Wednesday, August 9, 2017

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Timothy Baker & Katherine Docter: Using Behavioral/Clinical Strategies to Assess Crisis and Need for Psychiatric Hospitalization

Session Description:

How do we as professionals decide when a crisis is actually a CRISIS? Using two separate treatment perspectives, behavior analysis and clinical counseling, we discuss how to assess a crisis and determine when it is appropriate to involve emergency services. In addition, we describe how both approaches can be used to help navigate the process and ultimately achieve an admission to a psychiatric hospital.

Biographies:

Timothy L. Baker, LCPC, is the director of the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network (ICPN). ICPN provides support service teams funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities experiencing behavioral and/or medical challenges in their current residential settings across the state.

He previously served as the director of Outpatient Programs at Riveredge Hospital, providing mental health services to children, adolescents and adults with mental illness. Tim has spent the last 23 years providing clinical services, therapy, and administrative leadership to programs serving the ID/DD population, mentally ill, and traumatic brain injury individuals.

Katherine Docter is a specialist in school psychology, board certified behavior analyst, and certified school administrator in the state of Illinois. She began working with the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network in 2012 as the clinical supervisor of the Springfield office. She has a passion for staff training and helping others reach their full potential. She provides trainings on Sexually Programmatic Behavior, Suicide Risk, Basics of ABA, Functions of Behavior, Creating Reinforcement Systems, and many others.

Prior to working with ICPN, her career was in the public education system. Her experience working with children with developmental disabilities and significant maladaptive behaviors has driven her career to where it is today.

Katherine has attended graduate school at Western Illinois University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and Quincy University.

Catherine Hayes & Mark Wiesel: ICF/IID Surveys: Top Ten Deficiencies Nationwide in 2016

Session Description:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recently released the updated the top 10 deficiencies cited in 2016 nationwide by ICF/IID state surveyors. Once again the regulation for QIDPs (W159) is in the top 10 and trending up from the previous year. This may be due to the updated Interpretative Guidelines which states that the QIDP function cannot be delegated. The reasoning behind this update is that the QIDP job is a critical role in assuring active treatment.

In order to plan for future positive outcomes on ICF/IID surveys, you need to know and understand what is expected and what the top 10 citations are across the country. This session provides insight into the trends in deficiencies, breaking down what this means for you and providing guidance on what you can do to avoid being caught by the “Top 10.” The attendees will take away an understanding of what surveyors are looking for and how to avoid becoming one of the statistics.

Biographies:

Mark Wiesel, BA, is vice-president of H&W Independent Solutions. Since its founding in 2001, he has been active in the company’s sole business of providing supports to agencies supporting individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Mark provides project management, project coordination support, and directed and monitored a high intensity training and service delivery improvement project targeting regulatory compliance and recertification efforts. He developed systemic approaches to managing quality through ICF/IID compliance and providing training in quality assurance systems. He has over 20 years of personal experience with genetic movement, behavioral and cognitive disorders, including 15 years as an advocate in the non-profit healthcare arena. Prior to co-founding H&W, Mark spent over 25 years in project management, management development, business management and project and cost planning in both commercial and not-for-profit arenas.

Catherine Hayes, MA, is the president of H&W Independent Solutions. She is a nationally recognized consultant and trainer in the area of ICF/IID regulatory compliance and quality assurance. H&W was founded in 2001 with a primary mission to assist agencies in implementing quality systems that are person-centered. It has provided services in over 25 states and is recognized as a leader in supporting ICF/IID agencies to achieve and exceed compliance. Catherine has provided training across the nation for QIDPs. Prior to co-founding H&W, she served as the ICF/IID team leader and then branch chief for the Continuing Care Provider Branch of CMS. In these positions, she served as the primary regulator for the ICF/IID program nationally, and was responsible for training state and federal ICF/IID surveyors, providing them with guidance and interpretation on the ICF/IID regulations.

Kathy Carmody: Making the Most of Your Role as a QDDP: Developing and Enhancing Leadership Qualities

Session Description:

QDDP’s play a critical role in the lives of people they support, staff they supervise and agencies where they work. As a QDDP, you are a leader to countless others that depend on your knowledge, creativity and guidance. In this session, we explore tools, strategies and approaches that advance your ability to lead effectively, motivate and influence those who look to you for support and direction. Whether you are new to your position or a seasoned professional, this session helps you develop a new perspective on the importance of embracing and fulfilling your role as a leader.

Biography:

Kathy Carmody is the CEO of the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities and has been in the I/DD field for over 30 years, including roles as a DSP, QDDP, director of statewide demonstration and training projects and Chief of Staff for a nationally recognized community agency. Throughout her career, Kathy has worked with staff at all levels to explore and enhance their leadership qualities for both personal and professional advancement.

Garrett McCann: Implications of Polypharmacy for People Dually Diagnosed with ID/DD and Mental Illness

Session Description:

Garrett McCann is the consulting pharmacist for the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network. Based on his work in state-operated developmental centers and with the ICPN, Garrett shares psychotropic medication trends for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He reviews problems associated with interclass polypharmacy, highlights the adverse side effects and issues with drug toxicity, and shares helpful hints for the rational use of psychotropic medications.

Biography:

After graduating in 1972 from Southwestern University in Oklahoma with a degree in pharmacy, Garrett McCann , RPh, returned to his hometown in Centralia, IL. There he opened a pharmacy in his community, where he remained for 12 years. Garrett then worked in a state-operated developmental center as a clinical pharmacist for 27 years. During his employment there, he was involved in the clinical and chart reviews of all medications for individuals receiving services, participated in the statewide Clinical Administrative Review Team, served as a liaison between local hospitals and healthcare providers, and offered technical assistance to community providers. Shortly after retiring, Garrett began to work with the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network–Support Services Team throughout the state of Illinois. In that context, he consults with the team on cases as a registered pharmacist.

Michael Perillo: Comprehensive Reinforcement Strategies

Session Description:

Human interactions incorporate three forms of reinforcement:
1. Practices we know and use.
2. Practices we don’t realize we use.
3. Practices we all should know and use .

The presentation reviews three protocols that everyone should know and use: noncontingent reinforcement, differential reinforcement and behavior momentum.

Biography:

Michael Perillo is a board certified behavior analyst originally from Chicago, IL. He has worked in a variety of settings, including a summer camp, a school, in-home and residential environments, and a clinic providing therapeutic behavioral services to individuals with special needs and their support systems. The clients he has served represent a very wide variety of diagnoses, ages, and functional abilities.

Some current areas of interest for Michael include staff development/training, the use of applied behavior analysis with individuals who are not diagnosed with disabilities, and the possibility of future research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) specifically within the population of individuals who have engaged in chronic self-injurious behavior.

He completed his MS in Educational Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2008.

Thomas Gilbert & Monica Gordon Pershey: An Accessible Tool for Inclusion and Integration

Session Description:

The speakers present the process (and provide the emergent curriculum) for teaching literacy acquisition for individuals with intellectual disabilities, who possess the skills necessary for learning to read, the ability to carry on a give-and-take, two-way conversation with another person.

