, District 3 Chris Coursey | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 1:30 PM | 1:35 PM | Welcome from Sonoma County Behavioral Health Division | Sonoma County Behavioral Health Division Director, Dr. Jan Cobaleda-Kegler | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 1:35 PM | 1:55 PM | Keynote Speaker: Weaving Wins (From Often Frayed Ends)" | Director Jonathan Russell, Alameda County Health, Housing and Homelessness Services Department | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 1:55 PM | 2:00 PM | Transition to Sessions | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 2:00 PM | 2:50 PM | Room to Grow: Transforming an Operational Bridge Housing Site at Grow Florin | THREADS That Connect Us. 10-12-26 Edits.pdf | Jess Simanello - Human Services Program Planner - Sacramento County, Monica Rocha-Wyatt - Health Program Manager - Sacramento County | An implementation case study on adapting and sustaining Behavioral Health Bridge Housing programs through operational redesign, coordinated access strategies, and real-time system implementation. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
| 2:00 PM | 2:50 PM | Housing Guidebook | Conference-MCDBH Housing Guidebook-Final.pdf | Joey Nunes - Health Education Coordinator, Felicia Ramirez - Housing Coordinator, Michelle Camarillo - Housing Case Manager, Andrea Martinez - Deputy Director - Madera County | An overview of Madera County's Housing Guidebook | Carston Cabaret |
| 3:00 PM | 3:50 PM | Paws, Partnership and Pathways to Housing Leveraging Veterinary Outreach to Engage Unsheltered Individuals in Behavioral Health and Housing | Michele Timmerman - Special Projects Manager - Behavioral Health and Recovery Services - Kern County, Nicholas Cullen -Director - Animal Services- Kern County, Lourdes Torres - LCSW - Behavioral Health Unit Supervisor - Behavioral Health and Recovery Services - Kern County | This presentation will highlight how behavioral health staff, housing providers, and animal services professionals work together to deliver pet veterinary care, vaccinations, temporary pet shelter, pet supplies and supportive engagement directly to individuals experiencing homelessness. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | |
| 3:00 PM | 3:50 PM | Custody-to-Community Behavioral Health Pathway | Thread Infographic V2.pdf | Heather Puterbaugh, LCSW, DSW, Behavioral Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente - Desiree Ohlstrom, LCSW, DHS - Elisabeth Brittell, PsyD - Shelly Neilsen-Jones, PsyD | A panel discussion about the collaborative process Kaiser and Sonoma County Behavioral Health developed to bridge mental health services from incarcerated individuals to Kaisers mental health services starting with the work in the jail, while incarcerated to insuring they are scheduled for mental health services with Kaiser post incarceration. | Carston Cabaret |
| 4:00 PM | 4:50 PM | Building Engagement Through Accessible, Dignified Services | Bevin Huntington - Director of Programs - The Living Room - Sonoma County | This session will explore how accessible, person-centered services can improve community outcomes, strengthen rapport with underserved populations, and create meaningful opportunities for connection, empowerment, and overall wellness and housing stability. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | |
| 4:00 PM | 4:50 PM | Threads of Change: How Hollywood H20 Reimagined Mental Health Care Through Community Building | Ingrid Estrada-Darly, Associate Policy Researcher, RAND | Hollywood 2.0 is an innovative program providing person-centered care, housing, and other supports for adults with serious mental illness. Our mixed-methods evaluation is assessing what works, what doesn't, and how to weave systems together. | Carston Cabaret | |
| 4:55 PM | 5:00 PM | Closing Remarks | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
THREADS 2026 Run of Show – Day 2 - November 17, 2026
| Start | End | Session / Activity | Resources | Speaker / Lead | Description | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 8:30 AM | Registration / Networking | ||||
| 8:30 AM | 9:00 AM | Day Two Opening Remarks - Mentimeter Activity | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 9:00 AM | 9:50 AM | Federal Housing Policy, Homelessness, and Affordability: What's Happening in Washington and What It Means for California | Eric Oberdorfer - Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs - National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials | This session will provide a nonpartisan overview of the current federal housing and community development landscape, including key legislative developments, federal funding trends, and emerging policy priorities. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | |
| 10:00 AM | 10:50 AM | The Threads That Connect Us: Voices of Lived Experience | THREADS That Connect Us.10.12.26 Edits.pdf | Nichole Bankson (Moderator) LEAP Board Co-Chair, Tim Heavin - Lived Experience Consultant and CHW - Senior Network Series - Heavin Helps, Micah Sawyer Sr. - Co-Founder & President/CEO Micah's Hugs - Sonoma County, Jessica Wolfe - LEAP Board and Holder of the Lived Experience Seat on Homeless Coalition Board - Sonoma County | Hear directly from people with lived experience as they share personal stories, insights, and lessons learned while navigating behavioral health, housing, homelessness, and systems of care. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
