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Scenery, attendees, and presenter from conference at Kentucky Dam Village

Events

2026 KY AHEAD Conference

KY AHEAD is proud to host the 2026 KY AHEAD Conference at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, KY on May 21-22, 2026.

This year we are excited to offer participants the opportunity to become Mental Health First Aid certified. In order to achieve certification, partipants would need to complete approximately 1 hour of pre-work, participate in a virtual pre-conference on May 14, 9:30am-1:15pm, and attend at least day one of the conference. This opportunity is optional, and the Mental Health First Aid sessions offered during the in-person conference do not require participation in the pre-conference to be beneficial.

Conference at a Glance

Please note that this is a tentative schedule which is subject to change, and that all times listed are in Eastern Time.

Wednesday, May 20

6:00-8:00pm Opening Reception - Check in, pick up conference folders, meet and greet with light hors d'oeuvres.

Thursday, May 21

8:00-9:00: Registration & Breakfast
9:00-9:30: Welcome & Introductions
9:30-11:00: "My Silence Roars" Keynote Presentation by Tina Jackson
11:00-11:15: Break
11:15-12:00: Mental Health First Aid: Part 1
12:00-1:30: Business Lunch
1:30-2:30: Mental Health First Aid: Part 2
2:30-3:00: Break
3:00-4:00: Mental Health First Aid: Part 3
Evening social TBD

Friday, May 22

8:00-9:00: Breakfast
9:00-10:00: Southeast ADA Center
10:00-10:15: Break
10:15-11:15: Lifeworks
11:15-12:15: Panel Discussion: Mental Health & Accommodations
12:15-12:30: Closing Remarks & Evaluations

Registration

The registration fee for this conference will be $200. To register, please:

  1. Complete the registration form.
  2. Pay the registration fee.
    • Payment by credit card may be submitted on Eventbrite before the conference.
    • Payment by check or purchase order should be made payable to Kentucky AHEAD and should be brought to the conference or mailed to:
      David Beach
      University of Kentucky Division of Student and Academic Life
      443 Multidisciplinary Science Building
      Lexington, KY 40536-0082

Lodging

Reservations under the KY AHEAD room block must be made by April 20. Book on the General Butler State Resort Park website using group code 7693 to receive the KY AHEAD rate.

Silent Auction

Let the bidding wars begin! An exciting part of the conference is the Silent Auction. Please consider donating -- or asking a business to donate -- items for our annual Silent Auction. All proceeds go to our Student Scholarship Program. We have been fortunate in recent years to award two $500 scholarships each year, but that's possible only because of the success of the Silent Auction and your willingness and generosity to donate or find donations. In the past, the following items have been popular Silent Auction gifts.