August 06

2025

23rd Annual Cultural Diversity Conference

Are you my neighbor?

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2025 What to Expect

Great Speakers

Our goal is to develop cultural awareness in the community by providing practical ideas and information for working with different cultures and abilities through amazing local providers and experts.

Networking

We want you to meet new people, learn more about local services and initiate the development of a local resource network.

Develop Competency

Engagement and conversations in our community fuel a wider range of ideas, expertise, and life experience, helping evolve our world's collective knowledge and overall mindset.

Celebrating over 20 years!
Up to 5.5 continuing education credits
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Workshops We offer
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Conference Participants in 23 years!

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2025 Event Speakers

Christopher Fitz

Director of Strategic Initiatives, Advoz

Krista Rittenhouse

Director for Restorative Conferencing, Advoz

Nicole Gray, MPH

Executive Director, Community Health Council

Loice Byler

Community Education Advisor, IU 13

Michael Diller, PsyD.

Wellbeing Program Coordinator, WellSpan Health

Salena J. Coachman

VP of Talent Sustainability and Talent Acquisition, Armstrong World Industries

Andrea Murray, MPH

Union Community Care

Jen Koppel, MHA

Union Community Care

Laurie Funk, MS BME, MA

Founder/President, Chestnut Street Community Center

Maggie Progin

VP of Communications and Education, Lebanon Family Health Services

Richard Mahida, M.Sc

Corps Officer/ Administrator, Salvation Army

Amber Abreyu, M.Ed-EdL

Director of Student Services and English Language Development, Lebanon School District

Guadalupe Barba Camacho

Founder, Juntos de Lebanon

Zack Zook, MPA

Vice President of Impact and Policy, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

Kate Barlup, LSW

Manager of Behavioral Health Recovery Programs, WellSpan Health

Jennifer Blackwell, BSW

Behavioral Health Community Housing Specialist, WellSpan Health

Marc Palmer, BA, CPSS, CPS, CRS, CFRS

Behavioral Health Community Housing Specialist, WellSpan Health

Mary Almy

Rainbow Rose Center

PRICING PLANS 2025 REGISTRATION OPEN

Registration is now open on Eventbrite soon. Click the register button below to purchase a ticket. You will have the ability to choose your breakouts at that time.  If your company offers to pay for continuing education, please contact us for your coupon code. Your company will be billed for the ticket.
All access

All access

$60

REGISTRATION OPEN

50/100

All access
All access w/ CEUs

All access w/ CEUs

$100

REGISTRATION OPEN

100/200

All access w/ CEUs

2025 Conference Schedule

You could earn up to 5.5 CE Credits for this event. WellSpan Philhaven is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, Pennsylvania Licensed Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Professional Counselors.

Click on MORNING or AFTERNOON circles to your right to see the schedules.

7.45 - 8.30 AM Registration and Networking

Check-In

Please join us for check-in and networking.

8:30 - 9:30 Morning Keynote
Who is my neighbor? A deeper dive.

Jess Grier, MS, MBA, LPC (she/her)

Who is my neighbor? A deeper dive.

The keynote will kick off the conference and frame our central question: Who is My Neighbor? It will provide a high-level overview of Lebanon County’s current population and demographics, and include insights from grassroots community leaders. Together, we’ll explore practical ways to connect with and support our neighbors.

Moderator: Jess Grier

Content expert: Nicole Gray

Panelists: Laurie Funk, Maggie Progin, Guadalupe Barba, Richard Mahida, Amber Abreyu

9.30 - 9.45 AM Break

Stretch Break

Thirty minute break for coffee, stretching, brain breaks.

9:45-11:15 Morning Breakout 1
Fatigue to Fortitude: Strategies for Sustaining Advocacy and Compassion

Michael Diller, PsyD.

Fatigue to Fortitude: Strategies for Sustaining Advocacy and Compassion

Our presentation, titled "Fatigue to Fortitude: Strategies for Sustaining Advocacy and Compassion," will explore various aspects of wellbeing and mindfulness. We will discuss the definition of wellbeing, the importance of mindfulness, and the benefits it brings, specifically for one who is an advocate for self and others and addressing the fatigue that follows. Mindfulness has so many benefits, such as reduced blood pressure, decreased cortisol levels, and improved immune function. Additionally, we will highlight the significance of self-compassion, positive self-talk, and human connection in maintaining mental and physical health. The presentation will also include insights from landmark studies and practical tools for fostering a path from Fatigue to Fortitude.

Speakers: Mike Diller and Selena Coachman

9.45-11:15 Morning Breakout 2
Snapshot into the Classroom

Loice Byler

Snapshot into the Classroom

This presentation invites participants to reimagine what it means to truly say "Welcome Home" to New Americans—individuals and families who have arrived in our communities as refugees, fleeing war, persecution, and displacement. Drawing from compelling narratives, including the films The Gods Must Be Crazy and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the story of Tanitoluwa "Tani" Adewumi, and the parable of the elephant and the giraffe, we will examine how cultural misperceptions, system design, and empowerment intersect in the process of integration.

