Miller’s Disability & Mental Health Summit set for May 8 and 9 at CCAC
Rep. Dan Miller May 5, 2025 | 11:48 AM
HARRISBURG, May 5 – Now in its 12th year, the Disability & Mental Health Summit hosted by state Rep. Dan Miller will be held May 8 and 9 at the Community College of Allegheny County’s Allegheny Campus on the North Side.
This one-of-a-kind event brings together self-advocates, parents, educators, service providers, state officials and legislators to discuss the state of disability and mental health in Pennsylvania. Free and open to the public, the summit also includes a popular Resource Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 8 with more than 140 organizations in attendance.
“The goal of the Disability and Mental Health Summit is to connect self-advocates to resources that promote independence and expand opportunities,” Miller said. “The state has promises to keep when it comes to disability and mental health, and we must ensure that everyone has the support they need to build a future right here in the Commonwealth.”
The summit will begin at 8:45 a.m. May 8 with a welcome from Miller, followed by the keynote presentation on the Importance of Medicaid at 9 a.m. Erin Gabriel, a disability and health care advocate at Pennsylvania Health Access Network; Dr. Josie Badger, founder of J. Badger Consulting Inc. and an active disability rights activist; and Miller will discuss some of the critical programs that Medicaid covers and how any cuts could impact Pennsylvanians, including some 246,800 people in Allegheny County.
Breakout sessions will occur at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon, followed by a bipartisan, bicameral Legislative Panel at 2 p.m. featuring legislators impacted by a diagnosis on:
- Supporting Families with Children with Complex Medical Needs.
- Transforming Mental Health Care Access through Prescribing Privileges for Psychologists.
- Special Education for Students in Justice Settings.
Also happening on May 8 will be the Assistive Technology Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and an Art Exhibit from Creative Citizen Studios from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. displaying unique works of art created by artists with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
May 9 will feature a Summit Futures Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., which focuses on the needs of high schoolers and young adults as they move into adulthood, as well as a Cities of Inclusion Pittsburgh Summit event hosted by the Special Olympics from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Details on all the events, panels and registration information are available at www.DisabilitySummit.com.