11th Annual Who is Jay? Mental Health Symposium
In Focus: Reframing the Conversation, Improving Care
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Ocean Center, Daytona Beach
The 11th Annual Who is Jay? Mental Health Symposium, was held on May 13, 2026 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was a record year with 356 registrants and the speakers this year got amazing reviews!
The day began with a morning keynote by Dr. Xavier Amador, an internationally recognized psychologist, author, and expert on serious mental illness and treatment engagement, sharing powerful insights and practical strategies for supporting individuals and families. Over lunch attendees got to experience an inspiring fireside chat between Dese’Rae L. Stage and Christina Watkins. Dese’Rae is a photographer, suicide awareness activist, and creator of Live Through This, a multimedia series of portraits and stories of nearly 200 suicide attempt survivors in the U.S. Christina is a WESH 2 news anchor/reporter, children’s author, and mental health advocate.
Participants got to choose from six breakout sessions—covering a variety of timely mental health topics led by experienced professionals.
Tracy Riley, PsyD, LCSW (Hypnotherapy as well as Social Media and Mental Health)
James Munro, ND (Food the Mood – Part II)
Salvatore Gintoli, MA and Melissa Eugley, LMHC, CBHCMS (Innovating Hope: Advancing Suicide Prevention Through Collaboration and Compassion)
Aaron Brinen, PsyD (Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy)
Nicole King, LMHC (Hidden Grief, Ongoing Loss: Caregiver Stress, Ambiguous Grief, and Sustainable Coping)
We’re pleased to announce the date for 2027!
May 5th will be the 12th Annual Who is Jay? Mental Health Symposium is returning to the Ocean Center. We are also excited to share that keynote presenters have been confirmed and we are already at work on confirming breakout sessions. Attendees can look forward to an inspiring and high energy presentation over lunch with Courtney Clark, and the morning will kick off with Laura Stack from Johnny’s Ambassadors. The 2027 theme is “Stronger than the Storm: Mental Health, Resilience, and Renewal”.
Courtney Clark is a Change Strategist, 4-Time Cancer Survivor, and Bestselling Author. She travels the country sharing evidence-based practices for resilience and overcoming life’s challenges.
Laura Stack is the Founder and CEO of Johnny’s Ambassadors. They provide keynote presentations and breakout sessions addressing Prevention, Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention Conferences to Educate About the Harms of Youth Cannabis (THC) Use.
Look for more information soon!