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AGENDA
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – “Road to Success: Creating a Successful Person-Centered, Value Driven, Environment to Support People with IDD and additional Complex Needs in the Community” presented by Charlene Bennett, EdD, CEO Individual Advocacy Group, and Melissa Rowe, Associate Executive Director, Individual Advocacy Group
The purpose of the presentation is to provide practical techniques that have been proven successful in supporting people with IDD and additional complex needs to live a high quality of life in the community. During this session, we will share samples of dignity of risk assessments to mitigate against risk, how to develop a staff culture to support people with IDD and additional complex needs and how to develop outcome driven, customized person-centered plans and much more!!
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. – Break
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. - “America Runs on Behavior… and Values, Choices, Empathy, and Skill Development: Using Person Centered Thinking to Develop Behavior Plans” presented by Amie Burke, BCBA, ICPN, and Anna Vvanti, ICPN
Personal Centered Thinking is at the very center of what we do. Why do we still have plans that do not include values, choices, teaching skills that are important to the person supported? During this session, we will challenge you to think about person centered thinking during the assessment, implementation, and follow up phases of the development of a behavior support plan.
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Meg Cooch, Deputy Director of the Ligas Consent Decree, Joy Decker, Deputy Director Community Services Program, and Kristin Semanik, Bureau of Quality Management
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. – Lunch Break
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. - “God and the Group Home: Moving Beyond the Nervous Relationship of Providers and Religion” presented by David Morstad, M.Ed, FAAIDD
Historically, there has been a reluctance on the part of support provider organizations when it comes to actively supporting the spiritual practices of the individuals whom they support. Yet, the acknowledgement of the spirituality of people with disabilities raises important questions about the integrity of individual supports as well as the full and complete personhood of the individual. Acting as though this is somehow a delicate “church and state” concern is a distraction from the real issue. The session will provide data relative to US cultural norms of religious practice, and the practical impact of faith communities as natural support networks. It will also propose a renewed understanding of the person-centered, choice-honoring nature of planning and supports.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m - “What Even is Spiritual Health? And How to Support Someone with I/DD in their Grief?” presented by Sarah VanderZee McKenney, MDiv - Spiritual Support Coordinator for Stone Belt Arc
First we will take a look at the term "Spiritual Health". Sarah will explore what this term means, explain how this is a basic human need, and explore how this is tied with mental health, physical health, and general wellbeing. Second, Sarah will demonstrate the critical connection between Spiritual Health and grief. People with I/DD experience "compound grief" more so than any other population. Together you will explore why this is the case, and ways you can respond to people with I/DD in their grief in the healthiest and most supportive ways. You will leave with a better knowledge of what is supportive to say and do, and not harmful.
2:30 – 2:45 p.m. break
2:45 – 3:45 p.m. - “Retirement and End of Life for People with IDD” presented by Sarah A. Hall, PhD, FAAIDD, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, and Roger J. Stancliffe, PhD, FAAIDD, FIASSIDD, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota
This presentation will describe the experiences of adults with IDD with retirement, highlighting the factors that impacted their decision to retire, their preparation, and their adjustment to retirement. We will introduce the Transition to Retirement model and describe the experiences of adults with IDD in Australia. Then, we will introduce ways to teach about end of life using the Talking End of Life online toolkit.
3:45 – 4:45 p.m. – “Joy for Ourselves and the People We Support” presented by Tamara Besser, LCSW, NCG, QIDP, JCFS Chicago, and Jennie Marble, MA CCC-SLP, JCFS Chicago
We know the paperwork requirements, theoretical underpinnings, and evidence for the work that we do, but in the end are the people we support experiencing joy and true delight? How might our outcomes and the shape of our work change if joy was part of the discussion? Come learn about the science and art of joy and how we might reimagine the work we do and bring more joy into the lives of the people we support and our own lives.
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CEU’s: Licensed Nursing Home Administrators, Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists, Licensed Counselors and QIDP’s signing in and out on the day of the event are entitled to six (6.75) CEU’s.
About the Presenters
Charlene Bennett, EdD, has an extensive background in the field. She is the Co- Founder and CEO of IAG. Among the many programs that she created she is most proud of the establishment over 23 years ago of the customized individually controlled small person homes for people that have complex needs. These supports and services are provided in over 25 counties in Illinois and Washington DC.
She also created customized small living arrangements for DCFS’ most complex youth 18 and older including returning those youth from out of state.
Dr. Bennett also fought the discriminatory ordinances that were in violation of the ADA and the Fair Housing Act.against people with disabilities that were living in the community. A Federal lawsuit was filed and joined by the United States Department of Justice. The case was won and provided new case law prohibiting discriminatory local ordinances.
Dr. Bennett had many other leadership positions prior to Co-Founding IAG.
Tamara (Tammy) Besser, LCSW, NCG, QIDP is a Clinical Supervisor at JCFS Chicago and has worked with people with disabilities and their families across the lifespan for over 35 years in direct support, clinical, management, administrative and consultative roles.
Amie Burke, BCBA, received her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University. Amie is currently serving as the Clinical Director and oversees the Rockford, Springfield and Chicago offices. Amie has been with ICPN for over 8 years and has been in the field of ID/DD for 30 year. Her experience is with all levels of disabilities across the lifespan. Amie provides training on evidence-based practices such as Dealing with Challenging Behaviors, Data Collection, Management & Leadership, Caring for the Caregiver, and Empowering DSP’s. Outside of work she likes to sew, walk her dogs and spend time with her husband and daughter.
