The BIPOC Mental Health Summit by Oregon Heals is a one-day gathering of community members, mental health professionals, advocates, and youth leaders building Oregon's next chapter of mental health equity. Oregon Heals Coalition is a statewide policy and advocacy coalition led by APANO and PCUN working to build grassroots power and advance mental health justice, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, immigrant communities, youth, and caregivers. We are excited to host our first inaugural BIPOC Mental Health Summit on August 22, 2026 at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel (8235 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97220).
Our theme “Healing Together: Across Generations, Across Communities” is grounded in the belief that mental health extends beyond the individual and is a call to action to confront isolation shaped by intergenerational trauma, cultural stigma, and systemic barriers. Through meaningful dialogue, we aim to provide space for collective healing, learning, and community transformation and empower our attendees with resources to build a future where healing is accessible, culturally grounded, and community-centered.
Workshop Tracks
Community Healing: Explore pathways to healing rooted in culture, community, and lived experience. This track focuses on community empowerment, reducing stigma, multigenerational healing and trauma, and culturally responsive approaches that honor the strengths and traditions of BIPOC communities.
Youth and Young Adult: Designed for students and emerging leaders, this track provides opportunities to build leadership and self-advocacy skills, explore one’s intersectionality, identity, and belonging, and develop the tools needed to create positive change in their communities. Sessions emphasize empowerment, civic engagement, and mental health advocacy.
Professional Development: Equip behavioral health professionals, advocates, and community leaders with practical strategies to advance equitable mental health care. Topics include delivering culturally responsive services, utilizing policy and/or advocacy tools, and implementing community-informed practices that promote trust, access, and better outcomes.
What is The Summit?
The BIPOC Mental Health Summit is a one day convening featuring workshops, speakers, and community activations. It is a space for collective healing, learning, and community transformation. Grounded in the belief that mental health extends beyond the individual, this summit seeks to shift the narrative from viewing mental health solely as a personal experience to understanding it as a reflection of the health and well-being of entire communities. Mental health is deeply personal, cultural, and contextual. We hope to challenge the limitations of Western medicine, uplift the lived experiences of BIPOC communities, and empower one another to re-imagine systems of care.
Who is it for?
Join community members, youth, and mental health professionals for programs centering meaningful dialogue, shared wisdom, and collective action, as we envision a more holistic system of mental health care. Together, we seek to break cycles of trauma, dismantle systemic barriers to care, and build a future where healing is accessible, culturally grounded, and collective.
Why does this matter?
The current mental health system does not adequately serve all people, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Equitable access to affordable, culturally responsive, and community-informed care is essential to addressing longstanding disparities and healing the impacts of intergenerational trauma.
Healing is not one-size-fits-all. It can take many forms, including reclaiming forgotten cultural healing practices, fostering multigenerational conversations, and building community-centered pathways to wellness.
Ready to join us at the Summit?
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