The State of America's Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2024
2020 ANCOR Virtual Annual Conference
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ABOUT ANCOR’S 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Since its inception, the ANCOR Annual Conference has been a place for members of the ANCOR family to connect with each other, share best practices and pioneer solutions to the biggest challenges facing our community. We know that when this community comes together, nothing can stop us from rising to the occasion to ensure the health, well-being and inclusion of the people with intellectual and developmental disabilities we support. With the stress and uncertainty that comes with these unprecedented times, never before has a gathering of the ANCOR community been more timely.
ANCOR’s 2020 Virtual Annual Conference brought together over 1,000 participants over the course of the week. We heard from thought-leaders, innovators, and peers on how we continue to adapt to these challenging times so we can continue to provide critical services and supports for people with disabilities.
We may not be able to convene in Miami, but that most definitely did not stop us from doing what our association has always done best in its 50-year history: coming together, learning from one another, and transforming communities along the way.
Register Today
The ANCOR Annual Conference is our nation’s premiere gathering of providers of long-term supports and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those who are dedicated to providers’ success. With 600+ participants each year, the ANCOR Annual Conference convenes you and your colleagues to:
- Learn from one another about pressing challenges and emerging innovations.
- Share best practices that enable providers to support more people with high-quality services.
- Connect with leaders, up-and-comers and newcomers to the field.
- Advance our shared vision for fully inclusive communities.
What Does it Cost to Register?
Your ANCOR Annual Conference registration gets you access to the full array of sessions and networking opportunities, along with access to the Exhibitor Lounge. As always, members get exclusive access to discounted registration, and you can lock in our lowest rates by registering early.**
Note: Exhibit table staff rates only available to approved exhibitors.
**Not a member but interested in joining the ANCOR community? Contact Gabrielle Sedor by email.
Direct Support Professionals: Special programming for DSPs is offered at the ANCOR Annual Conference, including the presentation of the 2020 Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards. DSP registrations include full access to all Conference programming. Visit the DSPs tab to register at the deeply discounted rate.
Cancellation Policy: Registrations canceled on or before April 10, 2020 will be fully refunded, less a $75 processing fee. No refunds will be issued on or after April 11, 2020.
Begin Your Registration
To begin your registration, select one of the links below. You will be asked to log into your ANCOR account using your email address and previously established password. If you do not yet have an ANCOR account, you will have the option to create one before completing your registration.
Register Yourself | Register Others
Already Registered? Modify Your Registration
If you have already registered for the Conference and need to modify your registration, including adding Pre-Conference Sessions, click on the link below. You will be asked to log into your ANCOR account using your email address and previously established password.
Modify Your Registration
Questions?
We’re here to help! Reach out by email or call 703.535.7850.
Hilton Miami Downtown
1601 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33132
305.374.0000
We’re pleased to once again host the ANCOR Annual Conference at the Hilton Downtown Miami, which has stunning panoramic views of Biscayne Bay. This full-service, business-class hotel is located in downtown Miami, minutes from South Beach, the Wynwood Arts District and the Design District of Miami.
To reserve a hotel room at the special discounted rate for ANCOR Annual Conference participants ($209 per room, per night, plus tax for single or double occupancy), view the ANCOR room block. If you are not able to obtain nights requested, please contact A Room With A View for information on the official designated ANCOR overflow hotels.
A Room With A View will secure the lowest available rates at the best available hotels within walking distance of the Hilton Downtown Miami Hotel. Reservations processed by A Room With A View are automatically on a waitlist for rooms at The Hilton Downtown Miami Hotel should cancellations occur within The ANCOR group block at the discounted group rate.
For a list of designated hotel options to choose from, please contact A Room With A View at [email protected] or 1-800-780-4343 (Monday- Friday 9am – 5pm CST). This is a free service for all ANCOR attendees.
Please note: If you already have a reservation at The Miami Hilton Hotel and need to cancel (not modify) your registration, we ask that you do not call the hotel directly, and instead notify A Room With A View (at 1-800-780-4343). By doing so, A Room With A View will be able to give your room to another attendee wishing to stay at the host hotel.
If you have questions or encounter any problems booking your room, contact Jerri McCandless by email or by calling 703.535.7850, ext. 107.
Miss the live events? Check out the Sessions and Exhibits tabs for video recordings of each of the sessions. Recordings are available until May 31st.