The work, process and curriculum materials are all freely available for participant use. The literacy process is made absolutely simple by the adaptations described in detail with the presentation, handouts and flash drive downloads.

Biographies:

Thomas Gilbert has spent the better part of the last 47 years in the field of intellectual disabilities, and over the past 26 years has developed an adapted literacy program for these individuals (Aspergers, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, ID, ADD, ADHD, TBI, etc.) Through his research, teaching, and tutoring, he discovered how literacy is, in fact, acquired. He has also developed and patented a "Children's Learning Toy" that teaches orthographic discrimination skills for the discerning of similarities and differences in word and letter formation so necessary for visual recognition abilities in emergent literacy acquisition (US patent # 6,176,704 B1, January, 23,2001).

Thomas published a journal article with Dr. Monica Gordon Pershey, CSU professor in the Speech and Hearing Department in AAMR (June 2001), based on his years of experience teaching more than 50 individuals. In addition, he has spoken at academic conventions in the USA and Canada to promote the acquisition of literacy skills for individuals with Intellectual disabilities.

Monica Gordon-Pershey, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is an associate professor in the Speech and Hearing Program, School of Health Sciences, at Cleveland State University (CSU) in Cleveland, OH. Since joining CSU in 1995, she has taught graduate and undergraduate courses on communication disorders and mentors undergraduate and graduate students’ research. She is a member of the CSU Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects in Research.

Monica has authored over 125 articles, book chapters, and presentations, many of them on language and literacy and on the professional development of speech-language pathologists and teachers. Her 2002 article, “Christine: A case study of literacy acquisition by an adult with developmental disabilities,” in the American Journal on Mental Retardation [40(3), 219-234], co-authored with Thomas W. Gilbert, is frequently cited by scholars around the world. Her chapter on executive function is forthcoming in Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills (Judith Birsh, Ed., Brookes Publishing). She reviews tests for Buros Mental Measurements Yearbook, serves on the editorial committee of Perspectives on Language and Literacy (published by the International Dyslexia Association), and is coordinator of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Special Interest Group on Issues in Higher Education.

Monica has been an on-call clinical speech-language pathologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center since 2004.

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

John Pingo Mindfulness at the Movies (Part 1)

Session Description:

This two-part, interactive seminar uses movies to teach you how to recognize various types of cognitive biases and overcome them using mindfulness skills. In addition, you enjoy popcorn, candy, and prizes!

Biography:

John Pingo is the CEO of the Goldie B. Floberg Center. He started his career serving people with developmental disabilities over 20 years ago as a direct support professional. During that time, he held positions in human resources, program administration and many others.

John has taught at the college and university level and is currently an adjunct faculty member for Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in their behavior analysis and therapy program. His professional passions are engineering positive workplace cultures, developing evidence-based techniques to combat cognitive biases, developing fun, engaging training, and making person-centeredness a reality for people served and staff members.

He has a Ph.D. in behavior analysis and therapy from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Jennifer Yost & Karen Silzle: The Life of a Self-Advocate

Session Description:

This presentation focuses on activities these self-advocates participate in, including the monitoring and entering of data into their HER through Therap Services. Lori and Jenn actually demonstrate how they log into the system independently to document information to their staff. They also discuss their involvement in some self-advocate videos.

Biographies:

My name is Jennifer Yost. I live in Frewsburg, NY, in a three-bed home. I began using Therap in 2013. I document in my medication record, write T-logs, write Scomms to my staff, and view my upcoming appointments. I am a member of the board of directors for The Resource Center. I work as a cleaner at The Resource Center and Therap. I began working for Therap in January 2015 as a self-advocate. I also attend small Group Day Hab.

I have presented at three Therap national conferences as a self-advocate. I am on the Special Olympics cross country ski team, golf team and swim team. I have gone to the World Games in Ireland for Special Olympics and have also attended the Special Olympics USA games in Princeton, NJ, for swimming.

I'm Karen Silzle, and I have worked for The Resource Center located in Jamestown NY, for 27 years. I am a residence coordinator of four IRA's, I oversee the residents and the staff of each home and use Therap daily in various capacities. I have recently had the pleasure of working with both Lori Schneider and Jennifer Yost as they start their journey with Therap. I am able to travel with the two of them to conferences and seminars so they can tell their story about using Therap to enhance their lives.

Tim Williams: The Care and Feeding of the Elephant

Session Description:

The elephant is a very smart, powerful animal, making it a wonderful metaphor for our emotions. You will not achieve the gold standard of services and support if the elephant in your workplace is working against you, not for you.

How would you describe the emotional climate of your workplace? Do you feel emotionally bound together as a work group or emotionally estranged from one another? Do you find that you can think one way but feel a different way? Do you find that how you feel has greater impact on your performance then how you think? Timothy takes you on a journey of discovery as you learn how to care for and feed those emotions that are essential to a healthy workplace.

Biography:

Timothy Williams has taught courses in interpersonal and organizational communication, human resource management and labor relations for the Division of Public Administration, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University in Portland, OR. He is an experienced keynote speaker and seminarist, having presented more than 2,000 one- and two-day training programs on such topics as organizational communication, leadership, employee discipline, supervision, labor relations, performance management and other HR topics. He is a co-author of the book Gossip! You Won’t Believe This! Understanding and Managing the Habits of Gossip.

Cathy Haarstad: Writing Goals for People with Significant Intellectual Disabilities: Part 1

Session Description:

This two-part presentation helps providers who struggle to identify meaningful goals for people who have pre-symbolic or limited symbolic communication skills along with intellectual disabilities. This may include a population of people who are deaf-blind or whose intellectual challenges require close supervision and support with activities of daily living. Much of the information about writing personal outcomes, or putting goals into THERAP or some other system does not really help you identify what a meaningful goal might be for a person who is not even aware of what a goal is and has no way to express a goal for him or herself. In the presentation, participants learn a step-by-step system they can use to identify goals, goal-related activities and supports. They can also use it to outline a meaningful plan for achieving the goal that builds on the strengths and not only the deficits of each person. The system is well aligned with both person-centered planning and active treatment.

Biography:

Cathy Haarstad has six years of teaching experience in public schools, 15 years of experience in supporting adults with disabilities in vocational, residential and community settings, including support in behavior intervention with people receiving ICF services. She has an additional 11 years of experience as a research associate and is the author of several projects of national significance in the areas of family support and transportation.

Cathy also has over six years of experience as the director of a state Parent Training and Information Center. She recently returned to the ND Center for Persons with Disabilities and provides statewide training to providers on offering active support to people with the most significant support needs. Cathy self-identifies as a person with a disability.

Cathy has a master’s degree in Special Education from Minot State University in ND and a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. Her area of concentration is in supporting people with significant support needs due to multiple disabilities. She is the parent of two children with special needs, one of whom has multiple disabilities.

Lucy Lund: Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination

Session Description:

Collaboration across teams is essential to developing supports that promote fading concepts and foster self-determination. Using a qualitative research study and Elinor Ostrom’s conceptual framework for collaboration, Lucy presents tools that teams can use to encourage people with intellectual disabilities to develop personal goals. Collaborative support of those who receive services drives success.

