The ideal attendees for the commUNITY conference are peer support workers, harm reductionists, people with lived and living experience including those who use drugs and identify as in recovery or living with mental health and substance use concerns, clinical and medical professionals, recovery community organization staff, community advocates, policy makers and government officials, third party payers (insurance companies including commercial and public), philanthropic foundations, housing and behavioral health administrators, and community members who work in or have a passion for community-based services and programs designed and led by peers.

Examples of acceptable and encouraged educational domains include:

• General Peer Recovery Support Services
• Community-based Harm Reduction Services
• Recovery Friendly Workplaces
• Forensic/Re-entry Peer Support
• Family Peer Support
• Pregnant and Postpartum Peer Support
• LGBTQIA+ Peer Support
• Peer Support Supervision
• Recovery Community Organizations
• Peer Respites
• Peer-run Housing Programs (Recovery Residences, SRO, PSH, etc)
• Overdose Prevention and Response
• Digital and Virtual Peer Services
• Advocacy and Political Engagement
• Peer Ethics and Service Delivery
• Street-based Outreach Services
• Peer Support Services Financing

Submissions are encouraged for any topic that is related to the overall focus of the conference, in any format desired (including research posters). All submissions must include peers or people with lived/living experience in intentional ways and be able to describe how this inclusion is achieved as part of their submission. Submissions are reviewed by a multi-stakeholder community advisory board that is provided an honorarium for their time. Accepted sessions will be scheduled by conference organizers and presenters offered an honorarium for their time to present (travel expenses for submitted and accepted sessions are the responsibility of the presenters). Invited speakers are not required to submit via the call for presentations and sessions and are provided travel reimbursement and honoraria for their time.

The commUNITY conference is facilitated as a hybrid event featuring content delivery in-person, digitally through video sessions, and virtually through VR in the RecoveryVerse. In order to reduce the disparities in access for a variety of stakeholders, registration is capped at $50 per person for in person attendance, and $25 for virtual and digital participation.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are used for each in person session and digital content uses closed captioning (note: virtual reality participation does not offer these services at this time due to technology limitations). The in-person venue is selected to be readily accessible to guests of different physical abilities with a dedicated team focused on addressing any accessibility concerns that may arise on site.

On-site childcare services and nursing/pumping rooms are also available for all attendees at no additional cost.

For out-of-town attendees, support with maintaining medication doses is also available via the organizers. This includes support in navigating out of state/location methadone and buprenorphine where available.

The commUNITY conference is an intentional space that seeks to include, welcome, and make ample space for stakeholders of different identities, experiences, characteristics, and lifestyle choices. Educational content and guest behavior that is stigmatizing or otherwise discriminatory is not allowed.

All networking events as part of the formal agenda do not feature alcohol but do offer zero proof and non-alcoholic spirits for attendees.

The commUNITY conference does not use volunteers to staff the conference as we believe all individuals time should be fairly compensated without exception. Any individual participating in a planning committee, advisory review board, or staffing of the event itself is paid for their time via hourly wages or honoraria.