The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education at The Chicago School (NRCI), a leading Chicago-area organization that promotes mental health education and suicide prevention programs, announces its 24th Annual Community Mental Health Conference, Alone Together: Confronting Loneliness Across the Lifespan. The full-day event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Evanston Township High School, located at 1600 Dodge Ave.
This conference, which is open to the public, brings together practitioners, educators, researchers, students and community members to explore how loneliness affects people at every stage of life, and ways to strengthen connections across clinical practices, schools, workplaces, families and neighborhoods throughout Chicagoland communities.
“Loneliness affects individuals, families, and communities across every stage of life, from children to older adults,” said NRCI Executive Director Tracy Levine. “Recognized as a growing public health crisis, it was the focus of a 2023 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General, which highlighted both the risks of social isolation and the healing power of connection. This conference offers practical strategies to reduce stigma, strengthen belonging, and promote well-being across clinical settings, schools, workplaces, families, and the communities we serve.”
This year’s featured panel, moderated by Dr. Alisha DeWalt, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at The Chicago School, will bring together leading voices across research, clinical practice, and lived experience to explore loneliness across the lifespan. Panelists include Nell Compernolle, Ph.D., senior research scientist at The Bridge at NORC at the University of Chicago; Sarah Bier, PMHNP-BC, CNM-FPA, APN, psychiatric nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife at Psychiatry Studio; and Erin Arnheim, founder of Lense Advisory. Together, the panel will examine how loneliness manifests from adolescence to older adulthood and how social change, life transitions, and cultural expectations contribute to disconnection.
Additional presenters will lead two afternoon rounds of breakout sessions exploring loneliness across a wide range of contexts and life stages, from workplace systems, late life, and substance use to children and young adults, neurodivergence, adoption-related grief, nutrition, violence prevention, and culturally responsive approaches to belonging in Hispanic/Latino communities. Designed for professionals, caregivers, educators, advocates, and community members, these sessions will offer research-informed perspectives and practical strategies to strengthen connection, support well-being, and respond to isolation in real-world settings.
NRCI, established through a partnership with the Naomi Ruth Cohen Charitable Foundation and The Chicago School in 2008, is committed to reducing stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide throughout the Chicagoland area by expanding access to education, fostering understanding, and encouraging open, honest conversations about mental health.
To purchase tickets and learn more about NRCI’s 24th Annual Community Mental Health Conference, Alone Together: Confronting Loneliness Across the Lifespan, visit naomicoheninstitute.org/conferences/2026-conference. Prices range from $10 to $45, with scholarships available. Attending licensed professionals have the option to obtain continuing education credits for attending.