Events

The 3rd Annual Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness

Please save the date for the 3rd Annual Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness, December 5 – 7, 2022, to take place virtually and in Philadelphia, PA, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

This year, the Summit's theme is increasing access to community-based mental health care in order to decriminalize mental illness. Highlights of the three days include:

Day 1 – Access to Care: 988 Update

Is 988 working? A national overview of 988 and its first five months of operation, with an in-depth look at 988 in the city of Philadelphia followed by Pechakucha presentations about implementation efforts in local communities. (Visit our How to Apply page to learn how to be considered as a PechaKucha presenter at the Summit. Concept statements are due by July 15, 2022.)

Day 2 – Access to Care: Diverse Strategies and Innovative Ideas

What is essential to decriminalize mental illness? A day to collaborate and investigate through discussion, interactive workshops, and experiential learning–including the essential ingredients to increasing access to care in communities.

Day 3 – Access to Care: Reframing the Conversation

Can we move beyond traditional destigmatization campaigns in order to reframe mental illness and elevate perceptions of psychiatry? This half-day interactive workshop will be led by GREY—a global advertising agency—and will address deep-seated heuristics and cultural behaviors around mental illness and psychiatry in order to evoke empathy and change the conversation.

More details and registration information about the 2022 Summit will be released soon. In the meantime, view recordings from the 2021 Summit, or the short recap video.

We gladly welcome your ideas for Summit topics, speakers, or any other input you may wish to share. Please submit your suggestions by emailing [email protected].

There is no registration fee for the Summit. Participants must cover their own expenses related to travel and lodging. A small number scholarships are available for those requiring support to attend. More information will be available when registration for the Summit opens later this summer.

Recordings from the 2020 Inaugural Sozosei Summit are available here.
Recordings from the 2021 Sozosei Summit are available here.

December 5, 2022 — December 7, 2022

Past Events

SOZOSEI SUMMIT 2020

Dec 14 - 16, 2020

The inaugural Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness was a three-day event in December 2020. We were honored to have more than 200 multi-disciplinary stakeholders-including advocates, people with lived experience, policy makers, academics, philanthropic leaders, and other experts on mental health and criminal justice— share knowledge and perspectives focused on creating a future where mental illness is not treated as a crime in the United States.

Learn more