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Notable Speakers

The Kennamer Distinguished Lecturer
Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, M.D.

“In Conversation with Ken Rosenberg, MD: Two viable solutions for America’s Crisis with Severe Mental Illness”

Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, M.D., is an American psychiatrist, filmmaker, and author known for his pioneering work in addiction psychiatry and his compelling films and books on mental health. Raised in Philadelphia, Rosenberg studied medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and completed his residency and addiction psychiatry fellowship at Cornell University Medical Center, where he remains on faculty. Alongside his medical training, he studied documentary filmmaking at New York University, inspired by verité documentary techniques to create empathetic portrayals of patients’ experiences, used as teaching tools in medical education.

Rosenberg’s filmmaking career began with An Alzheimer’s Story (1984), a collaboration with editor Ruth Neuwald Falcon that was praised in The New England Journal of Medicine and aired on PBS. His award-winning film Through Madness (1992) on serious mental illness, earned a New York Emmy and solidified his impact in medical documentary filmmaking. Rosenberg directed several acclaimed films for HBO, including Why Am I Gay?: Stories of Coming Out in America (1994), Back from Madness (1996), and Drinking Apart (2000). As executive producer with Sheila Nevins, he received a Peabody Award for Cancer: Evolution to Revolution (2000). His latest documentary, Bedlam (2019), premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and further examines mental health crises in America.

In addition to his film work, Rosenberg has contributed to addiction psychiatry literature as co-editor of Behavioral Addictions (2014) and authored two trade books: Infidelity (2018) and Bedlam (2019), the latter written with Jessica DuLong. He maintains a private addiction psychiatry practice in Manhattan, where he continues to integrate his clinical expertise with a commitment to public education on mental health.

Kimberly G. Boswell, Commissioner,
Alabama Department of Mental Health

She was sworn in as Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) on December 16, 2020. Governor Kay Ivey said of Commissioner Boswell, “She has spent the entirety of her professional career devoted to helping struggling individuals and I appreciate her willingness to serve in this new capacity. Her background as a mental health provider as well as administrator makes her uniquely qualified.”

Since 2021, Boswell has created and expanded the Alabama Crisis System of Care, which is comprised of Crisis Centers, Mobile Crisis Teams, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The Alabama Crisis System of Care offers individuals experiencing a mental health, substance use and/or suicidal crisis access to vital services, not previously available in the state. Boswell has more than 36 years of experience working with individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities. Boswell previously served as Chief of Staff, Associate Commissioner for Administration, and Director of Human Resources for ADMH. 

Over the course of her career, she worked as a planner to improve human service delivery systems, a program evaluator, a School to Work transition coordinator, and also served as the state office administrator for the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Boswell is a board member of the National Academy for State Health Policy and the Long Term and Chronic Care Committee. She is also a member of the Mescal’s Children Center for Hope Board, a Christian ministry serving children in Kenya.

She earned her Master of Social Work from the Florida State University College of Social Work in 1984, with a specialization in planning and program evaluation. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Boswell received Florida State University’s Distinguished Alumni in Social Work Policy and Administration Award in 2023.

Fredrick Vars, Senior Professor of Law
University of Alabama

“Suicide Prevention”

Professor Vars joined the University of Alabama in the summer of 2008 after practicing law for six years at Miller Shakman & Beem LLP in Chicago. His practice included all phases of civil litigation, with an emphasis on legal malpractice. Professor Vars teaches Property, Decedents’ Estates, and Mental Health Law. His research interests include mental health and empirical analysis of law. He is a former law clerk to Judge Bruce M. Selya on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and Judge Joan B. Gottschall on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Professor Vars also served as Fellow in the Center for the Study of Corporate Law at Yale Law School. Professor Vars received his A.B. from Princeton University (Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs) and J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served on the editorial board for The Yale Law Journal.

Colonel John F. Kilpatrick, CEO
Vets Recover

“Meeting the Unique Mental Health Needs of Service Members, Veterans and Their Families“

Colonel John F. Kilpatrick has served in the military for over 38 years; 10 years as an enlisted intelligence analyst in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and over 28 years as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. COL Kilpatrick is a combat veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. COL Kilpatrick has excelled in healthcare operations at all levels of service, including three overseas deployments and 18 months as a staff officer in Healthcare Operations at the Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters, Department of the Army at the Pentagon and Chief of Healthcare Operations for Central Command.

COL Kilpatrick is an accomplished entrepreneur, small-business owner, executive and healthcare leader fulfilling a calling to help military service members, Veterans and First Responders struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues like post- traumatic stress. He founded Vets Recover in 2015 and currently serves as its CEO. He leads Vets Recover’s mission to remove barriers to care, deliver quality integrated health care, and build a better community through recovery and connection. Vets Recover’s vision is to build a thriving community where Service Members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families are receiving the care needed to accelerate overall well-being.

COL Kilpatrick holds a BA from Spring Hill College, a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama and is a graduate of the US Army Command & General Staff College. He is President of the Alabama Council – Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and was appointed to the Alabama Board of Veterans Affairs in October 2023.

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Past Symposiums

Many face significant barriers to receiving the access needed, and our goal is to gather and discuss the ways we can positively impact these communities.