| 10:00 AM | 10:50 AM | Aging in Place, Thriving in Life - A Holistic Approach to Healthy Aging, Independence, and Connection | Denise Johnson One Slide for 5-MInute Intro.pdf | Denise Johnson, MS, Director of Senior Nutrition and Health Council on Aging | Discover how Council on Aging’s innovative Aging in Place program integrates physical activity, nutrition education, nutritious meals, and social connection to empower older adults to maintain their independence and improve their quality of life. Learn how bringing these essential services directly into underserved communities reduces barriers to participation, promotes equitable access, and supports healthier, more connected aging. | Carston Cabaret |
| 11:00 AM | 11:30 AM | Keynote Speaker: Unsheltered Homelessness: The Worse Possible Outcome | Adrian Covert, Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Bay Area Council | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 11:30 AM | 12:00 PM | Mentimeter - Tabletop Excercises | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Lunch | ||||
| 1:00 PM | 1:50 PM | From Transitional Rent to Lasting Stability: Braiding BHSA & Medi-Cal in San Diego's Flex Housing Pool (Continuing Education Credits Available) | THREADS 2026 H&H Presentation.pdf | Brenda Sarabia - Deputy Director - Behavioral Health Services - San Diego County, Heather Summers - Deputy Director - Health & Human Services Agency - San Diego County, Jessica Delaney PMP - Program Manager - CalAIM - Blue Shield of California -Promise Health Plan | Explore how Behavioral Health Services Act Housing Supports and Flexible Housing Pool pilot are transforming access, stability, and outcomes for vulnerable residents through data-driven design, flexible funding, and cross-sector collaboration. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
| 1:00 PM | 1:50 PM | Weaving Systems Together for Housing Stability | THREADS_2026_ Weaving_Systems_Revised 11.12.26pdf | Meadow Robinson - Senior Directing Attorney & Team Lead - Homebase, Noah Wittaker - Homeless Initiatives Program Coordinator - Health & Human Services - Tulare County, Cait Paulson -Health Program Manager - BHS Homeless & Housing Solutions - Sacramento County, Hunter Scott - Deputy Division Director - Department of Health Services - Sonoma County | Discover emerging approaches to aligning behavioral health, housing and homelessness systems. Panelists will share practical lessons on partnerships, data coordination, and service integration to better serve people with complex needs. | Carston Cabaret |
| 2:00 PM | 2:50 PM | Data to Doors |
D2D Handout - Opioid Settlement Funds Contract Language.pdf Sonoma County - Drug overdose deaths and ED visits Summary 2023.pdf Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).pdf |
Will Gayowski - SUD Section Manager - Behavioral Health Division - Department of Health Services Sonoma County, Sylvie V. De La Cruz - Regional Director of Substance Use Services - Buckelew Programs, Chris Kughn - CEO - Buckelew Programs, Brooke Ross - Development & Site Acquisition Specialist - Gallaher Companies, Bill Gallaher - Founder & CEO - Gallaher Companies and Chairman of the Board Poppy Bank, Cindy Gallaher - Founding Partner - Design & Philanthropy - Gallaher Companies and Founder Gallaher Community Housing | This session explores the development of an innovative recovery housing project that will create more than 60 recovery residence placements across three properties through a public-private partnership. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
| 2:00 PM | 2:50 PM | What if Exit from Services Wasn't an Option? (Continuing Education Credits Available) | THREADS 2026 Exit Not an Option.pdf | Sage Wolf MSW - Integrated Health Director - Redwood Community Services | This interactive session helps participants identify policies that drive exclusion and explore practical, repair-based strategies that maintain access, accountability, and safety. | Carston Cabaret |
| 3:00 PM | 3:50 PM | Improve Systems of Care with AI | THREADS 2026 - CloudBase - Final.pdf | Debbie Taylor - CEO - CloudBase Services, Madan Kumar - Partner - CloudBase Services | This session explores how technology can reduce administrative burden and give behavioral health, homelessness, and substance use disorder professionals more time to focus on the people and communities they serve. Learn how Alameda and San Diego Counties are using applications to streamline everyday business processes and support their teams. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
| 3:00 PM | 3:50 PM | Separate but One: Building a Crisis Response Collaborative Model (Continuing Education Credits Available) |
national-guidelines-for-behavioral-health-crisis-care-02242020.pdf |
Leonard La France - Patrol Commander - Eureka Police Department, Jacob Rosen - Managing Mental Health Clinician - City of Eureka | This session explores how the City of Eureka, in partnership with the Eureka Police Department, developed CARE—a blended co-response and alternative response model providing crisis services and ongoing case management. Presenters will share how CARE has evolved to meet community needs, support individuals who frequently access emergency services, and expand crisis response across the region. | Carston Cabaret |
