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April 27, 2022 9:00am - 3:30pm
Schedule of Sessions
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9:00 – 10:30 aM: Opening Remarks
Kerri E. Neifeld, Commissioner, NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
Keynote Speaker: Vu Le
A View Toward the Future: Unlocking Our Potential to Build an Equitable and Inclusive World
Amidst these rough few years, nonprofits have played a vital role in protecting, supporting, and strengthening our community. However, many of us are exhausted by the ongoing barriers and challenges we face in doing this work. What are lessons we can learn? What are hopeful signs that things are improving? What must we let go and do differently moving forward? How do we end the hunger games and walk the talk of equity, diversity, and inclusion? Let's own our awesomeness and unlock our full potential to create the kind of future we want to actualize.
view Recording
Comments from this Session:
"This is the best group therapy session I have attended in a long time. Great lesson on perspective."
"This is so on point!!!!"
About Vu Le:
Vu Le’s own bio describes him as a “writer, speaker, vegan, Pisces, and the former Executive Director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by developing leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities.” We’ve included the rest of the bio below that he shares on his website, NonprofitAF.com.
Vu’s passion to make the world better, combined with a low score on the Law School Admission Test, drove him into the field of nonprofit work, where he learned that we should take the work seriously, but not ourselves. There’s tons of humor in the nonprofit world, and someone needs to document it. He is going to do that, with the hope that one day, a TV producer will see how cool and interesting our field is and make a show about nonprofit work, featuring attractive actors attending strategic planning meetings and filing 990 tax forms.
Known for his no-BS approach, irreverent sense of humor, and love of unicorns, Vu has been featured in dozens, if not hundreds, of his own blog posts at NonprofitAF.com.
10:30– 10:45 aM: Break
10:45 – 11:45 aM: Concurrent Sessions
Session 1: State Budget and Other Fiscal & Financial Updates from the Deputy Commissioner
Kevin Valenchis, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Enterprise Solutions, NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
Division of Enterprise Solutions at the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities carries out the financial management of the state office including budget and finance for state-operated and voluntary supports and services. The Division is responsible for the development and implementation of the provisions of the State’s spending plan for OPWDD, rate setting, cost reporting and overall Strategic Directions for financing New York’s public intellectual and developmental disabilities sector.
Kevin Valenchis is the Deputy Commissioner for OPWDD’s Division of Enterprise Solutions. Kevin will present the Division’s Strategic Directions for 2022-23, provide an overview of the final 2022-23 State Budget for OPWDD and how it impacts the I/DD service delivery system and not-for-profit providers and share updated information on federal and state initiatives.
Session 2: Virtual Reality Augmenting Behavioral Health Services
Jeffrey Hallenbeck, MS LMHC, Living Resources, [email protected]
Stephanie Fisher, MS LMHC CASAC, Living Resources, [email protected]
Living Resources is currently pioneering the use of virtual reality (VR) to augment our behavioral health services for people living with I/DD. Using a comprehensive virtual reality program developed by Psious, we have been augmenting individual and group therapy with virtual experiences designed to promote mindfulness, stress management and the development of good coping skills. This mixed treatment modality promotes a person-centered approach building on strengths and fostering resiliency as well as skills needed to navigate daily challenges and manage anxiety related to day-to-day stressors.
These VR sessions create calming environments to bring a deeper awareness of the present moment while acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Throughout the program, individuals are prompted to choose a leaf and follow its path to the ground. In this way, they practice breathing deeply, centering, and relaxing. Other such environments include a warm meadow or mountaintop, or a serene underwater seascape where they can float along with schools of dolphins.
