Cinderblocks 2026 Amity Fellowship Hall, 315 Center Street, Meyersdale, PA
Thursday, June 18, 2026
We thank our sponsor
and Singula Institute
8:00am Breakfast
8:30am Opening Remarks: Regina Holliday, founder of The Walking Gallery of Healthcare
9:00am Kelly Rhodes, Open Rhodes 2 Recovery
Kelly Rhodes CRSS CRS FPS - Open Rhodes 2 Recovery Inc (OR2R) Founder/Executive Director
Kelly Rhodes' speech will talk about the importance of community support / peer support in the healing process of recovery both Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder. The speech will highlight the importance of peer support and where peer support fits into the treatment models we use today.
Kelly Rhodes is a person in long-term recovery from opioid use disorder, a journey that began following the tragic loss of her beloved brother, Clifford Rhodes, on November 4, 2016. His passing became the catalyst for Kelly's commitment to a life of recovery, purpose, and service to others.
In honor of Clifford’s memory, Kelly founded Open Rhodes 2 Recovery Inc (OR2R), Somerset County’s first 501(c)(3) nonprofit Recovery Community Organization. Under his leadership, OR2R has become a sanctuary of hope, support, and compassion for individuals navigating recovery. Through lived experience, community connection, and access to essential resources, the organization helps build recovery capital and fosters long-term healing.
Kelly is a passionate advocate for Peer Support Services and the critical role peers play as a medically necessary component of care. Kelly is dedicated to advancing person-centered approaches and believes strongly in individualized pathways to recovery. Through education and advocacy, Kelly works to reduce stigma and empower individuals to find the path that best supports their recovery journey.
9:30am Tiffany Rains: Advocacy Tools That improve Health Outcomes
Navigating medical crises can be frightening. Tiffany has decades of experience in advocacy for herself and her children in complex health circumstances. From a torn meniscus at 15, chronic back pain in her 20s, personalized birth experiences in her 30’s, to supporting her children through chronic illnesses. Then, most recently, in 2025 she had a chance to use it all again, going through spinal surgery for a spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak and brain surgery less than four months later, to remove a tumor that had grown through her skull.
Intense life experiences activate new skills, and she’s had a lot of opportunities to flex the medical self advocacy muscles. She will share some specific and applicable tools she has used, which can be adapted to use in many circumstances.
Intense life experiences activate new skills, and she’s had a lot of opportunities to flex the medical self advocacy muscles. She will share some specific and applicable tools she has used, which can be adapted to use in many circumstances.
10:00am Josh Rubin, Program Officer for Learning Health System Initiatives at University of Michigan Medical School. Singula Institute is about applying Learning Health System principles to mental health,
10:30am Crossroads Treatment Center
11:00 Roundtable on
1:00pm Shannon Shine is a dynamic leader and creative force dedicated to empowering individuals and communities through transformational speaking, team building, and creative expression. As a seasoned public speaker, intuitive guide, and community facilitator, she specializes in fostering connection, resilience, and creativity to help people and organizations thrive. With over 10 years of experience, she has worked with diverse groups to develop inclusive strategies, manage teams, curate events, and inspire meaningful action. She also combines her expertise as a certified wellness and natural health professional with my artistic talents in mixed media and sound meditation to deliver impactful experiences tailored to individual and organizational needs.
1:30 pm Pamela Dornburg: Community Events are Good for Mental Health
2:00 pm No Longer Bowling Alone: Organizations, Fraternal Societies, and the Church on Creating Community. Grantsville Rotary and other community representatives will be present on this topic.
3:00 pm Renae Billow presentation on Community Life
Community LIFE is a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly, committed to enabling older adults to remain at home while preserving their dignity, independence and quality of life. The program brings the region’s experts in geriatric medicine and care together to work as a team in specialized Day Centers, to help older adults enjoy the highest quality of life possible. Community Life professionals work on the patient’s schedule, and are committed to keeping older adults independent, and in their homes. The range of services are designed to meet the varied needs of seniors, and include medical care, social services, meals, activities, transportation and much more.
4:00 Jan Oldenburg passed the National exam to be a certified SHIP (State Health Insurance Program) counsellor. It's a volunteer program--and there's one in every state, generally run by the Department of Aging. She is certified to help people make their Medicare or MA selections, help them apply for Medicare Savings Programs, if they qualify, and generally solve problems they may be having with Medicare or Medicare/Medicaid. This is an all volunteer program and feels like a worthy way of giving back to the community.
Jan is also an incredibly talented jewelry artist and a nationally recognized thought leader on personal health engagement, with exceptional communication and public speaking skills. She is focused on transforming healthcare and the physician-patient relationship through digital tools.
Evening activities: Walking the Train Bridge in Meyersdale and a performance of Ross Martin's Music.
Conference Day 2, Friday, June 19, 2026
8:00am Breakfast
9:00 am Emily Edwards, Mayor. Maven. Mountain Muse. Running on Rosé and Regional Planning.
The mayor of Grantsville Maryland will talk about all the amazing things happening in that community.
10:00 am Stephen Zirkle, Pastor of Ravenswood Church of the Nazarene, presentation on church within community and information about services for youth in and after foster care.
11:00am Regina Holliday: The Patient Story
Noon Lunch
1:00pm Help Beyond Hurt: Trauma Informed Care
Jennifer Boland will be sharing about the work of our local Hope Beyond Hurt Trauma Informed Coalition while discussing the impact of trauma and the power of positive experiences to build individual and community resilience.
Jennifer Boland, M.A. serves as the Regional Prevention Programs Coordinator for The Learning Lamp, Inc. With a master's degree in Counseling Psychology and over 15 years of experience, Jennifer has led and implemented numerous evidence-based prevention programs supporting children, youth, and families across the Laurel Highlands. A Certified Bounce Back Clinician and Trainer, she provides trauma-informed interventions in schools and community settings and works to expand prevention programs like Blues, Bounce Back, CBITS, and Too Good for Drugs throughout Somerset County. As a foster and adoptive parent, Jennifer's passion for helping children heal from trauma and realize their full potential is both professional and deeply personal. She serves on the steering committee for the Hope Beyond Hurt Trauma-Informed Coalition, where she chairs the Education and Training Action Team, is a certified HOPE Facilitator and a Lakeside Global Institute Adjunct Trainer. Jennifer also serves on the state-wide HEAL PA Executive Steering Council. In addition to her direct work with children and families, Jennifer is a dedicated community advocate, working to advance trauma awareness, strengthen collaboration, and create systemic change that supports resilience and wellbeing for all. Her work reflects her steadfast belief that our children are our future - and that healing and resilience can transform communities.
2:00pm Twila Bender & Brittany Miller from Mountain Laurel Medical Center will give a presentation on all their services. Services include medical doctors, onsite lab services, imaging, pharmacy, transportation, registered dietitian, insurance navigation and referral team. They will also speak about how to organize care providers and fill in the gaps.
3:00 Tour of the MAMA Free Store and the Vision of Patricia Woullard
4:00 Summing things up and making plans for next year.
