2026 Inform USA Virtual Conference
Thursday, November 19, 2026 10:30 AM (EST) to Friday, November 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM (EST)
The virtual conference you've come to love! The Power Of Connection will provide the top-rated content tailored for front-line and entry-level team members, while providing a mix of general sessions with more leadership-level material. Join us for 18 regular sessions and 1 keynote address!
Calling all Database Curators- This year we will be adding the option of an additional day long symposium on Wednesday November 18, 2026 from 11:00 am- 4:30 pm EST. The Database Curator Symposium, a $45 add on, is a dedicated gathering designed for anyone practicing database curation to connect, learn, and discuss the critical topics, trends and challenges defining the profession today. Tailored specifically for intermediate to advanced professionals, the event centers on the essential pillars of quality assurance, data collection, and data analysis within community resource directories. Through a strategic combination of deep-dive sessions and collaborative roundtable discussions, this symposium provides advanced space for data managers and resource specialists to share practical strategies and connect with peers.
** Attending this symposium will require a ticket in addition to the purchase of the Virtual Conference ticket. Both tickets can be purchased using the blue button above.
Speaker and Session Information:
Make sure to catch one of these great sessions in November.
Stronger Together: Creating Community Partnerships That Improve Database Quality Analesse Nieves, Pocono Mountains United WayThis session explores how database curators can use resource and referral data to identify emerging trends, uncover service gaps, and better understand the populations they serve. Participants will learn practical strategies for transforming database information into actionable community intelligence that can support planning, advocacy, collaboration, and decision-making.
Suicide and Substance Misuse: What is the Connection? Sherrard Crespo, VIA LinkUnnecessary stigmatization can often be the barrier for both those who would like support and those of us who are the help-givers. Substance use and suicidal ideation are two correlating topics inundated with misunderstanding and social stigmatization due to fear. These topics are common and nothing to fear or be ashamed of. This presentation will develop a greater understanding of the facts of suicidal ideation and its development in the brain, and how suicidal ideation and risk correlate with substance use disorder and particular risk factors. The goal of this training is to enlighten, break down barriers, and educate on how to respond to those who need our support.
Complete Session List Available Now!
Keynote Speaker :
We are happy to announce member Roderick Gabriel as The Power Of Connection Keynote bringing us The Connections That Changed Everything: How Moments of Connection Changed the Trajectory of My Life.
The trajectory of my life did not change because of one extraordinary event. It changed through a series of moments when people chose to listen, guide, believe, connect, and follow through. After years of addiction, incarceration, and ultimately homelessness, I reached a point where determination alone was no longer enough. I needed people. I needed community. I needed others who could see possibility in me when I could no longer see it for myself.
Those moments became the fulcrum that shifted the direction of my life.
In this keynote, I share how meaningful human connection helped move me from homelessness and addiction toward recovery, education, family, leadership, and a career devoted to serving others. I also reflect on the Information & Referral and human service professionals whose impact often extends far beyond the interaction itself, even when they may never have the opportunity to see the outcome. I did the work to change my life, but the connections I forged helped create the conditions that made change possible.
