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Priscilla Ridgway work has always focused on human rights, recovery, services that support recovery, and amplifying the voice of mental health consumers. Her work in the field of mental health spans more than 30 years and for the last 20 years she has worked within organizations committed to innovation and building recovery paradigm knowledge. She has been invited to speak all across the United States, England, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. She has more than thirty five articles in print along with several book chapters and manuals that she has written. Her education includes a BA, MSW and PhD in Social Work. She has also learned a great deal through her personal experience of recovery from brain trauma and post traumatic stress disorder.

Dori S. Hutchinson has worked at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University for 25 years. She currently serves as the Director of Services Division which serves women, men and young adults who live with serious psychiatric illnesses who may also be homeless, at risk for homelessness and experience significant co-morbidiites. Dr. Hutchinson was the 2000 recipient of the International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services Association’s (IAPSRS) Early Career Research Award for her contributions on health issues for persons with serious psychiatric disabilities. She served as the chairwoman of the research committee now known as USPRA, from 2002-2004 and is currently an elected member of the National Board of Directors. Dr. Hutchinson was a member of the planning committee of SAMHSA’s Wellness Summit and helped design the 10 by 10 National Campaign to reduce the premature mortality rate in persons who live with psychiatric illnesses.

Dr. Hutchinson has developed and implemented recovery-oriented service initiatives that assist people who have mental illness assume their rightful roles as students, employees, residents and members of their communities. As Director, she has had the opportunity to hire and work as a colleague and supervisor to people in recovery for twenty years and has developed practice-based strategies that support the full inclusion of people in recovery in the mental health workforce. Dr. Hutchinson provides training nationally to organizations and providers, who wish to deliver recovery-oriented services, hire people in recovery as colleagues and conduct relevant program evaluations.

Arlene Solomon has worked extensively in the field of psychiatric and vocational rehabilitation. Currently, she is Director of Employment Services at Horizon House in Philadelphia as well as Co-Director of Knowledge Translation for the University of Pennsylvania Collaborative on Community Integration. Her past experience includes teaching at the Medical College of PA in the Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education working with mental health professionals throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

Arlene has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), and a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Professional (CPRP) since July 2003. She has served on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services (PAPSRS) for the past 12 years and has co-chaired the annual conference. She is a frequent presenter at conferences on a variety of topics on community integration, recovery, and psychiatric rehabilitation. She co-authored the chapter on Foundation Skills in the recently published Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills in Practice: A CPRP Preparation and Skills Workbook published by USPRA. Besides helping people obtain careers, Arlene’s latest passion is developing supported education programs for individuals with psychiatric disabilities, giving them the needed support to complete college or a post-secondary certificate program and establish a career.