The Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery will convene for its third annual gathering March 24-26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland, bringing together stakeholders from across the nation to address what organizers call the number one public health issue facing young people today: alcohol and other drug use. The conference, hosted at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, represents the first sustained national effort in over a decade to coordinate prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies for youth substance use disorders. This year's theme, "From risk to resilience: Transforming youth substance use care," emphasizes transformative approaches to addressing the crisis.
Why the National Youth Recovery Conference Matters Now
"We haven't got time to spare; we haven't got time to waste. New casualties are happening every single day for substance use disorder," said Dr. John Kelly, founder and director of the National Center on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, which organizes the conference. "Urgency is key. Action is key and that is why we are here."
According to the conference website at youthrecoveryanswers.org, the event draws participants from multiple sectors including healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, educators, and families affected by youth substance use. The multi-day program features plenary sessions with federal health officials, concurrent breakout sessions covering specialized topics, and networking opportunities for attendees.
Key Themes: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery for Youth
The conference structure includes three primary tracks addressing different aspects of youth substance use intervention. The Prevention track focuses on early interventions designed to reduce immediate harm during adolescence and prevent lifelong problems. The Treatment track emphasizes novel approaches developed specifically for youth populations, with particular attention to reducing disparities among minority communities.
"There is a pressing need to identify novel treatments and practices that have been developed specifically for youth, and for these to have been developed with youth and family input," according to the conference mission statement published on its website.
The Recovery track examines recovery-oriented systems of care, reflecting what organizers describe as a transformational shift in approaching youth substance use. This includes evidence-based interventions, education-based prevention and recovery supports, and community-based recovery programs.
What Attendees Can Expect at the 2026 Baltimore Conference
Confirmed speakers include federal officials from multiple agencies. Tom Coderre, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Dr. Roselyn Tso, Director of the Indian Health Service, and Rod K. Robinson, Deputy Associate Director, are among the scheduled presenters, according to the conference speaker roster.
The conference places special emphasis on culturally grounded approaches for populations at elevated risk. "Proposals that highlight culturally grounded recovery pathways and community-led recovery supports for populations at elevated risk, including Native American youth, are especially welcome," the conference materials state.
Andrew Finch, a speaker from a previous conference, highlighted the unique challenges of adolescent substance use. "One big difference for adolescence is that their brains are still developing. They're young. 12- and 13-year-olds using substances is a different picture than a 25, 30, or 40 year old and that is something we have to somehow acknowledge in the recovery process," Finch noted in remarks published on the conference website.
Captain Christopher Jones emphasized the interconnected nature of prevention and treatment efforts. "Prevention, treatment, and recovery should not be siloed, because it's all connected. We do things as parents that influences kids. So, supporting parents, helping them achieve recovery, getting into treatment, is preventative for the next generation," Jones stated.
The conference also addresses critical gaps in overdose prevention education. Deborah Schmill noted, "Our kids starting in at least middle school on need to be learning about fentanyl and should be learning how to administer Narcan. I think that is a big gap in overdose prevention."
Registration for the conference is now open through the youthrecoveryanswers.org website. The organization is offering registration awards to increase accessibility for participants who face financial barriers to attendance. Hotel accommodations are available at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore at a conference rate of $260 plus tax.
The conference schedule includes daily recovery meetings beginning at 7:00 AM, followed by breakfast and plenary sessions at 8:30 AM. Multiple concurrent breakout sessions run throughout each day, with lunch provided by the conference. Networking and poster sessions conclude each afternoon.
Dr. Emily Hennessy, Associate Director of Biostatistics at the National Center on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, previously emphasized the significance of the gathering. "This is the first joint national meeting in over a decade convened to address this public health imperative," according to conference promotional materials.
The National Center on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, based at the Recovery Research Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, has organized the conference annually since 2024. Additional information and registration details are available at youthrecoveryanswers.org or by contacting info@youthrecoveryanswers.org.
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