| 4:00 PM | 4:50 PM | Peer Reflection Circles | Jennielynn Holmes - CEO - Catholic Charities of Northwest California | A welcoming space to connect, reflect, and learn alongside fellow attendees. Through guided conversation, participants can share insights, explore lessons from the symposium, and build connections with others. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | |
| 4:50 PM | 5:00 PM | Closing Remarks | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
THREADS 2026 Run of Show – Day 3 - November 18, 2026
| Start | End | Session / Activity | Resources | Speaker / Lead | Description | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 8:30 AM | Registration / Networking | ||||
| 8:30 AM | 9:00 AM | Day Three Opening Remarks and Mentimeter / Tabletop Discussions | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 9:00 AM | 9:30 AM | Keynote Speaker: TITLE NEEDED | Senator (Retired) Susan Eggman, PhD, LCSW | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | ||
| 9:30 AM | 10:20 AM | Designing Behavioral Health Facilities: Lessons from Vision to Operation |
BH-Facilities-PPT - THREADS2026v3.pdf Licensing and Certification Infographic.pdf |
Will Gayowski - SUD Section Manager - Behavioral Health Division - Department of Health Services Sonoma County, Briana Downey - Section Manager - Valley of the Moon Children’s Center - Human Services Department Sonoma County, Gretchen Melendy - Facilities Operations Manager - Department of Health Services Sonoma County, Darci Hernandez AIA - LEED AP - Principal - BA, James McBeth - Assistant Facility Manager - Sonoma County Public Infrastructure, Nathan Hobbs - Deputy Director - Behavioral Health - Department of Health & Social Services Solano County | This session explores how thoughtfully designed behavioral health facilities can support healing, safety, efficient operations, and long-term community needs. Panelists will share perspectives on the planning, design, construction, and activation of large-scale projects, with a focus on youth short-term residential treatment programs. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
| 9:30 AM | 10:20 AM | From Overwhelm to Action: A Trauma-Informed Housing Planning Framework for Clients Facing Barriers | Crystal Shannon-Tuttle - Social Service Worker III - Sonoma County | Pending | Carston Cabaret | |
| 10:30 AM | 11:20 AM | Closing the Gaps: Building Coordinated Systems Around People | Megan Alexander - Program Planning and Evaluation Analyst - Probation Department County of Sonoma, Adriana Arrizón - Executive Director - Health Equity Rising, Tara Witten - Program Manager - Social & Health Technology Integration - Health Equity Rising, Margaret Sluyk - CEO - Reach for Home, Stephen Sotomayor - Housing Director - City of Healdsburg | This session explores what it takes to build coordinated systems around people rather than asking people to navigate disconnected services on their own. Presenters will share practical lessons for closing gaps, strengthening partnerships, and building systems that better meet people where they are. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | |
| 10:30 AM | 11:25 AM | Resident Centered Property Management | Valerie Schlafke - Retired Housing Navigator - Sonoma County, Maria Rico Violence Prevention lead and Property Manager at the Sebastopol City Mobile Home park. Katrina Phillips Housing Navigator, Human Rights Commission member, awarded recognition for work on Trafficking of women | As we search for ways to house our un-sheltered population, looking at property management styles and practices is essential. There are practices for the conventional rental market and then there are practices for the Permanent Supportive Housing market. These are distinctly different but not unsurmountable. Learn how to widen your perspective and open yourself to a more compassionate and inclusive way to provide a safe and secure housing environment. |
Carston Cabaret | |
| 11:30 AM | 12:00 PM | Networking before lunch: Mentimeter Activity | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby | |||
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Lunch | ||||
| 1:00 PM | 1:55 PM | From Awareness to Action | THREADS_From Awareness to Action A Community Partnership 10.20.26.pdf | Micah Sawyer Sr. - Co-Founder & President/CEO - Micah's Hugs - Sonoma County, Daniel Kumec Lionnett, A.A. in Advocacy & Addiction Studies - Registered SUD Counselor - BASW Student, Jason Reid - President - SRJC Students for Recovery - Fifth District Representative Behavioral Health Board - Sonoma County | This session explores how awareness can be transformed into meaningful action through collaboration, shared learning, and practical strategies. Presenters will share lessons and approaches for moving ideas forward, strengthening partnerships, and creating lasting impact in the communities we serve. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
| 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM | Reflections, Takeaways, and Commitments and Closing Remarks | Emcee Chris Cabral, CEO, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS), Sonoma County Department of Health Services Director Nolan Sullivan | This session offers time to reflect on the ideas, connections, and lessons shared throughout the symposium. Together, participants will consider key takeaways and identify meaningful commitments they can carry forward into their work and communities. | Main - Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby |
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