VT Peer Learning Conference 2026
Building a Certified Peer Workforce Rooted in Lived Experience
The Vermont Peer Credentialing Center is the official hub for credentialing peer support providers — individuals who use their own lived experience of mental health, substance use, and trauma recovery to support others on their journeys.
Through a partnership with the Vermont Department of Mental Health and the Office of Professional Regulation, the Center upholds the values of mutuality, respect, and self-determination that define peer support. Certification through this program recognizes a provider’s experience, training, and commitment to ethical, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented practice.
The Vermont Peer Credentialing Center is more than a gatekeeper of certification; it is a resource for ongoing growth, integrity, and connection within the peer community. Together, we are strengthening the peer workforce and advancing a vision of wellness grounded in hope, human rights, and shared experience.
Day of Learning: Schedule & Workshops
The conference schedule was thoughtfully designed to provide a balance of inspiration, practical skill-building, and opportunities for connection. Participants chose from a variety of interactive workshops led by experienced peer support providers and leaders on topics including communication, healthy boundaries, self-compassion, strengths-based practice, advocacy, leadership, wellness, and community participation. Sessions emphasized real-world strategies, mutual learning, and the core values of peer support, while creating space for meaningful discussion, networking, and reflection throughout the day.
Vermont Peer Learning Conference 2026
Join us for a day of learning, connection, and community at the Vermont Peer Learning Conference on Friday, June 26 from 10:00am–5:00pm at the Vermont State University Randolph Campus. This uplifting gathering will bring together Peer Support Providers, advocates, leaders, and community members from across Vermont for a meaningful day focused on wellness, leadership, recovery, and the power of peer support.
The conference will feature inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, opportunities to build new connections, and continuing education for Peer Support Providers. Lunch will be provided.
This is a FREE event made possible through significant community investment and partnership. Because space is limited and costs are substantial, we ask that you please register only if you are committed to attending. If your plans change for any reason, we kindly ask that you notify us as soon as possible so that we may offer your seat to someone else.We look forward to learning and growing together in a hopeful, welcoming, and engaging environment.
Want to Present at the Conference? Proposals DUE no later than June 1.
Workshop Proposal Information
If you have questions or want to volunteer, please let me know! The Copeland Center looks forward to seeing you there. Email: [email protected]
Announcing Keynote Speaker
We are happy to announce Len Statham as a keynote speaker for the Vermont Peer Learning Conference. Len will present “Our Stories Matter: Peer Support, ReStory, and the Power of Human Connection,” an inspiring and reflective conversation on the role of storytelling, lived experience, and authentic human connection in recovery and wellbeing.
Len Statham, M.S. is the founder of ReStory, a wellness and storytelling platform that helps individuals and organizations reconnect with meaning, identity, and transformation through reflective storytelling practices. He is the author of 5 Greatest Moments: Being Gratefully Present in a Chaotic World, a book that encourages readers to slow down, recognize meaningful moments, and cultivate gratitude and presence in everyday life. He also serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Alliance for Rights and Recovery and has spent more than 25 years advancing peer support, psychiatric rehabilitation, and recovery-focused systems transformation. Through both professional and personal experience, Len brings a powerful perspective on hope, healing, and the importance of our shared stories.
Stay Updated
You are invited to stay connected and learn more about trainings, wellbeing programs, continuing education opportunities, and more!