Biography:

Lucy Lund, PhD, is executive director for Self-Directed Services at Opportunities for Positive Growth, Inc. in Fishers, IN. Lucy works as a part-time quality enhancement specialist for the Council on Quality and Leadership and completes accreditations and trainings for the organization.

Lucy has a PhD from Walden University in Public Management and Leadership. Her research focuses on collaboration at the bureaucratic level to promote sustainable supports, self-determination, and application of forward-thinking principles for stakeholders supporting people with disabilities.

Julie Nee: Crafting the Greatest Success Strategies

Session Description:

During this interactive session, we discuss powerful lessons about the greatest success strategies of all–love, serve, care. Participants learn timeless principles to help them stand out, excel, and make an impact on people and the world. In the process, they create a vision for their personal leadership masterpiece, discuss the difference between a carpenter and a craftsman, and learn to fill up with love, service and care for their teams.

Biography:

Julie Nee’s career in Sales and Marketing enabled her to develop an expertise around leading teams and developing people. Heart-centered leadership and enthusiasm are her trademarks. She brings a high level of energy and passion to every group she engages. Julie believes strongly in the power of positive leadership and loves to share the “Rules of The Road” woven together with personal anecdotes and relevant calls to action for the specific audience. She has spoken to groups as small as 15 and as large as 600+. Julie inspires and energizes groups of all kinds, even the tough crowds! She is passionate about happiness, health, and wellness and loves to share ideas and solutions with others, including her husband and two children. She shares her stories and experiences with others to make a difference in as many lives as possible.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

John Pingo Mindfulness at the Movies (Part 2)

Session Description:

Biography:

He has a Ph.D. in behavior analysis and therapy from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Deb Koop: Lifeplan: An Innovative Person-Centered Planning Tool

Session Description:

At LSS of MN, we have started using a new person-centered planning tool called LifePlan. It is a web-based system to document accurately what is important to and for the people in the areas of housing, employment, and social, physical and emotional health. In the session, we examine the functionality of LifePlan and share how it is being used at LSS to enhance the lives of the people we support.

Biography:

Deb Koop is the statewide director for quality for Lutheran Social Service (LSS) of MN. She started her career in the field of disabilities during college, and her first position was as a human service technician in the Minnesota State Hospital system in the late 70’s. She has since worked as direct support and lead staff in both residential and day services. Deb has been with LSS of MN for 23 years, first as a lead staff in a 12-person ICF/DD facility, and then supervisor of residential programs.

In 2000 she began her work in training and quality initiatives. She is a certified trainer and interviewer with CQL (The Council on Quality and Leadership) as well as a certified trainer for Therap. Deb trains both internally at LSS of MN and externally for other organizations in Minnesota and at conferences nationally on all topics related to providing quality supports to people with disabilities.

Krista Opstedal: Assistive Technology: Resources and Strategies to Increase Independence

Session Description:

You recognize the importance of integrating assistive technology into your programs, but where do you start? This presentation provides assessment procedures and strategic resources that lay the foundation for integrating successful AT supports. We review evidence-based results that have
impacted a multitude of needs, such as independent med administration, environmental aids, safety, and accessible person-centered plan formats for the people we support.

Biography:

Krista Opstedal began her career as a direct support professional in 2008. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Developmental Disabilities, she spent some time in-servicing agency employees on the North Dakota Developmental Disabilities Curriculum. In 2013, she was offered the Program Director of Assistive Technology position at Kalix. In this capacity, she conducts assessments, researches, and modifies/programs technology to improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities.

Cathy Haarstad: Writing Goals for People with Significant Intellectual Disabilities: Part 2

Session Description:

Biography:

Sharon Suess: Fun With Watercolors

Session Description:

Get in touch with your inner child, and join Sharon in this fun, relaxing, non-threatening painting adventure. Playful, inspiring tricks and techniques capture your imagination and leave you feeling proud of your accomplishments. We use credit cards, straws and sponges to create amazing trees and foliage. Sharon’s easy-to-follow step-by-step process puts her students at ease, and their creative ability comes bubbling forth. Please join us. You’ll be glad you did.

Biography:

Sharon Suess, a graphic designer, artist, illustrator, and writer, has lived in the Catskill Mountains of New York State since 1979 with her husband George where they raised two, now grown, sons. They have five grandchildren.

Sharon started teaching watercolor to “people who don’t paint” when her husband encouraged her to teach several men at an executive retreat. It was a hit. From there she was invited to teach at conferences, reunions, retreats, local arts groups, after-school programs, non-profit agencies, nursing homes, community events, and other venues. She continues to teach people of all ages and from all walks of life. Her easy-to-follow tips and tricks help her students feel successful, energized and proud of their work.

When Sharon retired and was able to extract herself from freelance work, she turned her focus to drawing, painting and writing. She was involved in an artist-owned gallery for several years and has shown her work in many venues. Her first book, The Mean Green Cleaning Machine, a children’s book which she wrote and illustrated, was published in 2014, and she is working on another book which she hopes to publish this year.

Sharon has a degree from SUNY Farmingdale in Advertising Art & Design, and SUNY New Paltz in Art Education. She has worked for newspapers, magazines, advertising agencies, printers and non-profits. She was also a member of the creative services department for an international corporation and conducted her own freelance business.

Sandy Weaver: Let’s Keep Learning: Developing a Curriculum to Promote Person-Centered Goal Setting and Skills Acquisition

Session Description:

The Assessment of Functional Life Skills was administered to residents of Annandale Village in Suwanee, GA, in an effort to identify current levels of functioning. The results of the assessments are being used to guide treatment recommendations related to the individual resident, and aid in the development of curriculum for meaningful programming in residential settings, activity centers, and the community at large.

Attendees of this session learn to:
• Engage in appropriate assessment procedures
• Collaborate with a team, including the person receiving support, for appropriate goal selection
• Individualize programming in order to set the stage for skill acquisition
• Identify potential hurdles associated with data collection
• Engineer learning environments in current settings and future facility upgrades.

Biography:

Sandy Weaver is currently the assessment and curriculum coordinator for Annandale Village in Suwanee, GA. A 27-year employee of the community for adults with developmental disabilities and traumatic or acquired brain injuries, she has worked in many capacities including as arts and academics instructor and activities coordinator. In her current role, Sandy administers the Assessment of Functional Living Skills™ to determine the support needs of clients, and coordinates with staff and community members to develop meaningful programming with the goals of skills acquisition and increased independence.

She received a degree in Education from the University of Georgia, and continues to enjoy opportunities to both learn and train others in her areas of interest: the arts, disabilities awareness, life skills curriculum development, autism, and crisis behavior management.

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Amy Tabor: Human Rights Committees: From Compliance to Cultural Commitment

Session Description:

Human rights committees, while protecting the rights of vulnerable people, serve as vital compasses to provider agencies in pursuit of their mission. HRCs are also positioned to identify key rights issues embedded within the challenges of providing high quality services, keeping people safe, and supporting them in accessing their communities.

Biography:

Amy E. Tabor has worked in the human services field for over three decades. She began her career as a behavior specialist in a residential setting for people with autism and has held a variety of positions within organizations, including case management, program evaluation, staff development, and executive leadership. Much of her work has been dedicated to the prevention of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable people, and specifically, the importance of human rights committees.

