Virtual conference brings NICU families and healthcare professionals together November 4–5 to advance mental health support and family-centered care.

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hand to Hold announced registration has opened for the 2026 NICU Mental Health Conference, taking place virtually November 4–5. The annual conference connects NICU parents and healthcare professionals to share knowledge, strengthen family-centered care, and address the immediate and long-term mental health impact of a NICU experience.

“We have made tremendous advances in the medical care available to critically ill and premature babies, and our approach to family mental health must continue to advance alongside it,” said Katrina Moline, executive director of Hand to Hold and a NICU graduate parent. “This conference brings together the people who experience NICU care and the people who deliver it to learn from one another and strengthen support for the whole family.”

Sessions will address health equity, burnout and self-care, trauma-informed care, grief and loss, and other issues affecting NICU families and professionals.

Keynote speakers include:

• Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez, BSc, MSc, ACC, TICC: Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez is an award-winning author, trauma-informed leadership coach, consultant, and advocate dedicated to helping individuals and organizations lead with compassion, resilience, and authenticity. As the mother of a surviving twin born four months prematurely and four angel babies, she brings a deeply personal understanding of trauma, healing, and hope into her professional realm, infusing her work with empathy, courage, and a passion for helping others find joy and meaning, especially after adversity.
• J.S. Park, MDiv: J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, published author, and online educator. For eleven years he has been an interfaith chaplain at a 1,000+ bed hospital designated as a Level 1 Trauma Center. His role includes grief support, attending every death, trauma, and Code Blue, and end-of-life care. J.S. is a board-certified chaplain with an MDiv and BA in Psychology and is the author of As Long as You Need: Permission to Grieve and We Are Made of Us. His work has been featured by CNN, NPR, CBS News, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.

The virtual conference is free for NICU parents, making it accessible to families caring for medically fragile babies nationwide. NICU professionals may earn continuing education credits.

To register and view the conference agenda, visit HandToHold.org/conference.

The 2026 National NICU Mental Health Conference is made possible with support from Keenova, National Coalition for Infant Health, and Prolacta Bioscience.

Hand to Hold

Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) that provides early intervention mental health support, educational resources and community before, during and after a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay. Hand to Hold provides support to parents at no cost to families, and all support is designed with the emotional, physical and social needs of the NICU parent in mind. The mental health support staff is composed of NICU graduate and bereaved parents with specialized training. For more information, visit www.handtohold.org

Lauren Brown, Lauren@TheMonumentGroup.com

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SOURCE Hand to Hold