Once experiencing the technology and various scenarios, a licensed mental health professional will be able to use virtual settings to assist in gradually, mindfully confronting situations which are anxiety producing and work to become desensitized to those situations. These may include fear of medical appointments, heights, animals, social situations etc. VR allows for limited exposure to these scenarios and gradual desensitization to experiencing them.
view recording Session 2 POWERPOINT
Session 3: Independently Managing Through a Pandemic
Stefanie Silvestri, Access: Supports for Living Inc., [email protected]
Jocelyn Gondre, Access: Supports for Living Inc., [email protected]
Loneliness can be devastating to those who live alone, including, and especially, for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this presentation, the team at Access: Supports for Living Inc. will discuss the combination in-person and telehealth model used to support ISS and Comm Hab recipients who had been living independently pre-pandemic and those new to independent living.
view recording Session 3 POWERPOINT
11:45 aM - 12:30 pM: Break
12:30 – 1:30 pM: Concurrent Sessions
Session 4: Moving Past Conversation into Action: How to Become a Technology First Care Provider
Jason Ray, President of Simply Home, [email protected]
Heather Evans, VP of Development, Arc Oneida Lewis
Lisa Jordan, Keystone Human Services, [email protected]
A dynamic conversation will be held during this session between leaders on an innovative technology-first approach that transforms the care model and drives person-centered outcomes.
view recording Session 4 slides
Session 5: Bridging the Gap: Innovative Ways to Reach and Serve New American Communities with Developmental Disabilities
Jacqueline Hayes, Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC), [email protected]
Cynthia Stewart, Office for New Americans (ONA), [email protected]
Jenny Munoz, Office for New Americans (ONA)/ NYS Department of State, [email protected]
The Office for New Americans (ONA) Ramirez June Initiative, the first of its kind in the nation, was created to support new Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families in New York State. The initiative supports immigrants with I/DD by connecting them with vital resources and services and attempts to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps that may interfere with access. The initiative is funded by the NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) and is a collaborative effort between DDPC and ONA.
view recording Session 5 POWERPOINT
Session 6: Self-Direction: Make Your Own Path
Alan Kulchinsky, Independent Support Services, [email protected]
Liz Luchsinger, Independent Support Services, [email protected]
This presentation will include a 36-minute documentary film that describes individuals and their families' journeys that led them to the self-directed model of services. The film highlights how these three individuals with various disabilities are now thriving as active, valued, and contributing members of their communities. Q and A to follow addressing some of the challenges for sustainability.
view recording
To watch the documentary, click here.
Brittany's Baskets of Hope
More Information about Brittany
George to the Rescue
Session 7: PrideAbility.org: Connecting the LGBTQIA Community
Shameka Andrews, SANYS, [email protected]
Pamela Boyle, AHRC Nassau, [email protected]
Claire Miller, FREE, [email protected]
Rick Banner, People Inc, [email protected]
Brian Potvin, Arc of Monroe, [email protected]
PrideAbility’s regional and statewide groups have been growing throughout the pandemic to meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community of people with I/DD. This presentation will highlight best practices to support this population, our brand-new website prideability.org, and the resources available for support professionals and families.
view recording Session 7 POWERPOINT
Session 8: Leveraging Data to Improve Outcomes Through Partnerships in Care Coordination
Megan O’Connor, Care Design NY, Chief Administrative Officer
Matthew Northrup, Care Design NY, AVP of Quality & Analytics
Michelle Israel, Care Design NY, Director of Behavioral Health
Ravi Dahiya, YAI, Chief Program Officer
Yvonne Patrick, YAI, Bronx Regional Director
Lesley Sandoval, CSIDD/NYSTART, Coordinator Region 4
As NYS Health Homes, Care Coordination Organizations coordinate services for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to support improvements in healthcare and behavioral health management resources. In doing so, Care Design NY accesses large datasets critical to assessing the supported population and implementing comprehensive interventions through strategic partnerships with service providers. This session highlights multiple successes supporting people through critical times of care using data analyses and multi-agency collaborative strategies. A case study will be shared to spotlight an example of a collaboration between YAI and CDNY to improve outcomes for an individual with complex behavioral health needs.
view recording Session 8 POWERPOINT
1:30 – 1:45 pM: Break
1:45 – 3:30 pM: NY Alliance Annual Meeting, Policy Forum & Excellence Awards
Michael Seereiter, Ann Hardiman and the NY Alliance Board of Directors are pleased to have this opportunity to share association updates at this annual forum. NY Alliance Policy Priorities and Strategic Directions will be a focus of the session. Following the presentation and dialogue, election of NY Alliance Board members will be held followed by the Annual Excellence Awards Ceremony. As is customary for this event, feel free to attend this virtual session, as you would if you were in the Adirondacks, with refreshments of your choice.
Schedule
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