As president of Organizational Dimensions, Amy travels extensively working with provider agencies throughout the U.S. and beyond, to enhance service effectiveness within these organizations. She regularly presents at local, state and national conferences where she shares her knowledge, experiences and perspectives on a variety of topics.

In addition, Amy has co-written three books and continues to create new resources to assist organizations in their efforts in providing high quality, effective services to vulnerable populations.

Her published works include:
• Human Rights Committees: From Compliance to Cultural Commitment (4th Edition)
• Scanning the Horizon: Using Organizational Data to Prevent Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation
• From Inquiry to Insight: Guided Discussions for Preventing Abuse and Neglect of Persons with Cognitive Disabilities (Facilitation Guide and Dialogue Deck).

Amy completed her undergraduate work at North Central College and graduate work at Northern Illinois University and holds two degrees in sociology.

Dustin Wright: New Times – New Technology

Session Description:

Remote monitoring is being used more and more across the United States to support people with various needs in their homes at a lower cost while increasing their independence. This presentation gives attendees a comprehensive overview of remote monitoring, and includes case studies to provide real world examples of how it is being used.

Biography:

Dustin began his career as a direct support professional with a private provider in Indiana, while attending Purdue University. After graduation, Dustin continued his work in the field of developmental disabilities as a QDDP and director of Program Services.

Dustin Wright joined Rest Assured® in January 2006 as executive director. In this role, he works with residential providers, case managers, individuals with disabilities, seniors and families to tailor the Rest Assured® patented, web-based Telecare system to meet each individual’s needs. He oversees operations at the company’s “state-of-the-art” network virtual support and response center and is responsible for marketing, sales and development.

Rachel Hendrickson: Five Strategies to Drive Empowerment, Inclusion, and Outcomes

Session Description:

In today’s landscape, effectively delivering case management and person-centered supports requires new tools and strategies to balance compliance, outcomes, community inclusion and cost-efficacy. Rachel, former staff on two Ohio county boards, offers new data-driven insights and promising practices to drive empowerment through innovative, person-centered engagement and collaboration strategies.

Biography:

Rachel Hendrickson is a solutions representative with MediSked, LLC who has a passion for finding innovations and efficiencies that strive to bring the focus of the work done within the human services industry back to the person rather than the process. Her role as a solutions representative gives Rachel the opportunity to remove barriers for agencies and create streamlined workflows that permit and encourage truly integrated service delivery.

Prior to joining MediSked, Rachel worked for 13 years within the state of Ohio both for a private provider agency and with multiple county boards. She is certified in Service and Support Administration, Good Life facilitation, and trained in the theory and practice of trauma-informed care. She has worked to implement contemporary person-centered planning, behavior support, and employment first practices, while serving on various state-wide work groups focused on systems transformation. She successfully authored the first interagency agreement for transition youth in Medina County and introduced the concept of backward-service planning for individual service plans.

Rachel holds a M.Ed. from Cleveland State University and a BA from the University of Akron.

Cyndie Kieffer: Sit. Stay. Heal.

Session Description:

Writing goals can be challenging, but inspiring the people we serve to engage in them can be even tougher. During this session, the attendees have the opportunity to learn about adding animal-assisted interventions to their bag of tricks. Cyndie demonstrates possible activities and goals with the aid of her therapy dog, Jack, who models the skills.

Biography:

Cyndie Kieffer, MSW, is a licensed social worker in Illinois and Indiana with over ten years of experience providing animal-assisted interventions. She has completed the Animal Assisted Interventions certificate program at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Animal Assisted Play Therapy levels one and two under Dr. Rise VanFleet. She and her Border Collie, Jack, provide services to the people she serves as well as visit area schools, nursing homes and workshops in southern Illinois and Indiana. In addition, she and Jack provide animal-assisted play therapy through her business, Sit. Stay. Heal. Cyndie also trains dogs for therapy dog work and is an evaluator, instructor and handler for Pet Partners.

Sharon Suess: Fun With Watercolors

Session Description:

Biography:

Stephanie Behlke-Leigh: What Is the Sound of Your Organization? How to Promote a Flourishing Culture.

Session Description:

This engaging seminar provides an exploration of concepts within the framework of positive psychology. Attendees learn to identify behaviors and ways of thinking that lend themselves to the development of a positive perception of self and the workplace. Furthermore, these concepts can be expanded to be applied beyond just the self and the team. When practiced faithfully, changes can impact people served and the organization as a whole. The presentation offers an introduction to how positive psychology tenets provide a guiding philosophy that can be used to anchor decisions and clarify values.

Biography:

Stephanie Behlke Leigh, Ed.D, LCPC, has been in the field of mental health since 1996. For the past 16 years, she has been employed at Trinity Services undertaking a variety of roles. Stephanie has served as Trinity’s vocational program director, the director of Trinity’s Family Counseling Center, is a past president of the Illinois Rehabilitation Association, and a licensed clinical professional counselor. Presently, Stephanie is a Network Director for Trinity Services. Stephanie is also an adjunct professor at Argosy University and teaches courses in Career Development, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Group Counseling Techniques. In 2016, she was honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.

She has spoken extensively in her career, some of the subjects she has covered during her seminars include: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, leadership skill development, team building, relationship counseling, career psychology, and family systems. Most recently she has presented for the following organizations: National Association of QDDPs, Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Illinois Counseling Association, and served as the keynote speaker for Argosy University’s graduation in November 2016.

She has a master’s in Marriage and Family Counseling and a doctorate in Counselor Education Training and Supervision.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

8:45 AM - 10:00 AM

Tina Campanella: Respect, Rights, and Belonging: Charting a Pathway to Self-Determination

Session Description:

Living a good life in the community takes more than skills like cooking, cleaning and budgeting. This presentation explores the impact that respect, rights and belonging have on the realization of self-determination goals for people with disabilities and provides practical suggestions for addressing these three elements in the actual planning process.

Biography:

Tina Campanella has been the director and chief executive officer of quality trust since its inception in 2002. In over 40 years of experience working on behalf of children and adults with developmental and other disabilities, her work has included providing direct support, administering programs and serving as an expert consultant regarding quality improvement and organizational development throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Tina is an exceptional thinker and leader with expertise in program development, person-centered approaches and service quality management. She and Quality Trust serve as a strong, independent advocate for individuals and families and are leading efforts to improve community systems and supports.

Christine Ziemba & Shannon Benaitis: This Can’t Wait! Disability Education for Police and First Responders

Session Description:

Police officers in communities where we provide services become default responders to mental health crises. It's up to us, as provider agencies, to educate first responders on those we serve. Leave this Train the Trainer session with a training you can take to your local police/fire departments to get these informative and necessary conversations started.

Biographies:

Christine Ziemba is the director of training for Clearbrook in Arlington Heights, IL. Christine has been working in social services for almost 20 years. She has held a number of positions ranging from house manager to DSP/job coach to case management to supervision/administration, in varied settings that include a residential home for the State of Illinois, Supported Employment Services, sheltered workshop, transportation, home-based services, Autism programs, a specialized program for individuals with high medical needs, and training. She has also worked as a QIDP, site supervisor, coordinator, training specialist and director.

