Seeking Presenters/Proposals for Lived Experience & Recovery Network Conference. Submit by April 10.
Event date: -
Event location: Offline
Event address: North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Event type: Single day (a day or less)
Call out for Lived Experience and Recovery (LERN) Network's 2026 Conference Proposals/Presenters!
LERN invites individuals to submit proposals for this year’s 2026 LERN Conference. This conference is taking place on July 9 and 10, in North Bay at the Hampton Inn.
This year’s theme is Hope and Healing: The Peer Support Journey! Proposals can be submitted by accessing the link below and completing the Google form or by completing the Word document (please email us for the doc). Google Form Link to Submit Proposal:(https://forms.gle/Z1zbJBqfy7zMk3QL7)
Please submit by April 10, 2026.
Presentation Topics: We welcome proposals that reflect lived/living experience, uphold peer support values, and offer practical insights that strengthen hope and healing across the peer support journey. Presentations should be respectful and grounded in the mental health and substance use/addictions peer support community, in relation to our 2026 conference theme.
Presentations may include, but are not limited to:
• Cultivating Hope in Peer Support
• Healing Through Connection and Belonging
• Navigating the Peer Support Journey in Diverse Work Settings
• Peer Support, Burnout, and Renewal
• Self-Healing and Self-Care as Peer Practice
• Hope, Healing, and Lived Experience Leadership
• Cultural, Community, and Identity-Based Healing
*Please note that we also encourage submissions for future presentations and/or webinars.
Our conference is open to LERN member organizations; however, proposal/presentation submissions are open to all (please read submission requirements below):
Proposal Submission Requirements: Please Include:
• Presenter(s), name of organization/service (if applicable) and contact details
• Presentation topic and title • Brief biography of presenter(s) max of 50 -70 words
• Presentation information (purpose/goal, how it relates to our theme, target audience (or limitation), what attendees will learn or gain from this, any forms of triggers to inform attendees respectfully)
• Presentation details (including length, format, whether attendees can interact or ask questions, requirements, etc.)
• Presenter’s availability on July 9 (morning/afternoon or both) and July 10 (morning only)
• Requirements for presentation: Do you require any audio and/or visual requirements? (i.e., projector, speakers, etc.)
Presentation Requirements:
• Presenters must be available to join us in person in North Bay on July 9 or July 10.
• Provide all the proposal requirements listed above
• Be comfortable presenting to a live audience with primarily Peer Support Workers
• Be able to present for at least a minimum of forty-five minutes to one hour
• Be respectful, kind, and friendly to all diverse attendees
• If you have another format (music, art, poems, posters, etc.) to submit, please do so, as all submissions will be greatly appreciated and considered
LERN Will:
• Provide the presenter with conference details and registration
• Be of support to the presenter as required and/or needed
• Advocate for a respectful, diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for everyone, everywhere. This means we require our presentations and presenters to have the same or a similar approach.
For further information or inquiries, please contact LERN's:
• Education and Support Coordinator: Erin Russell: e.russell@livedexperience.org and/or 249-591-1467
• Regional Director: Kari Sterling: rd@livedexperience.org and/or 705-840-1818