Speaker: Loice Byler

9.45-11:15 Morning Breakout 3
Serving our neighbors with culturally relevant food: Central Penn Food Bank

Zack Zook, MPA

Serving our neighbors with culturally relevant food: Central Penn Food Bank

This seminar will describe the distribution of culturally familiar foods to food insecure neighbors in food pantries and the feedback pathways focused on continuous improvement.

Speaker: Zack Zook

9.45-11:15 Morning Breakout 4
Being a Neighbor in an Agnostic Society

Mary Almy

Being a Neighbor in an Agnostic Society

To discuss how members of a minority segment of society can relate to and create a less volatile atmosphere in a society that can be confrontational.

Speaker: Mary Alma, Rainbow Rose

11.30 - 1.00 Lunch

Lunch and Networking

12:30-2:30 Afternoon Keynote
 Getting to Know You: Encountering Neighbors from Near and Far

River Crossing Playback Theatre

Getting to Know You: Encountering Neighbors from Near and Far

An improvisational theatre experience with River Crossing Playback Theatre with facilitated audience engagement through Advoz to transform personal and structural conflicts into constructive actions and resilient relationships.

Presenters: River Crossing Playback Theater and Advoz

2.30 - 2.45 PM Break

Break

Enjoy a fifteen minute brain break.

2:45-4:15 pm – Afternoon Breakout 1
 Unmuted: The Allyship We Need, The Change We Deserve

Hattie B McCarter, MS, CEIP, ECDHE

Unmuted: The Allyship We Need, The Change We Deserve

Step into a courageous conversation where lived experience meets leadership. This powerful session will explore what real allyship looks like when silence is broken and change begins.

Speaker: Hattie B. McCarter, MS, CEIP, ECDHE

2:45-4:15 pm – Afternoon Breakout 2
 Barriers to Bridges: Exploring Healthcare for Newcomers and Asylum Seekers

Andrea Murray, MPH

Barriers to Bridges: Exploring Healthcare for Newcomers and Asylum Seekers

This seminar aims to delve into the myriad challenges faced by newcomers and asylum seekers when accessing healthcare services. Participants will explore key barriers such as language differences, cultural misunderstandings, and systemic obstacles within healthcare systems. We will discuss the importance of culturally competent care, the need for accurate health information, and the role of community organizations in supporting these populations. By highlighting successful initiatives and strategies, we aim to foster collaboration among healthcare providers, policymakers and community advocates to transform barriers into bridges, ensuring equitable access to essential healthcare services for all.

Speakers: Andrea Murray, MPH and Jen Kopple, MHA

2:45-4:15 pm – Afternoon Breakout 3
 Exploring the Concept of Neighbor Across Faith Traditions

Ruthann Dwyer

Exploring the Concept of Neighbor Across Faith Traditions

Join us for a meaningful conversation with local faith leaders as we explore how the concept of neighbor is understood across diverse religious traditions. This session will focus on how these teachings are put into practice right here in our neighborhoods. Discover the shared values that unite us and the unique ways each tradition brings compassion to life.

Speaker: Chaplain Ruthann Dwyer

2:45-4:15 pm – Afternoon Breakout 4
 Collaborative Housing Solutions: A Path to Empowerment & Sustainability

Kate Barlup, LSW

Collaborative Housing Solutions: A Path to Empowerment & Sustainability

Our systems and community continue to experience financial constraints along with a growing need for housing opportunities. Lebanon County MH/ID/EI and WellSpan Philhaven have developed several innovative recovery-based supportive housing programs to assist adults ages 18 and older who are on their recovery journey while navigating the challenges associated with serious and persistent mental health conditions, substance use concerns, and involvement with the justice system. This method is team-based and contains collaborative members such as County Administrators, Case Management, Housing Authority, Behavioral Health Professionals, Probation, Drug and Alcohol Professionals and Peer Support Professionals. This original approach has experienced positive outcomes including a more financially viable model along with individuals who are experiencing improved quality of life. During this presentation, we will review the background of the model and share stories of hope, healing and wholeness.

Speakers: Kate Barlup, Jennifer Blackwell, Marc Palmer

4.15 Conference Ends

To view the afternoon schedule, click the blue circle with  “AFTERNOON 2025” on it at the top of the schedule.

JOIN US Get Directions

From Lebanon: Take 422 West to Annville.

From Lancaster: Take 72 North to 422 West to Annville.

From Harrisburg: Take 422 East to Annville

Learn more.

Once you get to LVC

The Cultural Diversity Conference is an event of the Community Health Council of Lebanon County.