In her role as Clearbrook's director of training, she develops and implements training for staff at all levels in day programs, intermediate care facilities, group homes, clinical services and home-based services, and supervises the training specialists and office manager. While at Clearbrook, Christine earned “Employee of the Month” for exceptional customer service to staff, clients and families.

Shannon Benaitis has worked in disability services for 20 years, in positions ranging from direct support , QIDP and mental health counselor to program manager, director and nursing home monitor. Most recently, she was the director of staff training and a project manager at Clearbrook in Arlington Heights IL.

Currently, Shannon is a consultant and independent contractor for her company, Albatross Training Solutions. She brings her experience in IDD, mental health, ICF/long-term care, CILA, and home-based services to the classroom and the boardroom, where she strives to make trainings, meetings, and projects dynamic, enjoyable and relevant. Albatross specializes in curriculum development and instructional design for both in-person and e-learning formats.

Shannon has undergraduate degrees in psychology and English from Cornell College and a master’s degree in Social/Criminal Justice from Lewis University. She is Professional in Human Resources certified, a happily married stepmom to three wonderful humans, a service dog-mom to Gordon, and a lupus patient.

George Suess: Progressive Discipline...Do You Really Know What It Is?

Session Description:

In this session, George Suess brings his positive, provocative, proactive perspective to the topic of employee performance problems. In one form, progressive discipline is a step-by-step approach to addressing performance problems. George believes its other form is the best way to prevent problems from ever happening. Do you know the difference between the two? When each is best used? Want to discover the #1 pitfall to avoid when dealing with performance issues? And the one thing both forms have in common? George answers these and others during this fast paced, interactive session.

Biography:

George Suess, M.S. has worked with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for nearly 50 years. It started with a summer job and the lessons he learned by beginning his career in direct service and gradually moving into supervision and management guided the rest of his career.

George learned about the problems with power and control, how fragile staff morale can be, the importance of proper communication and teamwork, but most of all, about the effectiveness of positivity. So, when he became the CEO of The Arc of Delaware County, NY in 1986, he understood the critical importance of a person-centered philosophy and a positive approach.

Delarc published his three best-selling works. Shift Happens: Making the Shift to Proactive Behavior Management, Vantage Point: A Dynamic Approach to Employee Orientation, and Welcome to Caring Without Restraint. These publications, address positive behavior supports, positive employee practices and creating positive cultures.

Retired from the CEO role since 2015, George now is the senior partner at aoStrategies, a company that works with organizations supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Dan Housepian: "We're Not in Kansas Anymore" - Leadership Through Oz

Session Description:

You may have been in a “leadership” role for many years or may be a newer leader in your organization. No matter. Everything changes. However, one thing never changes–the need to improve. So what tools do you need to be successful? What principles can we learn from a journey through Oz? You may discover some information that could make or break your effectiveness.

Biography:

Dan Housepian has worked with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities for many years. In 1982 he was hired as director of program/medical services at Northwest Ohio Developmental Center (NODC). He also served as superintendent of the NODC from 1999 to 2006 and as regional superintendent from 2006 to 2008.

On retiring from the state duties in 2008, Dan took a full-time job almost immediately at Luther Home of Mercy, a private, approximately 100-bed ICF/IID facility. As its director of program/medical services, he supervises and directs the program and medical departments.

Dan has also developed Right Way Training, Right Way Leadership and Right Way Crises Prevention “Right on Time” training programs. His training programs and years of experience in the field have garnered him numerous opportunities to speak. He is a regular presenter at conventions and conferences in Ohio and other states, and has presented his training programs in serval national forums throughout the country.

Dan has a B.S. in Psychology, Health/Physical Education from Houghton College, Houghton, NY, (1973) and a master’s degree in Organizational Development from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, (2000).

Leanne Roth: Making Information Easier to Understand

Session Description:

How many times are we giving people information in formats that do not work for the people we support? As we move into practices that promote choice and decision-making, we find we need to look at how we are sharing information. This session explores some simple methods for transforming how we give information.

Biography:

Leanne Roth has been supporting people with I/DD to achieve their dreams since 1999 when, after her work as a corporate trainer, she hired someone with a job coach to work in a store she managed. She spent the next 15 years at a traditional agency in a variety of roles, including employment services, QIDP and self-advocacy.

Deb Maloy & Kathy Brown: Medication Administration: The Gold Standard

Session Description:

This presentation identifies the necessary oversight of medication administration by unlicensed DD personnel. As law and rules change, so does the need for unlicensed staff to be more prepared to provide medication administration as well as the oversight of medication administration. This session helps supervising personnel focus on setting “Gold Standards” to ensure that medications are being administered safely and appropriately, while meeting the needs of each individual. The information is a must for anyone responsible for administering medications/providing the oversight of medication administration.

Biographies:

Employed with ViaQuest for over 24 years, Deb Maloy’s experience began in a 54-bed ICF serving all males. She was employed initially as Director of Nursing and moved into a role as administrator, overseeing a major renovation within the facility while also starting up a day program. In addition, she initiated a management contract with the local county board of DD to provide respite services while developing community-based services. Over six years ago, she transitioned to the ViaQuest Nursing Services. In this capacity, she
• Provides oversight of Health Services Coordination program in Franklin County
• Provides oversight of medication administration training to unlicensed DD personnel in the Central Ohio Region
• Is expanding the training service in the North and South Regions of Ohio
• Provides contracts and delegated nursing to many agencies and day programs throughout Ohio.

Deb is a Certified DODD RN Instructor who trains RNs interested in becoming certified as a DODD RN Trainer through the state of Ohio. She has served on the DDNA National Board of Directors for three years (one and a half as president- elect and one and a half as president. She finds this role a great learning opportunity while allowing for the ability to “spread” the word on the importance of nurses serving this special population of developmentally disabled individuals.

Kathy Brown has worked in the field of developmental disabilities for 36 years. She is the director of development for Pharmacy Alternatives, a pharmacy that provides pharmaceutical services and medications systems exclusively for the IDD population, with an emphasis on self-administration of medication. She is a regular attendee of DDNA conferences and has presented at several national conferences.

Kathy helped start the Northern Illinois DDNA Chapter and continues to serve as its president. She also helped craft legislation for medication delegation in Illinois and has trained hundreds of nurses on the topic. She is passionate about developing DDNA chapters, increasing membership in DDNA, and promoting certification in the specialty of I/DD nursing.

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM

Nanette Wrobel: Polypharmacy and its Consequences

Session Description:

This presentation offers participants information on polypharmacy in the treatment of fragile individuals, those who are elderly and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Pharmacological concepts, such as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of medications, are discussed as related to potential overdose, under-utilization, drug-on-drug interactions and drug-disease interactions. Recommendations for allaying some of the potential pitfalls are discussed as well as how to conduct a drug regimen review on our individuals.

