Baltimore Maryland (April 27, 2026) — The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) was proud to host two workshops at NCADD Maryland’s 38th Annual Tuerk Conference on Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, held on Tuesday, April 15, 2026, at the Baltimore Convention Center.
With a record 1,800 attendees this year, the Tuerk Conference is the largest one-day addiction treatment conference on the East Coast. NCADD was honored to be part of this important gathering of professionals, advocates, and community leaders working across prevention, treatment, and recovery.
The youth-focused workshop drew standing-room-only attendance, reflecting strong interest in prevention and recovery supports for adolescents and young adults. The session featured Tiffinee Scott, Young People in Recovery Baltimore Chapter Lead, who presented on youth-centered strategies for engaging adolescents and young adults across the continuum of prevention and recovery support. Her presentation highlighted the importance of trusted relationships, peer support, life-skills development, stigma reduction, and building recovery-supportive environments for young people.
During the workshop, NCADD Executive Director Denise L. Kolivoski, MBA also spoke about NCADD’s legacy and the pioneering work of NCADD founder Marty Mann, one of the first women to publicly champion the understanding that alcohol use disorder is a disease and not a moral failing. Kolivoski also promoted Marty Mann’s birthday and NCADD’s #StandWithMarty social media campaign, which generated enthusiastic interest among participants.
In addition to the youth workshop, NCADD hosted an in-person Coffee Connections session, where participants enjoyed coffee, conversation, professional networking, and practical leadership discussion. The session created a welcoming space for recovery professionals and partners to connect, exchange ideas, and explore topics related to communication, wellness, trust, and leadership in recovery-focused work.
“This was a meaningful opportunity for NCADD to share our mission, connect with professionals in the field, and highlight the importance of both youth engagement and leadership development in recovery,” said Denise L. Kolivoski, MBA, Executive Director of NCADD. “We were grateful to be part of such a strong conference and encouraged by the energy, dialogue, and collaboration throughout the day.”
NCADD extends its sincere thanks to Rob White, NCADD Maryland Board President, and Dr. Nancy Rosen-Cohen, NCADD Maryland Executive Director, for the invitation to host workshops at the conference. NCADD also thanks Young People in Recovery for its collaboration in bringing the youth-focused session to life.
The annual conference is named in memory of Dr. Isadore Tuerk, a Baltimore psychiatrist and former Maryland Mental Health Commissioner whose leadership helped shape the field of alcohol and addiction treatment in Maryland and beyond.
NCADD’s presence at the Tuerk Conference reflected its ongoing commitment to education, advocacy, and support for individuals, families, professionals, and communities impacted by substance use. Through sessions like these, NCADD continues to strengthen dialogue, build partnerships, and advance recovery across the country.