TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) has partnered with the Kansas Prevention Collaborative (KPC) to host the eighth annual Kansas Prevention Collaborative Conference on October 16-17, 2025, with a pre-conference session on October 15. This year’s conference, “Voices of Prevention: Sharing Stories; Creating Impact,” welcomes five outstanding keynote speakers and breakout session speakers from across the nation.

The KPC Conference will provide attendees with educational opportunities to increase awareness of emerging trends in prevention, build skills and knowledge to prevent suicide, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug misuse, and advocate for best practices. Participants will also learn ways to connect and network with their community and advocate for best practices in prevention.

“Each year, the Kansas Prevention Collaborative Conference reminds us that prevention is not a single action—it’s a movement built through connection and shared purpose,” KDADS Behavioral Health Services Prevention Program Manager Stephanie Rhinehart said. “As we continue expanding prevention efforts statewide, this year’s theme underscores the power of personal stories to drive change and the importance of lifting new voices that move Kansas toward stronger, healthier communities.”

The conference will kick off on October 16 with four keynote addresses. Monica Forrest, Monica Kurz, Dave Sotelo, and Kimberly Freese will bring this year’s theme to life through the powerful stories of four leaders working to create change in their communities. Each speaker will share personal and professional experiences that highlight resilience, innovation, and the power of connection. Their voices reflect the strength of our collective mission to prevent substance use and misuse, promote mental wellness, and build healthier communities across Kansas.

Justin Maffett, corporate lawyer, advocate, and multimedia storyteller, will close the conference on October 17 with a keynote presentation, “Still Here: Resilience and Building Back Better.” This closing session invites attendees to consider how we build back better – individually, in community, and within systems of care – and what it truly means to say, “I’m still here.”

KDADS’ Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Commission and the KPC are excited to provide this learning opportunity to communities across Kansas. To learn more about the conference, view the schedule, and read more about the keynote speakers, visit kansaspreventioncollaborative.org/conference.

KPC is a group of five partner organizations funded by KDADS working to integrate and innovate behavioral health prevention efforts. This conference is part of KPC’s strategy to ensure that Kansans get the tools they need to prevent underage drinking, substance misuse, problem gambling, and suicide. Partner organizations are KDADS, the Wichita State University Community Engagement Institute, DCCCA, the Learning Tree Institute at Greenbush, and the Life Span Institute at the University of Kansas.

These five partner organizations, along with these four gold conference sponsors, make this year’s event possible: BeePurple, HeadQuarters Kansas, Kansas Suicide Prevention Coalition, and TFI Family Services.

About the Kansas Prevention Collaborative: The Kansas Prevention Collaborative was created in 2015 to integrate and innovate behavioral health prevention efforts. A partnership of several different state, educational, and provider agencies, the KPC’s goal is to expand prevention efforts to include mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and problem gambling education and awareness, as well as increase the availability of resources to adequately fund local-level prevention and promotion strategic plans. For interviews, media inquiries, or more information, please contact the Kansas Prevention Collaborative at [email protected].

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