Meg Cooch recently joined the IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities as the Deputy Director of the Ligas Consent Decree on April 5, 2021. Meg is leading the work to meet requirements of the Ligas Consent Decree. She served for four years as Executive Director of the Arc of Illinois, a statewide coalition working to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can fully participate in community life through informed choices. Prior to this, Meg spent 20 years in local, state and national nonprofits focused on policy, advocacy and community organizing with people with disabilities of all ages, families and community organizations. Meg worked on federal health and disability policy in Washington, DC and long-term services advocacy in San Francisco, CA. Meg has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two children.
Sarah Hall, PhD, FAAIDD, is a researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI). She is a Fellow and Board Member of the AAIDD. Dr. Hall has published research about the social inclusion of adults with IDD, their siblings, and ways to include them in research. She is working on projects about retirement, sustainability of self-directed supports, and inclusion in 4-H programs for people with IDD as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on direct support professionals, supervisors, and people supported. She is also a sibling of a brother with multiple disabilities.
Jennie Marble, MA CCC-SLP. Jennie is the Director of Integrated Pediatric Therapies at JCFS Chicago who has experience working with infants through adults. She enjoys learning about the brain and helping individuals gain new skills. Using a joy mindset when approaching her work has helped to decrease burnout as a clinician, increase clinical problem solving, and help clients attain their goals.
Rev. Sarah VanderZee McKenney is the Creator and Coordinator of Spiritual Support Program at Stone Belt Arc in Bloomington, IN. Stone Belt Arc is a nonprofit and community based service provider that serves people with I/DD and their families in south central Indiana. McKenney is working on her Doctorate of Ministry (DMin) in Disability and Ministry at Western Theological Seminary in Holland Michigan. She has written articles that can be found in Frontline Initiative and Presbyterians Today , on various topics but centered around the inclusion and belonging of people with I/DD in faith communities and ways to help make that happen. She serves as President of the nonprofit organization Presbyterian, Health, Education, and Welfare Association (PHEWA), which is an umbrella organization that supports various networks that work on justice issues. One of these networks is Presbyterians for Disability Concerns, where McKenney has served as past chair and is still an active member. McKenney is involved in other various organizations such as the Religion and Spirituality Interest Network of American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and Fallen Walls Ministry (which suppports people with disabilities in ministerial leadership. Back in 2012 McKenney recieved her Masters of Divinity and was ordained by the Presbyterian Church USA. She lives this busy life being a self advocate, herself, having Dyslexia and ADHD.
David Morsrad, M.Ed., is the author of the book, “Whole Community: Introducing Faith Communities to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities”. He is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and was the 2010 recipient of AAIDD’s Henri J.M. Nouwen Award. For more than 38 years, he was with Bethesda Lutheran Communities in roles that included educational resource development, corporate director of staff training, Vice President for Communications, and was the Executive Director and Senior Fellow of the Bethesda Institute. David is widely published and has lectured to professional organizations across the US, Europe, and the Baltic nations. He is currently a member and past chair of the Governor’s Committee for People with Disabilities in Wisconsin and serves on a number of boards including the Faith Inclusion Network of Virginia, and Creative Community Living Services in Wisconsin. His blog can be found at www.LargerTable.com.recently joined the IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities as the Deputy Director of the Ligas Consent Decree on April 5, 2021. Meg is leading the work to meet requirements of the Ligas Consent Decree. She served for four years as Executive Director of the Arc of Illinois, a statewide coalition working to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can fully participate in community life through informed choices. Prior to this, Meg spent 20 years in local, state and national nonprofits focused on policy, advocacy and community organizing with people with disabilities of all ages, families and community organizations. Meg worked on federal health and disability policy in Washington, DC and long-term services advocacy in San Francisco, CA. Meg has a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two children.
Roger J. Stancliffe is a Senior Research Associate at ICI and Professor Emeritus of Intellectual Disability at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Disability Research and Policy. As a researcher in the IDD field for over 45 years, he has internationally recognized expertise in community living, community social inclusion, self-determination, retirement, ageing, and end of life issues. He has over 210 academic publications on disability and has presented papers at research conferences in five continents. Professor Stancliffe edited the Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability from 2003 to 2008, was the recipient of the 2011 AAIDD Research Award, and the 2019 Centre for Disability Studies Lifetime Achievement Award. Director, SSP, BCBA: Since 2021, Katherine has been an essential member of the ICPN Team, overseeing the Springfield location. Applying behavior analysis across settings in a meaningful and practical manner is Katherine’s driving force in the intellectual/developmental disability community. She shares a passion for training, and is always developing new and exciting topics to strengthen the ID/DD System. Recent topics of interest include trauma informed care, compassion fatigue and burnout, leadership, and collaboration across teams. In her spare time, Katherine enjoys her new love of running and taking care of her schnauzers.
S U P P O R T U S
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If financial restrictions prevent you from paying full registration, you may contact the Consumer Involvement Program at () for a consumer stipend application for self-advocates and families.
If you have any special needs, please contact Becca Schroeder at . Notice of any special accommodations are required TWO WEEKS prior to the event. Please indicate on the registration form if you have a special dietary need.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS Participants canceling their registration 72 hours in advance will be entitled to a credit or refund, less a $50.00 administrative cost. No refund or credit will be given for cancellation less than 72 hours before the conference.