Administrators' Conference

For Leaders Within BHTP Member Agencies

Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 8:30am - 4:00pm CST
In-Person with Virtual Availability
Fee: Attend for free
Continuing Education Hours: 4.0
Note: While our preference is for in-person attendance, we understand that virtual might work best for some people. Please choose your modality when registering.

Register

Course Description

Agenda:

Morning: 
8:30 - 9:15am - Check in and refreshments
9:15 - 11:15am - BHTP Administrators' Meeting (Agenda will be sent via email prior to the meeting)
11:15am - 12:00pm - Lunch (provided)

Afternoon: 
12:00 - 4:00pm - Training (4.0 Continuing Education Hours)

Accountability in Action: Creating a Culture of Direct Feedback, Clear Boundaries, and Consistent Follow-Through

This 4-hour, highly interactive training is designed for leaders and managers in behavioral health organizations. Grounded in the Crucial Accountability framework, this session focuses on practical leadership behaviors that strengthen performance management and build a culture of trust, clarity, consistency, and universal accountability, where all staff share responsibility for addressing concerns, honoring commitments, and following through. 

This session also serves as the kick-off experience for organizational administrators, introducing the broader Crucial Skills for Leaders training series launching in Spring 2027 and building commitment to its rollout. The series is designed for leaders at all levels, from front-line supervisors to managers, and will focus on developing practical leadership skills in creating psychological safety, managing performance, influencing others, and navigating conflict and challenging conversations. Together, these trainings help leaders build stronger teams, navigate difficult conversations, and create cultures of accountability and trust.

During this kickoff session, administrators will gain exposure to core accountability concepts, understand how these skills connect to the full leadership development series, and explore their critical role in supporting implementation and sustainment of the training within their organizations.

Participants will also engage in practical skill-building, exploring why accountability often breaks down in behavioral health settings, how avoidance impacts team dynamics, and how effective leaders address challenges directly and early. Through real-world scenarios, guided practice, and reflection, leaders will develop confidence in holding respectful, clear conversations, addressing challenges early, and ensuring consistent follow-through.

The training concludes with reflection and action planning, equipping participants to begin modeling the accountability practices that will be reinforced and expanded throughout the full leadership series.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate accountability from punishment and explain its impact on team culture and performance. 
2. Describe the purpose and structure of the upcoming Crucial Skills for Leaders series and the role administrators play in supporting its implementation and success.
3. Identify early signs of accountability breakdowns, including missed commitments, boundary violations, and inconsistent follow-through. 
4. Conduct direct, respectful accountability conversations using clear language, fact-based communication, and appropriate boundaries. 
5. Respond effectively to defensiveness and emotional reactions while maintaining professionalism and clarity. 
6. Demonstrate consistent follow-through practices, including setting expectations, documenting outcomes, and reinforcing improvement. 
7. Explain how accountability practices connect to broader leadership skills, including psychological safety, conflict management, and performance leadership addressed in the full series.
8. Develop a personal action plan to address a real accountability challenge and begin modeling expectations for their teams.

Location:

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Dreyfus University Center - Legacy Room
1015 Reserve Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481

Parking permits will be provided.

Lodging:

For those needing lodging, a room block has been established at the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites, Stevens Point, 1117 Centerpoint Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54481 for $98 per night. To make a reservation under this block, call Cobblestone Hotel & Suites at 715-343-0522 and the block is under BHTP Administrators. This block will be available until August 29, 2026. If you need tax exemption applied to your reservation, please also let them know that you will need an S211 form.

If you have any questions, please email bhtp@uwgb.edu.

Tess Parker, LMSW

Tess Parker is an accomplished trainer, clinical therapist, and educator. As a former program director in behavioral health, she leverages her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver in a career dedicated to serving individuals experiencing mental health emergencies in both outpatient, and residential settings. Tess believes authenticity and vulnerability are at the core of human connection, and this belief is the foundation of her clinical and consultative approach. Tess has an uncanny ability to strategically identify critical gaps in care and then create programs to bridge those gaps and truly save lives. She is also an avid writer, a minimalist at heart, and values meaningful connections with persons served, customers, and her community.
 

Adam Graham, LPC-MHSP

Adam Graham, LPC-MHSP, loves helping interdisciplinary groups find new solutions to challenging problems. From the medical, psychological, recovery, and law enforcement communities to government to the private sector, Adam has gained invaluable experiences and insights that, in dialogue, can move mountains to serve people experiencing a mental health crisis. Trained as a clinical therapist, Adam has served these groups in his 14 years in the community mental health system as a clinician and emergency psychiatric services director, as well as in the roles of professor, threat assessment consultant to federal law enforcement, and international volunteer aid worker. Based in Nashville, TN, he joyfully fulfills the local obligation to be a musician, as well as an experienced trainer, presenter, problem-solver, and leader.