Schedule
4:00PM – REGISTRATION • COMMUNITY RESOURCE TABLES • VIDEO BOOTH
4:30PM – WELCOME
Dr. Loretta Denering, Dr. PH, MS, Acting Director, Ventura County Behavioral Health
Dr. Oscar Cobian, Interim President, Oxnard College
4:45PM – MINDFUL BREATH
5:00PM – KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Gabe Teran, MS • The Tale of Two Journeys
6:00PM – DINNER • COMMUNITY RESOURCE TABLES • VIDEO BOOTH
6:45–7:45PM – BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Gabe Teran, MS • Tough, but Important Conversations: Talking About Suicide Prevention
CLASSROOM CCH310
Andrea Guzman (AFSP) • More than Sad
CLASSROOM AA1
Amy Nash, BRITE • Stress-Relief Strategies for Everyone
PERFORMING ARTS BLACK BOX
7:45PM – DESSERT & CLOSING REMARKS
Our Presenters
Dr. Loretta Denering, Dr. PH, MS, Acting Director, Ventura Behavioral Health
Dr. Denering currently serves as the Acting Director for Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH), a Department of the Ventura County Health Care Agency. Dr. Denering oversees an array of mental health and substance use disorder programs and services. She received her doctorate in Public Health, with a focus in Health Promotion, Education, Evaluation, and Measurement, from Loma Linda University School of Public Health. She also holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a minor in Latin American Studies from UCLA.
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Dr. Oscar Cobian, Interim President, Oxnard College
Dr. Oscar Cobian, Interim President at Oxnard College, grew up in Ventura County. He is the first in his family to receive a college degree, starting with community college and culminating with a doctorate from the University of Southern California. Dr. Cobian has over 25 years of experience working in higher education in the area of student services. His areas of expertise include student success and matriculation, student engagement, program development and coordination, outreach, and all forms of Counseling Services.
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Gabe Teran, MS
Gabe Teran is a lifelong resident of Ventura County, living most of his life in the city of Oxnard. He has spent all of his 20-year career serving local youth, families, and communities and is a subject matter expert in the fields of health promotion and substance use prevention. Part of that work has included training communities and educators in suicide prevention. He has presented to national and statewide audiences on strategies to engage youth and youth-serving professionals in advocating for positive community change.
Tough, but Important Conversations About Suicide Prevention - In this session, we will have the opportunity to reflect on our own attitudes and beliefs about suicide and explore strategies to overcome stigma and hesitance to have open conversations about the subject.
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Andrea Guzman, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
Andrea Guzman (she/her) is the Programs Manager for the Greater Los Angeles and Central Coast Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. With a background in building programs for families and youth, Andrea’s passion and mission-focused work is dedicated to building and strengthening communities. Andrea understands and wants to share the core focus and importance of talking about mental health, suicide and suicide prevention and making it a community priority. to let others know they are not alone, and that there is strength in reaching out.
Andrea will be joined during discussion and Q & A by Jeanette Zollinger (she/her/hers), AFSP Board Co-Chair of the Los Angeles & Central Coast Chapter and the Out of the Darkness Community Walk Co-Chair for Ventura County.
More than Sad - More than Sad is a Community and Prevention Education program that teaches parents, teachers, and those who work and interact with teens how to recognize signs of depression and other mental health problems; how to initiate a conversation about mental health with their child; and how to get help.
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Amy Nash, BRITE
Amy is an improv teacher, performer, and workshop facilitator based in Santa Barbara, CA. She has designed curriculum and facilitated applied improv workshops for nonprofits, treatment centers, businesses, community organizations, and educational institutions of all levels throughout California. Amy’s intentional, experiential sessions help students of all ages to expand their capacity for empathy, collaboration, communication, and leadership. Amy holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from Bryn Mawr College.
BRITE, an initiative of Reality Improv Connection, Inc., is an acronym for Building Resilience and Inclusion Through Engagement. As a 501c3 nonprofit, BRITE passionately promotes health and well-being via the transformative power of the arts, youth development, drug & alcohol prevention, and mental health support. Through classroom workshops, video production, parent and community presentations, and community-wide events, BRITE lights the way for holistic well-being and impactful community engagement.
Stress Relief for Everyone - This breakout session offers immediate stress relief through dynamic activities, inclusivity for all backgrounds, and practical techniques to manage daily stressors, fostering community connections. The goal is to provide attendees with a meaningful experience that equips them with lasting tools for emotional well-being.
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Victoria Sayeg - Emcee
Victoria has served in Ventura County’s nonprofit or local government sector since 2004 through Gold Coast Theatre Conservatory, the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Conejo Recreation and Park District’s Hillcrest Center for the Arts. Victoria recently presented the Youth Hero Award at Diversity Collective’s annual gala and is a board member for TRANScend, a nonprofit focused on LGBTQIA+ advocacy and community building. Victoria currently serves as Director of Media and Performing Arts through BRITE, a nonprofit funded through Ventura County Behavioral Health and focused on cultural competency and substance use and abuse prevention.
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