Welcome!
The New York Alliance is excited to announce the dates for our Living & Working in the Community Conference taking place on October 16 & 17, 2023 at The Crowne Plaza - Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY.
Formerly the Annual FI & Self-Direction Summit, the Living & Working in the Community Conference will bring a new and expanded focus to innovative practices in Self-Direction including housing and employment. As always, the event will feature information sharing and best practices occurring in New York State.
Dates & Times:
Monday, October 16th - 1:00PM-6:00PM
Tuesday, October 17th - 8:30AM-2:00PM
The agenda and more information is included below. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you in October!
Agenda - Monday, October 16th
12:00 pm: Event Check-In/Registration
1:00-2:00 pm: Keynote Presentation
The Limits of Innovation: Going Deep Before Going New
Gord Tulloch & Dr. Sarah Schulman, InWithForward, Authors of The Trampoline Effect: Redesigning our Social Safety Nets
In 2014, a team of researchers moved into a social housing complex to try to understand the lived experience of social isolation for persons with developmental disabilities. What they found was deeply unsettling and prompted a decade’s worth of efforts to co-design and prototype new solutions. But innovative research and design methods only go so far before they run up against system logics, values and needs. What is a legitimate outcome? What should we be counting? Who gets to make what sorts of decisions? And how do we prevent systems from assimilating novelty? De-institutionalization, unsurprisingly, is less about closing doors than it is about opening up new mental models. In this talk the presenters—a system insider and outsider, and authors of The Trampoline Effect: Redesigning our Social Safety Nets (2020)—share their journey of trying to foster conditions that lead to more human flourishing. Sometimes succeeding, often failing, they chart their journey away from “programs and services” towards everyday encounters and moments.
2:10-3:10 pm: Concurrent Sessions
1. ACCES-VR Services: Attaining and Maintaining Employment and Supporting Independent Living
Linda Schramm, MS, CRC, Assistant Commissioner, Adult Career and Continuing Education Services (ACCES), New York State Education Department (NYSED)
Employment is an essential adult goal – it offers people the chance to earn money and acquire valuable, marketable skills that benefit themselves as well as their communities and local economies. People who are active members of the workforce experience greater self-confidence, a wider circle of social contacts and friendships, and the satisfaction of being an integral part of society.
A disability does not preclude the identification and attainment of an employment goal, but a person with a disability may need additional supports to acquire pre-requisite skills for a job as well as assistance with finding a job and navigating the work landscape once employed. Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) assists individuals with disabilities to achieve and maintain employment and supports independent living through training, education, rehabilitation, and career development. ACCES-VR starts with the presumption that all individuals with disabilities can benefit from vocational rehabilitation services and should have opportunities to work in jobs integrated within their communities. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors guide individuals through service programs they need to reach their employment goals.
In this presentation, Linda Schramm, MS, CRC, Assistant Commissioner for ACCES gives an overview of ACESS-VR’s Mission, Philosophy, and scope of services. Come learn about who ACCES-VR serves, the scope of the services it offers, and how to apply for services.
2. The Art of Facilitating Community
Jennifer Teich, AHRC NYC
Marieta Austin, Master Housing Navigator, NY Housing Resource Center
An interactive session focusing on a variety of tools and methodologies to build an inclusive community for people who are self-directing. These tools
will support Brokers to develop their skills to develop and maintain circles.
3. Managing my Health and Wellness
Karleen Haines, Care Design NY
4. What is Integrated Supportive Housing Program and How Does it Work?
Hank Lobb, Master Housing Navigator, NYS DDPC Housing Grant and Assistant Director of Community Services, Springbrook
Trish Calandra, Master Housing Navigator, NYS DDPC Housing Grant and Director, THRIVE
Stefanie Silvestri, Access: Supports for Living
NYS OPWDD Representatives (invited)
Integrated Supportive Housing Program, better known as ISH, is a statewide initiative to build affordable/supportive, non-certified, housing. The program can provide funding for up to 25% of the total number of units that offer preference in tenant selection to individuals eligible to receive OPWDD Services. In addition to capital requests, projects can request solely for ongoing rental subsidies to be used in a capital project application.
Learn more about ISH and the requirements for ISH projects in addition to hearing from providers who have been awarded ISH Housing Projects. Get ready for the next round of funding.
