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The National Shattering Silence Coalition (NSSC) will host “Voices for Change: Empowering Families Affected by Serious Mental Illness,” from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, June 14 at the Edmonds Waterfront Center, 220 Railroad Ave.
According to a press release, the event is a statewide convening bringing together families, behavioral health clinicians, healthcare leaders, nonprofit advocates, and state and local policymakers to advance more responsive mental health systems across Washington state.
Free for families and caregivers, the convening is designed “to elevate lived experience, strengthen support networks, and mobilize policy and system-level solutions for the hundreds of thousands of Washington residents touched by serious mental illness (SMI),” the news release said.
“Families living with serious mental illness too often face fragmented care, financial barriers, and isolating stigma,” said Leanna May Franklin, Washington State Policy Director for the National Shattering Silence Coalition. “Voices for Change is about ensuring those families are heard — and that their experiences shape the systems meant to serve them. When lived experience sits at the same table as clinical expertise and policy leadership, real change becomes possible.”
The featured keynote speaker is national advocate and best-selling author Jerri Clark. Clark is the author of Gone Before Gone: When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love, a widely recognized work that guides families through the emotional terrain of “ambiguous loss” — a concept developed by Pauline Boss, PhD — when a loved one is forever changed by psychiatric illness, missing, incarcerated or gone for reasons that lack clarity. Her keynote will focus on resilience, system transformation and restoring dignity within complex care journeys.
In addition to the keynote, Voices for Change will feature presentations from clinicians, advocates, and policy leaders shaping the next generation of compassionate, high-performance behavioral health and aging services. Confirmed speakers include:
- Carson Espinoza — Event Host, Welcome and Opening
- Jessica Yoos, MD
- David Haack
- Garrison Whaley-Sharp
- Karin Taifour, MA, LMHC, GMHS
- Lauren Davis
The five-hour program will include a keynote, panel-style speaker presentations, audience engagement, and structured time for networking and connection among attendees representing both urban and rural communities across Washington State.
Voices for Change is built around four objectives:
- Strengthen family support networks through education, peer connection, and practical tools
- Improve system navigation by equipping caregivers with knowledge about treatment options, crisis pathways, and community resources
- Elevate lived experience to inform policy discussions and system improvements
- Mobilize collaboration among families, providers, and policymakers to identify actionable solutions
Organizers expect 200 to 250 participants from across Washington state. To remove barriers to participation, registration is free for everyone. There will be an opportunity to make a donation at the event.
Register at voicesforchangewa.org.
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