Biography:

Nanette Wrobel has worked as a consultant pharmacist in facilities that care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) for over 35 years. In that time, she has provided expertise on medication management systems, including compliance with state and federal regulations, survey preparation, clinical knowledge, as well as staff trainings on all topics related to her field. She has been called upon to work with large companies to develop pharmaceutical compliance practices, oversee staff trainings, and provide expert opinion on best practices. She has also worked with the Department of Justice on behalf of nurses in the field.

Currently, she is a national speaker hired to provide trainings on medications and their uses in treating people with I/DD.

Anne Thurston & Leanne Roth: Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Disability Rights: The Same Thing.....Really?

Session Description:

The HCBS final rule is clear about the rights of people with disabilities who receive services. Learn about rights from the point of view of a person who is in full life service and how the implementation of those rights differs from those who do not receive services.

Biographies:

Leanne M. Roth has been supporting people with I/DD to achieve their dreams since 1999 when, after her work as a corporate trainer, she hired someone with a job coach to work in a store she managed. She spent the next 15 years at a traditional agency in a variety of roles, including employment services, QIDP and self-advocacy.

Leanne believes that the key to meaningful lives for people who receive services is to encourage, empower and enlighten the staff who work for them. Currently, Leanne fulfills that purpose as a quality enhancement specialist with CQL (The Council on Quality and Leadership) as well as a partner in Blue Tower Solutions where, in addition to other projects, she provides support to the board of directors and member groups of the Illinois Self Advocacy Alliance.

Anne Thurston has been active in the self-advocacy movement in Illinois since Illinois Voices! Anne appeared in several of the videos produced during the Illinois Voices project and is an accomplished speaker. Her passion is to help people with disabilities, their staff, and employers understand that all people are equal and that people with disabilities are conquering and are here to stay. When she is not presenting at conferences, Anne enjoys her job as a fitting room monitor at Goodwill. Anne is extremely proud of her Life Achievement Award, received this year from the Arc of Illinois.

George Suess: The Emerging Leadership Challenge: Are You Ready for Positive Practice?

Session Description:

Just like Managed Care, closing work centers and person-centered planning, one by one states are beginning to require providers to incorporate system-wide positive behavior supports into their services. In this session, George explains why he is excited by this development and why you should be as well.

Many states specify that system-wide positive behavior supports must include a multi-tiered approach. George defines “multi-tiered approach” and describes the roles of governance, leadership and culture. He also presents simple constructs to facilitate organizational thinking and planning.

Biography:

Delarc published his three best-selling works. Shift Happens: Making the Shift to Proactive Behavior Management, Vantage Point: A Dynamic Approach to Employee Orientation, and Welcome to Caring Without Restraint. These publications, address positive behavior supports, positive employee practices and creating positive cultures.

Retired from the CEO role since 2015, George now is the senior partner at aoStrategies, a company that works with organizations supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Bob Sandidge & Anne Ward: An Introduction to The Power of Voice: From Intention to Influence

Session Description:

Your voice carries your emotions and your intention for every communication. It is, therefore, the primary tool that we use to supervise, organize, motivate and put ideas into action. The impact of voice in your role as a supportive manager, coach, teacher or fellow team member would be difficult to overstate.

In this session, we preview the six module Power of Voice training curriculum developed for the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network. The Power of Voice, featuring videos, workshop exercise, and discussions, was created specifically for staff to enhance their professional voices.

Biographies:

Bob Sandidge and Anne Ward are authors, consultants, and trainers in the power of voice, communications, marketing, and personal and organizational development. Both are voice-over professionals who study and teach the power of voice and linguistic patterns. They have scripted and voiced training programs, promotional videos and radio spots. Recent spots are currently running on three major stations in the Chicago area.

Bob started working with his voice in radio professionally while in high school. He has written, voiced and produced hundreds of soundtracks. Anne has written and voiced numerous media presentations. Both have consulted and trained extensively with organizations serving people with developmental disabilities since 1991. Currently, they are managing several special projects for Trinity Services.

Anne Buechner: Weaving the Golden Thread for a Golden Life

Session Description:

Join us in learning about an evidence-based quality model describing the correlations
among Home and Community-Based Setting (HCBS) waiver requirements, a systemic,
person-centered approach and people achieving golden lives:
• Experiencing meaningful lives,
• Being included in their communities,
• Empowered in self-directing supports, and
• Directing personal life decisions.

Biography:

Anne Buechner is a quality enhancement specialist for CQL, The Council on Quality and Leadership. In this role, Anne consults, provides trainings, facilitates workshops and leads accreditation activities offered by CQL.

Anne has experience within CQL and in private and state agencies supporting people within the human service arena in their quest for better lives. She works to maintain the vision of CQL through her collaboration with partners and her public presence. Since 2000, she has worked with the organization as a Project Lead in Florida and Alabama. Her focus remains enhancing personal quality of life for people while strengthening partnerships to create responsive and accountable systems of support.

Anne brings 25 years of well-rounded experience to CQL with strong project management, data, quality assurance and training skills. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ripon College, WI, and a Master of Arts degree in International Human Rights from the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, Italy. She cherishes time with her family and enjoys time spent in her developing home and community in Costa Rica.

Sherry Neal: Aspiration Awareness: Are G-Tubes the Answer?

Session Description:

Aspiration is a common problem among individuals who have disabilities and older adults. Often, after a person aspirates, a gastronomy tube (G-tube) is placed to prevent aspiration when in fact it may not do so. We review what causes aspiration and best practices in case a G-tube does become necessary.

Biography:

Sherry Neal, RN-BC, CDDN, has worked in the healthcare profession since 1972 and has been an RN since 1976. She is board certified in two nursing specialties, gerontology and developmental disabilities. Sherry has worked 23 years with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is currently the clinical director for Health Risk Screening, Inc. She also has significant experience in geriatrics, pre-hospital emergency care, ICU and long-term care management.

Prior to moving from Illinois, Sherry was the consulting nurse for nine different agencies serving individuals with IDD. She still serves as a master nurse trainer for Illinois in delegation of medication administration in community settings.

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Amie Hoffman & Jenifer Russell: Building an Exemplary Behavior Plan (Part 1: Assessing Function)

Session Description:

Building an effective behavior plan is a complicated and time-consuming process, especially without the right tools for the job. In Part 1, participants learn that establishing a strong foundation requires accurately assessing the function of challenging behavior. Multiple evidence-based indirect assessments and strategies can be used to help determine why a person exhibits challenging behavior. Amie and Jen review these assessments and strategies and demonstrate how to use them most efficiently.

Biographies:

Amie Hoffman has worked in the field of developmental disabilities for the last 14 years. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in 2004, she began her career as mental health technician in a psychiatric hospital in Goshen, IN, working with children and adolescents who were dually diagnosed.

Upon moving to Illinois in 2005, Amie began working with adults with disabilities as a qualified developmental disability professional at Trinity Services, Inc., where she is currently employed. During this time, she discovered that her passion was in applied behavior analysis, so she enrolled at Southern Illinois University and graduated with a master’s degree in Behavior Analysis and Therapy.

Amie now works as a BCBA with Trinity, providing services to the people receiving support and training staff in behavioral safety techniques. She also oversees the Trinity Services Individual Supports Committee that provides supports by assisting with behavior plan development for people in the agency’s programs. In addition, she supervises applied behavior analysis graduate students working at Trinity. Amie is a behavioral safety certified trainer with QBS as well.