At-a-Glance Agenda
MONDAY, APRIL 27
Virtual Exhibitor Office Hour: Relias
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Monday Opening Session
12:30 – 1:45 pm
- President’s Address by Robert Budd, President of the ANCOR Board of Directors and CEO of Family Residences & Essential Enterprises
- Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation: The Key to a Better Life with Al Condeluci
Medicaid 201
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Beyond the Concept Phase, Smart Technology to Deliver Services in Changing Times
3:30 – 4:30 pm
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
Virtual Exhibitor Office Hour: Anthem
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Tuesday Opening Session
12:30 – 1:45 pm
- Welcome remarks from Barbara Merrill, CEO, ANCOR
- Supporting DSPs During A Time of Crisis: A Session for Supervisors, Administrators and Executives with John Raffaele
Active Treatment During A Pandemic
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Building Partnerships with Families: Breaking Down Barriers
3:30 – 4:30 pm
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
Virtual Exhibitor Office Hours
12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Greenwich Biosciences
- TMP Technologies, Inc.
1:30 – 2:30 pm
- Nonstop Wellness
- Professional Medical Fulfillment
- Therap
3:00 – 4:00 pm
- GoodLife Innovations
- MediSked
- Mutual of America
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
Virtual Exhibitor Office Hours
12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Direct Care Innovations (DCI)
- Foothold Technology
- Health Risk Screening
1:30 – 2:30 pm
- OnShift
- Solana
3:00 – 4:00 pm
- SETWorks
- StationMD
Last updated April 20, 2020.
VIRTUAL EXHIBITOR OFFICE HOURS
Couldn’t make the live events? Check out the office hours recordings below.
For more information about these partners or to become an ANCOR partner, contact Kate McNulty, Director of Business Development.
MONDAY, APRIL 27
11am – 12pm, Eastern
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Carrie Kovalick, Strategic Alliance Manager
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
11am – 12pm, Eastern
- Virtual Office Hours: recording available here
- Questions? Contact Jodi Fenner, LTSS Specialty Team
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
12pm – 1pm, Eastern (concurrent office hours)
- Contact: Harry Novotny, Director, Long Term Care
Panel DIscussion With BrightSpring Leadership – Leveraging Technology to Improve Care: BrightSpring’s Susan Sender, WIlliam Mills and Robert Barnes will explain the provider’s move to a more streamlined operation that utilizes telemedicine and other technologies to respond to COVID-19. Office hours participants will have an opportunity to win a $100 Visa gift card.
- Virtual Office Hours: recording available here
- Contact: Eric Dodd, Vice President, Sales
1:30pm – 2:30pm, Eastern (concurrent office hours)
Let’s Rumble About Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
In times like these, it is more important than ever to protect the health of your workforce. You want your employees to have access to the healthcare they need. Unfortunately, much of the American workforce can’t afford to go to the doctor and/or get the treatment they need. If you have an upcoming employer-sponsored health insurance renewal, you can’t afford to miss this candid conversation about a new way to take control of your employees health insurance without slashing benefits. Check out this introductory video to learn more about Nonstop.
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contacts:
- Angerene Aldridge, Benefits Advisor
- Elizabeth Hodges, Benefits Advisor
Register for Wednesday’s discussion, Make Your Processes Painless — Even When You Need PPE.
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Brian Riddle, Co-Owner
- Virtual Office Hours: recording available here
- Contact: Jeff Case, National Director of Business Development
3pm – 4pm, Eastern (concurrent office hours)
GoodLife Innovations is a national leader in the creation and dissemination of innovative, cost-effective service models for people with I/DD and the agencies that support them. Dr. Mike Strouse, President/CEO of GoodLife is sharing some low-hanging fruit regarding staffing, services, and technology solutions for our ANCOR provider partners. Visit GoodLife Innovations, Inc. (www.mygooglife.org) to learn more about the Neighborhood Networks, iLink Remote Support Technologies, and GoodLife’s unique DSP staffing and compensation approaches, as well as our ongoing outreach work.
