Together for Hope 2026

Day 1 Keynote Speakers Announcement

We are thrilled to announce Dr. Kiame Mahaniah and Dr. Yngvild Olsen as our joint keynote speakers for Day 1 of Together for Hope 2026!

Dr. Kiame Mahaniah is the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Prior to being appointed Secretary, Dr. Mahaniah served as Undersecretary of Health. As Undersecretary, Dr. Mahaniah co-chaired the administration’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) initiative, co-chaired the Primary Care Access, Delivery, and Payment Task Force, and chaired the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF) Advisory Council. Dr. Mahaniah is a practicing physician in the field of addiction and primary care, who has continued to see patients while serving as Undersecretary and plans to continue to do so as Secretary. He was previously CEO of Lynn Community Health Center where he led the transition into value-based care. An avid teacher and committed mentor, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. He holds an MBA from UMass Amherst, a medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University, and a BA from Haverford College. 

Dr. Yngvild Olsen is a National Advisor with Manatt Health and the former Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). A nationally recognized leader in addiction medicine, public health policy and clinical care integration, Yngvild provides strategic counsel to clients working with substance use disorders (SUDs), particularly opioid use disorder, primary care integration and Medicaid, as well as state block grants, Medicaid waivers and behavioral health integration efforts.

With over two decades of experience across clinical, academic and governmental roles at the local, state and federal level—including leadership at REACH Health Services, Johns Hopkins and the Baltimore Substance Abuse System—Yngvild brings unmatched knowledge, deep policy insight and a strong national network. She is board-certified in addiction medicine, trained in general internal medicine and is widely respected for her contributions to advancing addiction treatment and recovery nationwide. She has also advised states on the use of Medicaid waivers, block grant alignment and behavioral health integration strategies.

Most recently, Yngvild served as the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), where she oversaw $5 billion in grant funding and led national efforts to expand access to care, strengthen the behavioral health workforce and promote evidence-based practices in the treatment of SUDs. Yngvild has also held leadership roles at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), where she led the association’s policy position development on a range of substance user elated issues and provided input on the ASAM Criteria or continuum of care, which is the most widely used and comprehensive set of standards and framework for the specialized treatment of patients with addiction and co-occurring conditions.