5th Annual Washoe County Youth Mental Health Summit
Join us on September 15, 2026 for a day of education, connection, gratitude, and hope at the 5th Annual Washoe County Youth Mental Health Summit.
This full-day event brings together mental health providers and caring adults to discuss the importance of youth mental health.
Location: Grace Church
1220 Robb Dr., Reno, NV
Thank You To Our Presenting Partners
Thank You to Our Champion Sponsor
Event Overview
Over the past five years, the Summit has become Northern Nevada’s premier gathering focused on youth mental health, bringing together educators, healthcare professionals, behavioral health providers, nonprofit leaders, youth advocates, parents, students, business leaders, and policymakers to address one of the most urgent challenges facing our community.
The Summit was created through the Youth Mental Health Collective Impact Initiative, a collaborative effort led by The Children’s Cabinet and supported by dozens of community partners committed to improving mental health outcomes for children and adolescents throughout Washoe County.
The 5th Annual Washoe County Youth Mental Summit will be emceed by longtime Reno media personality and community advocate, Connie Wray.
Featured Keynote for 2026
Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, will take the stage at the 5th Annual Washoe County Youth Mental Health Summit.
Dr. Murthy, is one of the nation’s leading voices on health and well-being. During his tenure as Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy advanced landmark initiatives addressing mental health, loneliness and isolation, technology and health, workplace well-being, tobacco and health misinformation. His work has helped spark national conversations and new approaches to understanding how social connection and mental health shape our overall well-being.
Dr. Murthy is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, which explores the essential role human connection plays in our health and happiness. In 2021, Dr. Murthy issued the landmark Surgeon General’s Advisory Protecting Youth Mental Health, calling attention to the growing mental health challenges facing children and young people and emphasizing the need for families, schools, communities and policymakers to work together to support their well-being. He has also served as co-chair of the World Health Organization Commission on Social Connection and the National Academy of Medicine’s Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience.
Who Attends
The Summit is designed for anyone passionate about improving youth mental health in our community. We welcome:
- Educators and school administrators
- Behavioral health professionals
- Healthcare providers
- Nonprofit organizations
- Youth-serving agencies
- Government leaders
- Parents and caregivers
- College students and emerging professionals
- Youth advocates and young people
- Anyone working to support young people in Washoe County and beyond
New This Year: Virtual Community Resource Fair
We’re excited to introduce our Virtual Community Resource Fair at this year’s Youth Mental Health Summit!
Community organizations are encouraged to participate by creating a free listing in the Virtual Community Resource Fair. Simply complete your organization’s information at Padlet to help youth, families, educators, and community members connect with your services before, during, and after the Summit.
If you’re attending the Summit in person, we’ll also have a Community Resource Drop-Off Table. Bring brochures, flyers, or other resource materials to share with attendees—no need to staff a booth or miss the Summit’s speakers and activities.
Visit Padlet to participate in the Virtual Community Resource Fair and explore the many organizations serving youth and families in our community.
Emcee
Connie Wray
Bio
Connie Wray is a seasoned media professional with over 25 years of experience in radio, television, and live events. Inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2012, she co-hosted the top-rated Bill and Connie in the Morning on Alice 96.5 for 23 years and now produces and co-hosts 15ish with Jaime and Connie, a weekly podcast spotlighting events in Northern Nevada alongside Midtown Executive Director Jaime Chapman, also featured weekly on Alice 96.5
For nearly a year now, Connie has served as Development Officer of PBS Reno, while continuing to champion the mental health initiatives that matter most to her community — including her ongoing support as Emcee for Vitality Unlimited’s Lip Sync Legends Fundraise, benefiting the Northern Nevada CCBHC. A sought-after emcee and voice talent, she has also hosted high-profile events such as the Nevada Hospital Association Awards Luncheon, The Nevada Women’s Funds Power of the Purse and the PBS Reno Spotlight Awards.
This work is deeply personal to Connie. After losing her step-daughter to suicide, she has become an open and honest voice on grief and loss, sharing her own story of navigating the fog of grief and finding strength on the other side. Through this vulnerability, she hopes to offer support to others walking a similar path and to help break the silence around suicide loss.
Speakers
Dr. Kristen Clements-Nolle, Ph.D., MPH
Foundation Professor and Graduate Director of Epidemiology
University of Nevada, Reno School of Public Health
Bio
Dr. Clements-Nolle is a Foundation Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Public Health. Broadly, Dr. Clements-Nolle’s research focuses 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 early adolescent health outcomes. Grounded in positive youth development, she also investigates social, community, family, and school-level factors that can protect youth and buffer the impact of ACEs on behavioral health outcomes. Dr. Clements-Nolle’s research requires extensive collaboration with community-based organizations and large public systems such as school districts, child welfare organizations, and juvenile justice agencies. Findings from this body of research have been used to develop and evaluate national and state-level policies and programs for children, adolescents, and families.