Jenifer Russell has worked with people with disabilities for more than 25 years in a variety of capacities and environments. As a certified behavior analyst since 2008, she has served in clinic, in-home and community-based settings, as well as in public and private school settings.

Jenifer currently works at Trinity Services, Inc. as a behavior analyst in a residential CILA department, serving 90 people with intellectual disabilities, mental health diagnoses and dual diagnoses. In addition, she is a certified Safety Care trainer as well as an adjunct instructor at the Chicago School for Professional Psychology, where she teaches and supervises graduate students in the Applied Behavior Analysis department. Her specialties are severe autism, functional communication training, toilet training and severe challenging behavior reduction.

Carl Tyler & Michael Wells: Tapping the Potential for DSPs to Improve the Quality of Health Care

Session Description:

In order to understand their views on healthcare quality, DSPs completed a survey immediately following healthcare encounters involving their clients with IDD. We review the study results and facilitate a broader discussion about how DSPs can improve the quality of health care of persons with IDD.

Biographies:

Carl V. Tyler, MD, MSc, CAQ-Geriatrics, is a physician whose primary focus is improving the health and health care of persons with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (DD) through clinical care, research and education. With the support of Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, he founded the Developmental Disabilities Practice-Based Research Network, a multi-stakeholder organization comprised of representatives from the advocacy, service and healthcare systems, who conduct and support innovations in health care for persons with IDD. With co-author Steve Baker, MS, he wrote Intellectual Disabilities at Your Fingertips: A Health Care Resource.

Michael Wells is a research assistant at the Cleveland Clinic focusing on developmental disability health and healthcare quality improvement. Michael works directly with faculty and residents to complete academic projects. He is also the research coordinator for the Developmental Disabilities Practice-Based Research Network, a multi-stakeholder group comprised of advocates, self-advocates, nurses and physicians who dedicate their efforts to improving quality of care in individuals with developmental disabilities.

Aimee Brake & Renea Bentley: Removing Silos: Improving Outcomes Through Integrated Care

Session Description:

This session introduces Anthem’s integrated approach for individuals with Intellectual and developmental disabilities. We outline our approach to address the physical, behavioral and social needs of individuals with I/DD holistically. The program provides access to a wide array of services through a single coordination point–supporting meaningful community integration and reducing complexity not only for the individual, but for their families and caregivers.

We also describe how our offerings go beyond traditional healthcare to connect members with a host of resources and supports that are right for them–so they can live better on their own terms. We show specific examples of a variety of these programs and how they resulted in the improved outcomes for individuals with I/DD in a variety of states.

Biographies:

Renea Bentley, EdD, LPC-MHSP, is currently the senior manager of Behavioral Health Specialty Programs for Amerigroup Community Care in Nashville, TN. She has worked at Amerigroup for five years and her clinical experience includes working in direct care and leadership positions with providers focusing on the treatment of children placed in foster care, at risk youth and their families. Her clinical experience also includes working with individuals, couples and families in private practice.

Renea is an adjunct professor in the master’s program at Lindsey Wilson College’s School of Professional Counseling program. She is trained in EMDR therapy as well as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

Aimee Brake is a senior product management director with Anthem (BlueCross BlueShield), who works with state customers and local markets to identify creative solutions to service delivery for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has worked in the managed care industry since 2012, providing both hands-on care coordination and leadership in long-term services and support programs. As a licensed master social worker (LMSW), she has also worked in non-profit, healthcare and the public sector settings to support individuals with disabilities through advocacy, strategic planning, counseling and service linkage.

Aimee has received a variety of awards in her service for others. Among them are the receipt of a Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Advocacy from Representative Brenda Gilmore and being named a National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Scholar.

Steve Grieger & Aimee Morrison: The Big Haul, The Long Picture: Perspectives on "Long-Term Leadership'"

Session Description:

Join us for a humorous and candid panel discussion as we embrace years of jaw-dropping anecdotes, the struggles to stay motivated, person-centered success stories and passing the torch to a new generation. Attendees are welcome to share their own stories, insights and innovations during the discussion.

Biographies:

Steve Grieger lives in El Cajon, CA, where he supervises four community group homes for people with intellectual disabilities with the Home of Guiding Hands. He has been a featured presenter at conferences for the National Association for QDDPs and Developmental Services Network, Inc., and is actively involved with the Special Olympics and People First movement.

His varied accomplishments include chef, playwright, screenwriter and teacher, but he is most proud of his 35 years as a caregiver and QIDP/Administrator.

Steve is also the author of two books including Challenged: A Tribute: One Man’s True Story of Caring for, Laughing with and Learning from People with Special Needs, which received the 2012 award for Best Memoir from the San Diego Book Awards Association.

(Please note: NAQ Conference attendees of “The Big Haul, The Long Picture” will each receive a complimentary copy of Challenged: A Tribute.)

Aimee Morrison is a Seattle native who currently resides in Santee, CA. She works as a case manager at Home of Guiding Hands, where she has been employed since 2009. She supervises two ICF-DDH homes for adults with intellectual disabilities. Aimee is a presenter for multiple modules of employee orientation, and serves on many committees at Home of Guiding Hands.

Aimee’s proudest achievement is her 23 years of advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has a broad range of experience within the non-profit sector. In her career, she has worked as a direct care provider, workshop production skills specialist, respite service contractor, community access coordinator, supported employment job coach, and residential manager.

Aimee is the mother of an active five-year-old son, and enjoys spending time with her husband and family. Her hobbies include animal rescue, floral design, party planning, and interior design. Inspired by her residents’ interests, she has updated the interiors of several homes within her agency.

This will be Aimee’s first time attending and presenting at the NAQ conference.

Elizabeth Sites: Human Rights Committees: Implementation of Best Practice Strategies

Session Description:

This presentation is a discussion of the important role of the human rights committees, the roles and responsibilities of the organization and best practice ideas for implementing a working and effective human rights committee. Elizabeth shares a variety of successful, practical examples.

Biography:

Elizabeth Sites is a quality enhancement specialist for CQL, The Council on Quality and Leadership. She has over 20 years of experience in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has worked in a variety of positions including direct support, case management and director with both small providers and several multi-state providers. Most recently, Elizabeth served as quality enhancement director, project manager and quality performance and enhancement coordinator for a multi-state I/DD provider.

She has experience as a service provider in planning with Personal Outcome Measures®, education and training, leading Basic Assurances® reviews and analyzing and utilizing data to enhance quality of services. She is especially passionate about rights protection and education.

Elizabeth currently resides in southern Wisconsin with her husband.

Elizabeth Garcia & John Pingo: The Sound of Culture

Session Description:

Based on the culture levels described in the book Tribal Leadership, this seminar uses music to teach you how to recognize at what level your organization’s culture is at and give you ideas on how to change the tune if you don’t like what you are hearing.

Biographies:

Elizabeth Garcia started with the Goldie B. Floberg Center in 2007 as a direct support professional. Since then she has had the opportunity to serve the agency as a aupervisor, management director for both residential programs, the director of human resources, and now as the chief culture officer. Elizabeth enjoys building a progressive workplace culture.

