4th Annual Washoe County Youth Mental Health Summit
Thank you for joining us for a day of education, connection, gratitude, and hope at the 4th Annual Washoe County Youth Mental Health Summit.
This full-day event brought together mental health providers and caring adults to discuss the importance of youth mental health.
Thank you To Our Partners
What We Experienced
We gathered for a powerful day of learning, connection, and collaboration at the 4th Annual Washoe County Youth Mental Health Summit. This full-day event brought together local professionals, youth educators, parents, educators, and community leaders to explore strategies that support the mental wellness of young people in our community.
Here’s what attendees experienced:
- Networking & Coffee to kick off the morning, thanks to Grace Church
- Inspiring Speakers & Panels on topics like positive childhood experiences, suicide prevention, student belonging, and parenting teens
- Youth Voice & Perspective through panel discussions with local teens and youth advocates
- Resource Fair with 30+ Organizations for families, educators, and service providers to gather valuable tools and contacts
- Lunch Provided for registered attendees
Who Attended
This Summit is designed for anyone passionate about improving youth mental health in our community. We welcomed:
- Educators and school staff
- Mental health professionals and counselors
- Youth-serving nonprofit organizations
- Parents and caregivers
- Teens and young adults
- Community leaders and advocates
- Medical professionals and social workers
- Anyone working to support young people in Washoe County and beyond
Speakers
With a 15-year career inspiring more than 1.5 million youth, Reno native Brian Williams is renowned for delivering dynamic, engaging, and actionable presentations that spark real change. As the founder of Think Kindness, Brian has dedicated his life to empowering young people—showing them that every individual has the power to make a difference.
His impact is tangible: he has documented over three million acts of kindness, collected 300,000 pairs of shoes for children and families in need around the world, led more than 65 global humanitarian missions, and built orphanages, classrooms, and aquaponic farms. Along the way, he has helped raise over $1 million for charitable causes.
Over the course of visiting 1,300+ schools, Brian has encountered countless extraordinary educators and youth leaders who have built powerful cultures of empathy, compassion, and kindness—often through creative ideas, innovative messaging, or simple everyday practices. In his signature presentation, Brian draws on these inspiring stories and proven strategies to ignite a movement of kindness that begins within your own “four walls.” He challenges every listener to see themselves as catalysts for positive change, equipping them with actionable tools to transform their immediate environment and create a lasting ripple effect within their schools and communities.
Paul has been a public-school administrator for nearly 30 years. After receiving his PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Nevada Reno, Paul continued as a faculty member with UNR. He continues to be an adjunct faculty member regularly providing lectures in race relations and research methodology. After several years with the University of Nevada Reno, he spent 9 years working for the Nevada State Department of Education. In that role he was the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Accountability. He moved to the Washoe County School District as the Chief Accountability Officer. After four years he became the Chief of Schools, and after six years in that position he transitioned to the Chief Student Services Officer. In this current role, Paul supervises multiple Departments including Family School Partnerships, Counseling, Student Voice, Student Health Services, School Psychology, and Intervention. Much of the work Paul supervises is centered around school climate and student social-emotional health. This work relies upon strong community partnerships.Paul has been a public-school administrator for nearly 30 years. After receiving his PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Nevada Reno, Paul continued as a faculty member with UNR. He continues to be an adjunct faculty member regularly providing lectures in race relations and research methodology. After several years with the University of Nevada Reno, he spent 9 years working for the Nevada State Department of Education. In that role he was the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Accountability. He moved to the Washoe County School District as the Chief Accountability Officer. After four years he became the Chief of Schools, and after six years in that position he transitioned to the Chief Student Services Officer. In this current role, Paul supervises multiple Departments including Family School Partnerships, Counseling, Student Voice, Student Health Services, School Psychology, and Intervention. Much of the work Paul supervises is centered around school climate and student social-emotional health. This work relies upon strong community partnerships.
Emma White is a Suicide Prevention Subject matter expert, Author, Professional Speaker, and Founder and President of the Life Is Worth It Organization whose passionate voice and lived experience has gained national acclaim. Among many prestigious awards, Emma was named Womelle’s Top 5 Female Founder in 2024, one of PBS Reno’s Outstanding Individuals 2024, USA Today’s Woman of the Year Award 2024 for Nevada, as well as Jersey Mike’s Sub Abover 2021 Award and the 2022 Winner of the Young Professional’s Network 20 Under 40 Award. With a passion and dedication for total life wellness, Emma is changing the narrative on what youth suicide prevention looks like.