Emma White
Founder and President
Life is Worth It
Bio
Emma White is the Founder and President of the Life Is Worth It Organization, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth and communities through innovative upstream health and wellness education. A nationally recognized author, speaker, and suicide prevention expert, Emma combines her lived experience with evidence-based strategies to help schools and organizations build resilience, strengthen mental well-being, and prevent suicide through upstream approaches. Through the organization’s total life wellness framework, they have created programs that equip young people and trusted adults with the skills to navigate today’s challenges. Emma’s advocacy and leadership have earned numerous national honors, including being named USA Today’s Woman of the Year and recently being awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award with the University of Nevada, Reno. Through her work, she continues to champion the belief that every life is worth living and every person has the power to make a difference.
Ryan Gustafson, LMFT
Assistant County Manager
Washoe County
Bio
Ryan Gustafson serves as an Assistant County Manager for Washoe County, where he supports countywide operations, interdepartmental coordination, and strategic initiatives. A licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Ryan brings nearly 27 years of experience in the human services field in Washoe County, blending deep community knowledge with a calm, solutions driven leadership style. Ryan is based at the County Complex and can be reached at RGustafson@washoecounty.gov
Wendy Bullock
Churchill County School District Trustee
Bio
Wendy Bullock is a dedicated public servant and community leader in Fallon, Nevada. She works for Churchill County Court Services in Pretrial Services and serves on the Churchill County School District Board of Trustees. Wendy is also the Director of Greenwave Youth Wrestling Club where she is committed to creating opportunities for local youth. She is passionate about public service, supporting youth, and strengthening the Churchill County community.
Natalie Sanchez, MS, LMFT
Co-Founder and Clinical Director
Health Psychology Associates
Bio
Natalie Sanchez is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, co-founder of Health Psychology Associates, and one of Northern Nevada’s leading clinicians specializing in children, adolescents, families, and couples. She earned her Master of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Chico and has spent her career helping young people and families navigate life’s challenges through evidence-based therapeutic approaches. She currently serves as Clinical Director of Health Psychology Associates and oversees the organization’s psychotherapy programs.
Natalie’s expertise includes adolescent development, family dynamics, behavioral health, and helping parents and caregivers better understand and support youth during the critical adolescent years. Throughout her career, she has provided therapy, supervision, and clinical leadership focused on strengthening family relationships, improving communication, and helping young people develop the skills and resilience needed to successfully navigate adolescence and early adulthood.
As an AAMFT-approved supervisor and leader within Nevada’s behavioral health community, Natalie is passionate about equipping families, educators, and community members with practical tools to support youth mental health and emotional well-being.
At the Summit, Natalie will share insights on navigating the adolescent years, understanding the developmental and emotional needs of teens, strengthening parent-child relationships, and creating environments where young people feel connected, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Fiona Yung
Program Officer
Schultz Family Foundation
Bio
Fiona Yung is a program officer at the Schultz Family Foundation and oversees the Foundation’s national service portfolio, with a focus on making national service an economic mobility pathway or all young people. She brings extensive experience across K-12, higher education, youth development, and philanthropy. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was Vice President at edBridge Partners, an education management consultancy company, working with leaders in K-12 and higher education to pilot innovations that bridged the gap between educational systems and workforce needs, especially for young people from historically marginalized communities. She has also held roles at Get Schooled, the College Board’s Advocacy & Policy Center, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, and the Blaustein Philanthropic Group, focusing on initiatives that empower young people and expand college and career access.
Fiona has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from The Johns Hopkins University and holds a Master of Science degree in Social Science from Towson University. She credits AmeriCorps for helping her discover her career path while serving as a teacher to rising first- and second-grade students in Baltimore City over two summers in college.
Dr. Samuel Ehrenreich, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science University of Nevada, Reno
Bio
Samuel Ehrenreich, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. He obtained his Ph.D, in Psychological Science from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2012 and has been a faculty member in the HDFS program since the fall of 2017.
Ehrenreich’s research interests focus on the role of digital communication adolescent’s development. Adolescents spend a great deal of time engaged with digital communication platforms, including text messaging, social media platforms, and video streaming services. Although these new media have the potential to meaningfully impact adolescents, there is a growing debate about the extent to which these platforms help or hinder adolescent development.
Ehrenreich has used several observational research methods to directly view the content of adolescent communication and examine how it relates to psychosocial outcomes. Using a unique dataset of the 29 million text message exchanged by approximately 215 adolescents during their four years of high school, Ehrenreich has examined how this communication relates to the development of substance use and rule-breaking behaviors, sexual behaviors, television viewing habits, aggressive behavior, and experiences with bullying. Samuel also studies how social media activity may relate to adolescents’ psychological adjustment, particularly internalizing symptoms and substance use. He is especially interested in how passive social media use (spending extended periods of time scrolling through peers’ social media feeds without actually interacting with peers) may relate to adjustment outcomes.