3:20-4:20 pm: Concurrent Sessions
5. Self-Direction and Employment: Tools for Autonomy, Integration and Personal Growth
Julia A. Kelly, M.S. Ed., Director, Employment and Meaningful Community Activities, NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
Jim MacNaughton, MS, Statewide Coordinator, NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
This workshop will explore the opportunities that individuals can access through self-direction and competitive employment. Choosing self-directed services gives people the opportunity to truly have a say in what they do –all day, every day – at home, at work, and in the community. Self-direction gives individuals the chance to choose their own services so they can live the life they want, with more flexibility to choose supports that work for them. Employment can be an essential and rewarding part of a self-directed life, leading to acquiring new skills, developing rewarding friendships, and experiencing feelings of pride and accomplishment. Julia Kelly and Jim MacNaughton of OPWDD will explore the dynamics of self-direction and employment and discuss in detail the supports and services available to individuals to be successful in these endeavors.
6. Exploration of Future Planning by Parents of Adults with IDD Using
Laurie Yankowitz, Teachers College, Columbia University/Center for Family Support
The study was approved by the IRB at Teachers College. 9 Focus Groups
7. Sexuality and Healthy Relationships
Emily Tennant-Koller, Parent Network of WNY
8. Reimagining Our Relationship to Property
Carol Napierski, NY Alliance
Chris Liuzzo, Consultant NY Alliance
Josh Phelps, AIM Services, Inc.
It has been estimated that New York’s I/DD provider sector owns properties worth, in the aggregate, $2.6 billion dollars! Imagine that! And imagine if we could somehow free those resources from the bricks and mortar and put them into people, supports and services.
This panel presentation will provide real-life New York examples of organizations that did reimagine their relationships to property, increased the quality of their services, improved outcomes for the people they support, and….saved money. We will explore some myths associated with property ownership and the impacts on people and families when their supports are bound up in the property.
4:30-6:30 pm: Networking Meet & Greet
Sponsored by:
Agenda - Tuesday, October 17th
7:30–8:30 am: Breakfast and Networking
8:30–9:30 am: General Session
To Deprogram or Reprogram: Is That the Question?
Gord Tulloch & Dr. Sarah Schulman, InWithForward, Authors of The Trampoline Effect: Redesigning our Social Safety Nets
The vision of community living is inspirational: good lives in welcoming communities. After decades of programs and services, why does this vision still seem so aspirational? In this workshop, we will probe the limits to programs and services and pose alternative thinking and approaches. Drawing on a decade of on-the-ground experimentation, alongside big ideas from philosophy, humanities, design, and the social sciences, we’ll collectively explore the question: how do we get to the heart of what matters?
9:45-10:45 am Concurrent Sessions
9. Closing the Gaps: New Tools and Opportunities for Employment - Panel Discussion
Fredda Rosen, SME and Rachel Pollock, SME, Project Leads for the New York State National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) through the US Department of Labor
Marilee Boylan, MS OTR, Director of Employment Programs, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)
Brandy Solomon, Employment Project Coordinator, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)
Maureen O’Brien, President and CEO, New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID)
Through employment individuals have the opportunity take part in their communities as well as the ability to attain and maintain fiscally-secure, comfortable lifestyles. Unfortunately, the path to acquiring the necessary skills and accessing viable opportunities for employment is often challenging and discouraging. This panel presentation, provided by leading experts in the employment field, will explore the current innovative employment landscape in New York State, which offers individuals exciting prospects for acquiring skills, attaining employment, and receiving necessary supports in the process. Discussion will focus on:
- Development of cooperative efforts among NYS agencies to advance CIE using advocacy, technical assistance, and mentoring tools through the National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) grant;
- New opportunities for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training in partnership with community colleges;
- Modernized and expanded opportunities for competitive employment and sustainable income through New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID)
10. FIs and CCOs
Simja Bezalel, East End Disability Associates
Lysette Morales, Care Design New York
Marret Arfsten, Community Mainstreaming Associates
This presentation will discuss the organic development of the LIFI-CCO Committee and the work that has been done because of it. The Long Island Fiscal Intermediary Network (LIFI) started soon after the transition from MSCs to CCOs, bringing together the many Fiscal Intermediary Agencies across Long Island in an effort to discuss the concerns and struggles of the FI role and come up with potential solutions.
A key reported concern from the participating agencies was a lack of understanding of the role of Care Managers, the roll out of the CCO model, and how best to explain self-direction to this new model of case management. So a small group of people took the initiative to create an opportunity for CCOs, FIs, and Agency Support Brokers to come to the same table, discuss their concerns, dispel rumors and presumptions, provide education, and create tools that ultimately help each better serve the individuals and families that we were all working to support. From Life Plans to self-direction resources to best practices for supporting a family, this group meets quarterly to discuss the latest concerns in the field and brainstorm solutions that will be helpful to everyone. This presentation will discuss how this group came to be, how we collaborate, and the tools that have been created during our work together, resulting in conflict resolution and strengthening of the relationships between FIs and CCOs.
11. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Unleashing the Potential
Brittany Hoosier, AIM Services
Casey Donovan, eVero Corporation
Explore how to foster a culture that embraces data as a strategic asset. Learn to navigate the ethical considerations that come with data usage, ensuring transparency and fairness in your decisions. Discover the significance of agile decision-making, adapting to evolving circumstances with real-time insights. This presentation equips you with the tools to establish meaningful KPIs to ultimately enhance the lives of the people you support. Unlock the power of data and elevate your decision-making prowess.
12. Paying Providers - Key Employment Law Considerations for Shared Living Arrangements
Adam Pekor and Myles Moran, Sheppard Mullin
Shared Living arrangements present a number of unique employment law challenges, from classifying providers to determining their hours of work. In this session, NY Alliance pro bono attorneys Adam Pekor and Myles Moran will review the major employment law pitfalls associated with shared living arrangements and the best practices to ensure your agency’s compliance with the law.
11:00 am-12:00 pm Concurrent Sessions
13. NYS Industry Pre-apprenticeship Training Programs for ID/DD
Hilary Nichols, RCAL
Frank Fatalyn, President, FALA Industries
Industry is recognizing that individuals with disabilities can be a key part of their skilled workforce. The industry has the jobs and the training programs but lacks the qualified candidates for hire. An industry pre-apprenticeship program called STEPs is helping individuals succeed in starting a manufacturing career pathway to get a high-paying job.
STEPs is specially designed to help individuals with disabilities. STEPs uses universal design to also include at-risk youth, youth, adults who are starting their first job or looking to change jobs, and people who have been out of work and want to go back to work. STEPs offers pre-apprenticeship training, workplace internships, and community college classes that lead to NYS-certified industry apprenticeship programs, with the goal of creating future master technicians.
STEPs and other NYS industry training programs are being developed for individuals with disabilities. To make this work, a regionally coordinated work process for education; industry; agency; government, and community will be explained.
14. Sustainability of Self-Direction After Parents are Gone = Access for All
NY Self-Determination Coalition
Most people who use SDS rely heavily on family, mostly parents, to ensure their success. But parents don’t live forever. At the same time, people who don’t have families able to help them with all of the oversight, administration, and moment-to-moment management needed, are being told they can’t self-direct. We will present a panel including FIs, Brokers, and family members who are implementing creative ways to support people who don’t have a family to assist them. This will be followed by an open brainstorming session-we want to hear your ideas! For example community drop-in center at the local Y? Temp employment agency for DSPs for fill-in? Large agencies with maintenance staff providing those services to people living in non-certified housing?
15. When Art Becomes Healing and Employment
Timothy Giarrusso, Four Elements Studios & Human Technologies
Four Elements Studio provides access and inclusion to the arts for various populations; typically marginalized and/or excluded populations that include people with disabilities, immigrants, and refugees. Founded by a World Class contemporary ceramic artist this organization is challenged every year in generating funding sources to fulfill its mission. Four Elements Studio has envisioned a future state of self-sufficiency to ensure its ongoing viability. Human Technologies, a $40M not-for-profit, founded in 1954 for injured Veterans returning from the Korean War has experienced multiple transformations over its 70-year history including becoming self-sufficient over the last 8 years (a reduction of nearly $1.2M annually from OPWDD 10 years ago, to $600K in 2015, to zero funding by 2019). This presentation will share the power of how seemingly insignificant conversations can forge relationships and synergy in pursuit of a more just and inclusive community - where art can become healing, employment, and ultimately, self-sufficiency for organizations and individuals living with challenges and/or disabilities.
16. 24 Years On: The experience of three men in their non-certified home, and their concerns for the future.
John Maltby, Co-Director, New York Housing Resource Center
Twenty-four years ago, three men with I/DD and their families created a non-certified home for themselves, long before non-certified settings were common. Over the years since, they have grown together, some parents have passed, siblings have grown, Live In Caregivers have shared their lives and Direct Support Professionals have in some cases been with them for many years. However, it has never been without challenges, some of which have changed over time, some of which have become more threatening to their independence. John Maltby, co-chair of the NY Housing Resource Center will describe this one-of-a-kind housing journey, discuss the challenges they have faced and continue to face, and how everyone involved thinks about the future.
1:15-2:00 pm Closing Session
Chad Colarusso, Director of Family Supports, NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
Angela Czerkas, Self-Direction Statewide Coordinator, NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
Event & Registration Information
Dates & Times:
Monday, October 16 from 1:00pm-6:30pm*
Tuesday, October 17 from 8:30am-2:00pm
*Networking Meet & Greet from 4:30-6:30pm on Monday is Sponsored by eVero Corporation
Location:
The Crowne Plaza - Desmond Hotel
660 Albany Shaker Rd, Albany, NY 12211
Registration Fees:
NY Alliance Member: $240/per person
Non-Member: $325/per person
Event Sponsors
