Letter from the PRA Chair

As I write this, summer is at its height: there is wonderful warm air, everything is in full bloom, and many of us are taking every advantage to live outside as much as possible. And it all began for me with our annual PRA Summit, just a short six weeks ago in Philadelphia.  The Summit was the pinnacle of our year at PRA – there were wonderful people to inspire us, sessions were highly engaging and our members and guests took full opportunity of all the wonderful learning and networking opportunities! PAPSRS was an outstanding conference partner with PRA; their collaboration and community outdid themselves and I am incredibly grateful for all they did to ensure it was an exceptional experience. 

The PRA Summit was an outstanding professional opportunity that offered topics of critical importance in today’s recovery and rehabilitation environments.  We listened to presenters challenge us to build an interface between science, policy, advocacy and practice. We dialogued about the future of our field with thought-provoking leaders.  Our new formats gave us pause – our TED-like Talks were so stimulating and inspiring on issues including the power of empathy, the knowledge that relationships are our agents of change, the power of recovery and rehabilitation, and the misuse of medications.  The Summit this year also reinforced that PRA is fully invested in our children, youth and families.  Our work is multi-generational and the time is now to ensure that our children, youth and families have the support they need to become empowered, resilient and thriving. Our new CFRP credential will pave the way for PRA to actualize on this mission to promote the health and wellness of all of our citizens. 

 It was an incredible four days that left me feeling hopeful, inspired and deeply committed to my work, to PRA and to all of you.  The Summit is our springboard for next year and our work as an association.  We will continue to work hard to build our partnerships with our organizations, provide professional development opportunities, and advocate for the rights of individuals across the lifespan who live with mental health conditions.  Thank you for coming and I can’t wait for next year’s Summit in Boston… “Well I love that dirty water / Oh, Boston, you're my home (oh, you're the Number One place)"-The Standell’s.