Now Open! Register
Sponsor/Exhibit

Join us at an event you can’t miss!

Gain hope, ideas, and new skills.

  • October 5, 2023

  • 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

  • Clayton Hall, University of Delaware

Become a Sponsor

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Looking at Mental Health through the lens of faith

Pathways to Hope is
Delaware’s largest interfaith
conference to discuss mental health.

August 22 + 23, 2025
8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Wilmington, DE

Registration is NOW OPEN!

More Information

Presented by NAMI Delaware, Pathways to Hope is a two-day interfaith mental health conference open to the public. 

This powerful event seeks to eliminate stigma by fostering deeper conversations around faith, mental health, and recovery. We bring together faith leaders, mental health professionals, people with lived experience, and community members to explore how spirituality and mental wellness intersect — and how together, we can strengthen community healing.

THANK YOU TO THE GENEROSITY OF OUR SPONSORS

Pathways to Hope Interfaith Conference – Attendee FAQ

Welcome Message
Hello, and welcome! My name is Jenny Graham, and I am the organizer for NAMI Delaware’s first-ever Pathways to Hope Interfaith Conference. I’m excited to host you for this historic event and to bring together such incredible speakers from across the great state of Delaware.

Because this conference is part of a national series taking place in 19 cities, please make sure the event you are attending in person is Wilmington, Delaware. If not, you may have registered for the wrong location.

Event Details

Dates: Friday, August 22, and Saturday, August 23, 2025
Format: In-person only – the morning portion will be hybrid, streamed in our General Session Hall.
Times:

  • Friday: Registration opens at 8:00 AM; last breakout sessions at 3:00 PM; closing prayers at 4:00 PM*

  • Saturday: Registration opens at 8:30 AM; last breakout sessions at 3:00 PM; closing prayers at 4:00 PM*

Location:
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Walton Community Hall
1502 W. 13th Street
Wilmington, DE 19806

Parking: Free lot parking is available on 13th Street (left side of the street, across from the Hall entrance).

Meals & Refreshments

Both days include:

  • Light continental breakfast

  • Boxed lunch (sandwich, chips, apple)

  • Beverages: water, coffee, hot water for tea

  • Afternoon snack: cookies, coffee, granola bars

Accessibility

The event is held entirely on one ground level and is fully ADA-compliant.

Agenda & Session Options

The full agenda will be posted on our website before the event. You’ll be able to choose which breakout sessions to attend during the second half of each day.
A dedicated quiet room will also be available for lighter, self-guided activities such as journaling, meditation, prayer, and art.

Content & Emotional Well-Being

At NAMI, we believe sharing personal stories fosters connection, understanding, and healing. Some sessions may include sensitive topics such as abuse, violence, trauma, loss, or discrimination.

We encourage you to care for your well-being: step away if needed, visit our quiet room, or speak with a staff member for support. You are not alone.
Resources:

  • nami.org

  • NAMI HelpLine: 800-950-6264 (or text “NAMI” to 62640)

  • In a crisis: Call or text 988 (24/7)

Our Commitment to Inclusion

As a community focused on mental health, we affirm the value of people of every racial identity, ethnicity, socio-economic status, age, gender, relationship status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, faith tradition, and non-religious worldview. We welcome all who wish to participate, and we especially welcome those who have ever been told they do not belong. You matter. Your mental health matters. You are not alone.

HIGHLIGHTS

Event Schedule – August 22

Morning Sessions (Walton Community Hall):

8:00 AM – Registration opens, Continental Breakfast available

8:30 AM – Welcome by NAMI Delaware

8:50 AM – Acknowledgement of the Land – Jenny Graham, NAMI DE

9:00 AM – Invocation of the Ancestors – Lenape Principal Chief, Dennis J. “White Otter” Coker

9:10 AM – Opening Prayer – Dr. Chanda Reynolds

9:20 AM – Setting of Intentions Meditation – Jenny Graham

9:30 AM – National Welcome – Daniel Hl Gillison, Jr. CEO NAMI

9:35 AM – Welcome & Opening Remarks – Jeff Fladen, MSW, President, NAMI National Board of Directors

