Let’s Talk About It.
A Conversation about Addiction. The Experts. The Advocates. The Answers.
An event hosted for Los Angeles Youth Mental Health Coalition’s Youth Wellness Day. Moderated by Lynne Pedersen, founder of the award-winning early intervention nonprofit ONE Recovery and school-based program ONE On Campus.
DATE:
04 may 2025
time:
7:00PM - 8:30PM PST
TICKETS:
FREE
TYPE:
WEBINAR
eventbrite:
ONE Advisory Board Members—Dr. Timothy Fong, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and renowned Interventionist Candy Finnigan—will join Mental Health Advocate Angel Conrad to share insights, lived experiences, and professional expertise. Together, they will offer meaningful guidance and pathways to recovery for your family.
Dr. Timothy Fong. is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.
Dr. Fong completed his undergraduate and medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago. He then came to UCLA and finished his residency in adult general psychiatry in 2002 and was the first accredited addiction psychiatry fellow at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (2002-2004).
He is the co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program (UGSP). The purpose of this program is to examine the underlying causes and clinical characteristics of gambling disorder in order to develop effective, evidence-based treatment strategies.
Finally, he is part of the faculty leadership of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, a multidisciplinary effort to examine the full impact of cannabis on the body, mind and brain.
Candy Finnigan. Interventionist. A&Es Intervention. Author. Advocate. Candy Finnigan is a nationally recognized addiction specialist and interventionist and has been involved in all areas of recovery for over 30 years.
She received her Certificate in Alcohol-Drug Counseling skills and her Certificate in Alcohol-Drug Abuse Studies from UCLA in 1993. Involved not only as an interventionist, but also in relapse prevention, she holds a certificate in the Gorski method and was trained in 1996 by Terence Gorski. Her internships were done at Cedars-Sinai Hospital where she worked in Addiction Services and C.P.C. Westwood Hospital.
She received her intervention training in 1991, from Dr. Vernon Johnson, when intervention was relatively new. In 2001 she was trained in Systemic Family Intervention. She has enjoyed professional relationships with many treatment centers nationally and internationally.
Candy did work with the students at Beverly Hills High School as a drug and alcohol specialist/counselor for 11 years, acting as facilitator of the “Sober Lunch” program. She is a Certified Master Addiction Counselor III and a Board Registered Interventionist II. She belongs to the Association of Intervention Specialists.
Angel Carter Conrad. Angel Carter Conrad is a wife, mother, and passionate advocate for mental health. Inspired by the tragic passing of her twin brother, Aaron, and two older sisters, Leslie and Bobbie Jean; Angel’s work is focused on children’s mental health and her desire to help families by sharing her story.
From an early age, Angel experienced trauma within her home surrounded by addiction, abuse and dysfunction. Despite the success of her older brother Nick, who joined the Backstreet Boys when Angel was only 4 years old, her family’s tragedy has only further enforced Angel’s mission to help others.
Angel finds purpose in working to break her family’s generational dysfunction, taking a proactive approach to mental health in hopes that she can help eliminate the stigma and create healthy conversations as an advocate and champion for The Kids Mental Health Foundation. Alongside her husband Corey, Angel serves as a co-chair for their annual Family Celebration Day event hosted in Los Angeles, California, where they reside with their daughter and two dogs. https://www.kidsmentalhealthfoundation.org/
Lynne Pedersen (Butler). CADC-II, ICADC, CEO/Founder Lynne’s leadership laid the foundation for two of the nation’s largest—and most respected—residential programs. Known for her unmatched passion and lifelong commitment, Lynne has been a powerful force in reshaping how mental health services support young people.
After more than 30 years in the adolescent residential treatment space, Lynne shifted her focus in 2015. She had grown increasingly concerned by the rising number of young people placed on waitlists for treatment. To her, this pointed to a glaring gap in the mental health landscape: a lack of meaningful support available before a young person reaches a full-blown crisis.
In response, Lynne founded ONE—the first early intervention program built on the power of inspiration and human connection. At ONE, a diagnosis isn’t required. There is no checklist of symptoms to qualify. The only requirement is a willingness to be inspired.
She soon launched The ONE Exchange, a pioneering, campus-based restorative justice initiative. Instead of facing suspension for a school infraction, students can participate in ONE meetings. Upon completion, the incident is cleared from their record. It’s a rare but vital opportunity to turn a misstep into momentum—a second chance that fosters growth, not punishment.
In 2020, Lynne launched www.ATCretreats.com the first 7-day/6-night motivational retreat program of its kind.
To visit ONE Recovery and the campus-based program of ONE. www.oneoncampus.com
Lynne is a proud member of the LAYMHC Steering Committee and is honored to host this event. To visit more events for Los Angeles Youth Mental Health Coalition https://www.laymhc.org/communityevents