Elevating Voices, Shaping Futures: Highlights from the 2025 Central California Behavioral Health Conference

On April 25, 2025, the Central California Behavioral Health Conference welcomed students, faculty, and mental health professionals for a vibrant day of connection, learning, and conversation. Hosted by the San Joaquin Valley Integrated Behavioral Health Project (SJVIBHP), the event focused on uplifting student voices, engaging community members interested in careers in psychology, and exploring the future of the field.

This year’s conference featured a graduate psychology student panel, a research poster session, and a keynote address by the President of the American Psychological Association (APA), Dr. Debra Kawahara.

The day began with a graduate psychology student panel showcasing students who have pursued various graduate degrees—including I/O psychology, clinical psychology, and school psychology—at Alliant International University, Fresno, and California State University, Fresno. The audience was highly engaged and posed thoughtful questions to the panelists. A special shoutout goes to Psychology Instructor Dr. Mary Ann Valentino from Fresno City College for bringing her students to explore diverse pathways in psychology.

The student poster session highlighted a wide range of high-quality research, including topics such as the impact of collaboration on cognitive function, cultural and identity-based experiences among minority groups, the psychological effects of substance use, online behavior and emotional well-being, trauma and its influence on legal decision-making, and mental health professionals’ responses to forensic issues. The Best Poster Award was presented to Noemi Gonzalez and Sydney Bray from Fresno Pacific University, under the supervision of Dr. James Van Slyke.

The day concluded with Dr. Debra Kawahara’s powerful keynote on the evolving landscape of psychology, emphasizing psychologists’ contributions to AI, legal systems, education, and more. She shared personal reflections on the role of mentorship in her journey and encouraged attendees to be vulnerable, authentic, and generous as they embark on careers in psychology.

Conference attendees appreciated the opportunity to connect with peers and professionals in a setting that fostered both intellectual and personal growth. They offered thoughtful suggestions for future events, including longer student panels, increased cross-university collaboration, and small work groups to deepen discussion and networking. Additional ideas included expanding poster presentation time, adding workshops on psychology career pathways, and inviting speakers from neuroscience and cognitive science. One attendee recommended a multidisciplinary event to explore how diverse mental health professions can collaborate to improve outcomes—an idea that aligns with SJVIBHP’s mission!

The 2025 Central California Behavioral Health Conference included strong attendance, engaged participation, and future-oriented feedback, highlighting the region’s dedication to cultivating the next generation of behavioral health professionals. The San Joaquin Valley Integrated Behavioral Health Project (SJVIBHP) looks forward to continuing this important work in future events.

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Sabrina Wills is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Alliant International University, Fresno. Originally from the Midwest, she relocated to California’s San Joaquin Valley with a commitment to serving culturally diverse and underserved populations in the Central Valley. Her current work focuses on forensic psychology, though her passions are broad and extend to serving marginalized communities with limited access to mental health resources.