9:40 AM – Innovation & Collaboration – Darcy Gruttadaro, JD, Chief Innovation Officer, NAMI

9:55 AM – Young Leaders: Faith, Spirituality & Community – Imaan Siddiqi, NAMI National Board of Directors

10:00 AM – Spoken Word: I Saved This Word For You & For a Chance To Dream – Trey Baker, 3x Emmy-nominated Spoken Word

Artist, Author, and Arts Educator

10:10 AM – Introduction of Speakers – Dawn L. Brown, Director, CCIE, NAMI

10:15 AM – The Value and Importance of Collaboration – Ben O’Dell, Senior Advisor, Center for Faith, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

10:40 AM – Integrating Body, Mind & Spirit for Mental Health – Dr. Marc Halpern, Founder, College of Ayurveda

11:00 AM – Labyrinth Journey of Stones (garden) – Jenny Graham

Noon – Lunch Break (Art Exhibit from July)

Afternoon Sessions:

1:00 – 4:00 PM – Prayer room available (Grace Hall – quiet space: sound, meditation, prayer, art, journaling)

1:00 PM – Panel Moderator: Mariann Kenville-Moore, LMSW. Highlighting DE Faith Collaboratives (Walton Hall)

2:00 PM – Breakout Sessions (Classrooms 5 + 6)

                 – Introduction to NAMI DE – Mariann Kenville-Moore

                – Addiction and Substance Use: A Faith-Based Approach, Yashavani Dhawan and Isaac Jacobowitz

3:00 PM – Breakout Sessions Repeat

4:00 PM – Close of Day 1 Prayer with a holding of the space/energy + collecting surveys

Event Schedule – August 23

Morning Sessions (Walton Community Hall):

8:30 AM – Registration reopens, Continental Breakfast available

9:00 AM – Welcome Back for Day 2

9:10 AM – Opening Prayer

9:20 AM – Setting of Intentions Meditation – Jenny Graham, NAMI DE

9:30 AM – National Welcome: Day 2 – Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., CEO, NAMI

9:35 AM – Expanding Impact: Advancing Mental Health Equity Through Faith & Spirituality – Stephanie Robertson, J.D., Director, Mental Health Equity Innovation, NAMI, and Dr. Laklieshia Izzard, 2nd Vice President, NAMI National Board of Directors

9:50 AM – NAMI Next Gen: A Letter to Stigma – Srihitha Dasari, Nadiyah Fisher, Caitlyn A. Jennings, Anuj Gandhi, Members, NAMI Next Gen

10:05 AM – Sharing Hope Community Conversations, Dawn Brown, Director, CCIE, NAMI

10:10 AM – Compartiendo Esperanza video campaign

10:15 AM – Bridging to Spiritual Wellness – Doug Beach, Executive Director, NAMI Greater San Antonio

10:25 AM – Guided and Grounded: Spirituality as a Protective Factor for Families, Gina Newsome Duncan, MD, FAPA, The Steve Fund

10:40 AM – A Call to Action: Collaboration, Faith & Mental Health 

11:00 AM – Threads of Unity – Grace Hall – Jenny Graham

11:00 AM – Breakout Session: Unmasking Anxiety, Dr. Eliza Carter

Noon – Lunch Break + Art Exhibit (Walton Community Hall)

Afternoon Sessions:

1:00 – 4:00 – Prayer room available (Grace Hall – quiet space: sound, meditation, prayer, art, journaling)

1:00 PM – Panel Discussion Moderated by Dr. Chanda Reynolds

2:00 PM – Panel Discussion: Faith, Resilience & Restoration: Community-Based Approaches to Mental Wellness – Amira Martin, Alondra Anderson-Hardin, and Dania Roberts

2:00 PM – Breakout Sessions: (Rooms 5 + 6)

                 – Creating Successful Spaces for Mental Wellness – Rev. Kevin “Clay” Brown, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

                 – This Veteran’s Pathway to Hope: An Interfaith Journey – Rev. Thomas Davis

3:00 PM – Breakout Sessions Repeat

4:00 PM – Thank You to the Ancestors and Land – Jenny

4:30 PM – Closing Prayer, Thanks, and Collection of Surveys

5:00 PM – End of Conference