Kerry Kelly is a community health leader dedicated to improving well-being across Northern Nevada. With a background in nonprofit collaboration and healthcare strategy, she specializes in building partnerships that drive measurable impact. Outside of work, Kerry finds inspiration in the outdoors and cherishes time with her husband and two children.
Keeli Killian, is a Reno native with a deep love for the great outdoors, enjoys skiing, biking, paddle boarding, kayaking, rafting, and adventuring in the Sierras. When she’s not exploring nature, you’ll find her traveling—often to Fort Worth, Texas, where she indulges in mouth-watering BBQ, attends sporting events, and spends quality time with her son, a junior at Texas Christian University.
With over 25 years of experience in the Washoe County School District, Keeli has worn many hats, from teaching to counseling in both elementary and middle schools. Currently, as a School Counselor Specialist, she focuses on supporting middle schools and overseeing the Signs of Suicide program. Keeli is also a Nationally Certified Counselor, Nationally Certified School Counselor, and a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor.
Passionate about school counselor advocacy, Keeli has served on the Executive Board for the Nevada School Counselor Association and has co-chaired several committees, including the Government Affairs Committee. Her mission is to empower counselors in creating comprehensive programs that support students’ academic, career, and social-emotional development and mental-health needs.
Kristen Clements-Nolle received her MPH in Behavioral Sciences and her Ph.D. in Epidemiology, both from the University of California, Berkeley. Broadly, Dr. Clements-Nolle’s research is focused on social and psychological factors that contribute to and mitigate poor health outcomes across the lifespan. Much of her current research focuses on understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on a range of adolescent health outcomes. Grounded in positive youth development, she also investigates social, community, family, and individual-level factors that can buffer the impact of ACEs on behavioral health outcomes.
Ann serves as Administrator at the Division of Nevada Medicaid. Prior to this role, Ann served as Innovation Officer at Nevada Medicaid, where she oversaw the implementation of value-based care strategy with managed care plans and hospitals and managed the implementation of the state’s children’s behavioral health transformation project, including the development of a new specialty managed care plan for children with behavioral health needs. Ann brings years of helpful professional experience in primary care, value-based care, and health policy from the private sector. Prior to joining Nevada Medicaid, Ann served as Chief of Staff at a national, value-based care enablement company with a focus on primary care practice physicians. Ann is an Oregon native and holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. In her free time, Ann enjoys exploring Nevada by getting outside — backpacking, running, and swimming in Tahoe every month of the year.
Agenda
8:00 AM – 8:50 AM
Doors Open
Check in at the registration desk, grab a delicious coffee generously provided by Grace Church, and network before the Summit begins!
8:50 AM
Call for Seating
9:00 AM – 9:10 AM
Welcome
By Kim Young, CEO of The Children’s Cabinet & Kelli Singleton, Grace Church
9:10 AM – 9:15 AM
Introduction
by Connie Wray, EMCEE
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Keynote
by Brian Williams, Think Kindness
10:00 AM – 10:40 AM
Positive Childhood Experiences Data
Dr. Kristen Clements-Nolle, Ph.D., MPH
10:40 AM – 11:10 AM
Positive Childhood Experiences Teen Panel
Maverick Simon -Big Brothers Big Sisters, Addison Guinan – Girls on the Run, Josh Nelson- Redirect Youth Outreach, Laurel Johnson – The Holland Project, Emeleigh Romo – University of Nevada Powwow. Facilitated by Brenna Hardtner, Youth Move Nevada.
11:20 AM – 11:40 AM
Student Belonging and Connectedness
Dr. Paul LaMarca
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM
Project STAY Suicide Prevention Training
Emma White & Kerry Kelly
12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
Lunch & Resource Fair
12:50 PM – 1:00 PM
Call for Seating
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Mobile Crisis Update
Jessica Goicochea-Parise
1:15 PM – 1:30 PM
Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Update
Ann Jensen, Nevada Medicaid
1:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Signs of Suicide Program Update
Keeli Killian, WCSD
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM
SOAR – Early Psychosis Clinic
Dr. Josh Fitzgerald
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM
Parenting Teens
Natalie Sanchez, MFT
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM
NAMI Western Nevada Youth Voice Panel
Laura Yanez, Ashley Ramsey, Neil Chestnut. Facilitated by Brenna Hardtner, Youth Move Nevada.
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Washoe County Youth Mental Health Leadership Program Update
2025 Leadership Program Participants Raghav Bhalla, Sophie Najjar, Abi Napoli.
3:00 PM
Final Remarks and Adjourn
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Washoe County Youth Mental Health Resource Fair
Inviting families and educators to learn from over 30 youth-serving agencies from northern Nevada.