He has a Ph.D. in behavior analysis and therapy from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Amie Hoffman & Jen Russell: Building an Exemplary Behavior Plan (Part 2 - Function Based Interventions)

Session Description:

In Part 2, Amie and Jen focus on bridging the gap between the information gathered during assessment and creating an exemplary plan. The information presented helps participants use the most effective, function-based strategies for prevention, management and alternative skill acquisition. This presentation is appropriate for QDDPs and behavior therapists/specialists responsible for developing and writing behavior plans.

Biographies:

Dusty Russell & Cyndie Kieffer: Ethics & Self Care

Session Description:

Is it ethical to neglect caring for yourself when caring for others? This session allows participants to explore how they are caring for themselves while caring for the people they support. In addition, they receive information that helps support the caregivers in their lives.

Biographies

For over a decade, Dusty E. Russell, LCSW, has provided behavior management consultations for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has found connection and joy in working with the people she supports as they make progress towards their goals. Dusty says, "What I love about my work is that we celebrate every achievement no matter how large or how small. We don't take any ability for granted".

In graduate school and even in her dream job, Dusty struggled with compassion fatigue and burnout. After several encounters with both, she moved from being the Phoenix rising from the ashes to being the "poster child" who promotes self-care as a best care practice for all caregivers.

Pursuing a lifelong passion for travel and adventure, Dusty adores exploring destinations abroad. In her spare time, she is a paranormal investigator, an author, and a Reiki master. At home, Dusty's kitty kids, Ezzy, Grayden, and Gryffin make paw prints in her heart.

Cyndie Kieffer, MSW, is a licensed social worker in Illinois and Indiana with over ten years of experience providing animal-assisted interventions. She has completed the Animal Assisted Interventions certificate program at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Animal Assisted Play Therapy levels one and two under Dr. Rise VanFleet. She and her Border Collie, Jack, provide services to the people she serves as well as visits area schools, nursing homes and workshops in southern Illinois and Indiana. In addition, she and Jack provide animal-assisted play therapy through her business, Sit. Stay. Heal. Cyndie also trains dogs for therapy dog work and is an evaluator, instructor and handler for Pet Partners.

Amie Burke: Stop the Training Cycle: A Review of Evidence-Based Training

Session Description:

QDDP’s are often expected to train support staff as one of their job duties. Unfortunately, traditional staff training has not proven particularly effective. In this session, we discuss an alternative, evidence-based approach for training performance skills to human service staff. A brief case demonstration then illustrates application of the training approach and its apparent effectiveness.

Biography:

Amie Burke is a board certified behavior analyst who graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and Therapy. She has over 25 years of experience working with children and adults diagnosed with developmental disabilities, their families and caregivers in various settings. She is currently the clinical supervisor for the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network and is passionate about bringing applied behavior analysis to new fields and all aspects of life. Areas of expertise include functional behavior assessment, development and implementation of individualized intervention/behavior plans, staff training and caring for the caregiver.

Sylvia Dawkins: How to Motivate Your Staff to Be Their Best at Work!

Session Description:

Being a direct support professional is not a watered down job; it’s a great opportunity to change someone’s life. Is your staff motivated enough each day to strive towards greatness in their profession? Are they motivated enough to know that when they lose, that doesn’t make them losers. Is your staff motivated enough to know that when they have failed, that doesn’t make them failures. Quitting makes them failures, and quitting is not an option. It’s very important to find out what motivates your staff, as they motivate the people we serve each day. In this session, participants learn team-building activities that encourage, uplift and motivate them to strive toward greatness every day.

Biography:

Sylvia Dawkins joined the Open Arms Care family in 1999 and currently serves as the training coordinator of the Nashville Operations. Her previous roles included direct support professional, assistant house manager and house manager.

Sylvia continues to fulfill her role as training coordinator with energy and enthusiasm, motivating and invigorating new and current employees. Sylvia’s ability to incorporate all three learning styles to teach all curriculums helps to ensure students retain the information to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities.

Sylvia is active in the Nashville community, and is a strong believer in life-long learning and enriching the lives of others. Sylvia often speaks and volunteers in activities for youth. She also continues to train and educate others by certifying students in CPR/1^ST Aide, Crisis Prevention Institution, and teaches True Color Diversity training.

Sylvia has had the pleasure of presenting at national conferences for the NAQ Conference since 2013, and continues to support the Nurse Aide Program, NATS, as a part-time instructor since 2005. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Business- Human Resource Management from Western Governors University of Tennessee.

Art Dykstra, Holly Janczak, & Connie Melvin: Tips for First Time Speakers

Session Description:

Do you have an idea, process, or best practice that you are willing to share with others? Many people hesitate to do so because of a fear or lack of public speaking experience. In this session, three seasoned speakers offer tips, advice, and encouragement that help you develop this essential professional skill.

Biographies:

The National Association of QDDPs is a membership organization founded in 1996 to provide a resource for networking, learning and addressing issues that concern QDDPs today. Holly Janczak has served as its executive director since 2000. In addition to providing leadership to the NAQ, she is employed by Trinity Services, Inc., a nationally recognized organization, providing services to individuals with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, and other challenging issues. She has also served as the director of one of Trinity’s community living programs.

Holly obtained her undergraduate degree from Governors’ State University in 1982 and a Master’s of Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Nevada in 1998. Prior to coming to Trinity, she worked for the Illinois Department of Human Services for 16 years.

Currently, Holly lives in New Lenox with Dale, her husband of 33 years, and their two pugs. Reading, paper crafting and travel are some of her outside interests.

Connie Melvin joined Trinity Services in 2016 to support their assistive technology initiative as well as to promote the future growth and development of NAQ. Prior to coming to Illinois, she developed an assistive technology program from the ground up for a large community-based provider. In addition, she designed and hosted an annual regional conference dedicated to providing current assistive technology information and training to disability professionals. She also spearheaded the initiative for assistive technology adoption in another state, which resulted in a number of successful pilot programs as well as the implementation of highly regarded best practices. A highly sought speaker and consultant, Connie focuses on helping people with disabilities live their dreams.

A graduate of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities, Connie has an MA in Counseling Psychology & Education.

Jim Lewis: Managing the Complications of ADHD and Autism in Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Medical-Problem Solving Approach

Session Description:

The presentation includes information on diagnosing and treating ADHD and autism using a family-centered team approach. Jim discusses best practice guidelines with recent research updates for both medical and behavior treatment modalities. Additional complicating conditions of anxiety, depression and sleep disorders are also briefly reviewed.

Biography:

Jim Lewis, MD, is board certified in both Pediatrics and Neurodevelopment Disabilities and a professor of Pediatrics at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. As director of the ADHD Center and Resident Behavior -Developmental Teaching Program, his practice is devoted exclusively to children with school and behavior problems. He has lectured and published in this field and has a book entitled ADHD + Coexisting Conditions: A Guidebook for Parents, Teachers and Counselors scheduled for publication by High Tide Press in fall 2017.

Jim and his wife are proud parents of six children, two with ADHD.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Thursday, August 10, 2017

8:45 AM - 10:00 AM

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

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