Speakers during GoodLife Innovation’s virtual office hours include:
– Adriane Murray, Director of Human Resources, GoodLife Innovations
– Mike Strouse, President & CEO, GoodLife Innovations
– Megan Todd, Director of Strategic Planning & Development, GoodLife Innovations
– Lauren Vohland, Senior Vice President for Kansas Operations, GoodLife Innovations
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Megan Todd, Director of Strategic Planning and Development
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Linda Nakagawa, Policy Analyst
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
12pm – 1pm, Eastern (concurrent office hours)
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Marisa Balbo, Innovation Associate
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Grace Findlen-Golden, Office Manager
Representatives from HRS, Inc. will discuss how the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) can be used to identify those at most risk for serious consequences from illnesses such as COVID-19. They will also share how the HRST and other company offerings can be utilized to reduce identified risk and promote better health and wellness for people with IDD. HRS offers a series of webinar recordings discussing the impact of COVID-19 on people with I/DD, solutions to mitigate the impact, a free infection control video, and a free downloadable copy of their Health Passport. Office hours participants will have an opportunity to win a copy of Clinical Pearls in IDD Healthcare by Dr. Craig Escude and a Kindle Fire.
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording coming soon
- Contact: Gina Kugler, Director of Administration
1:30pm – 2:30pm, Eastern (concurrent office hours)
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Doug Nafziger, Chief Executive Officer
3pm – 4pm, Eastern (concurrent office hours)
SETWorks is a cloud-based software system that streamlines all your I/DD services. Designed specifically for I/DD agencies, SETWorks can be configured to support the unique requirements of your funders/state. Agencies of all sizes use SETWorks as a proven replacement for paper forms, spreadsheets, databases and CRMs.
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Laura Cooper, National Sales Director
- Virtual Office Hours: slides and recording available here
- Contact: Mario Bienvenue, Senior Account Executive
Last Updated: May 2, 2020
Robert Budd is President of the ANCOR Board of Directors and CEO of nonprofit Family Residences & Essential Enterprise, Inc. (FREE), located on Long Island, New York. FREE, Inc., is a network of agencies comprised of several unique entities. Robert also serves as the co-chair of the ANCOR Foundation’s Included. Supported. Empowered. campaign. He was inducted into the Legacy Leaders Circle in 2018.
Dr. Al Condeluci has been a leader in community building, human services and inclusive advocacy work for the past 50 years. Holding a PhD and MSW from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Condeluci has been the CEO of CLASS (Community Living and Support Services) a major nonprofit, community building organization in Pittsburgh, PA from 1973 to 2019. He holds faculty status at the University of Pittsburgh in the Schools of Social Work, and Health, Rehab Sciences and is author of 7 books including the acclaimed, Interdependence: The Route to Community (1995) and more recently, Social Capital: The Key to Macro Change (2014).
Brian Hart is the Vice President of Strategic Operations for LADD, a Cincinnati non-profit serving adults with developmental disabilities. He has spent his professional career pushing the boundaries of what options exist for adults with disabilities. He is guided by idea to empower all to realize their full independence.
Cindy Kauffman is SEEC’s Director of Strategic Operations where she is responsible for the organization-wide facilitation of SEEC’s strategic mission and vision and strategic pilots and initiatives. Cindy has been involved in the disabilities field for over 40 years, having started her career as an intern in a group home with 10 women with developmental disabilities. A few of Cindy’s previous positions nationally and internationally include working for CQL as the Vice President of Business Development and the Director of Accreditation; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) as an assessor; and the Maryland University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (Kennedy Krieger Institute) as the Director of Family Support.
Donna Martin has worked in the field of providing supports and services to people with developmental disabilities for over 30 years. She began as a weekend DSP while in college and over time, she has held positions at every level of service provision. Prior to joining ANCOR, Donna served as the Executive Director of Community Provider Network of Rhode Island, an association of twenty-two member agencies that provide supports and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Shannon McCracken has been advocating for and serving people with I/DD since 2002, although her passion stems from a time well before then. Growing up with a family member who received waiver services for many years, she truly believes every person can have choice, personal power and control of their lives. Prior to joining ANCOR, Shannon was with with BrightSpring Health Services (formerly ResCare, Inc.) as Vice President of Kentucky Operations. She has held leadership positions in both private and nonprofit companies, owned her own conflict-free case management company, led Kentucky’s state association, and served as a lobbyist and advocate.
Sarah Meek oversees all of ANCOR’s federal advocacy and manages relationships with Capitol Hill. Prior to joining ANCOR, Sarah served as the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for Lutheran Services in America – Disability Network (LSA-DN), a nationwide association of Lutheran social ministry organizations serving the needs of people with I/DD.
Barbara Merrill was selected to serve as ANCOR’s Chief Executive Officer in 2014 after having previously served as ANCOR’s Vice President for Public Policy. She has been involved in disability issues since 1992 as an advocate, state legislator and attorney for people with disabilities and the providers who serve them. Prior to joining ANCOR, Merrill was the Director of Government Relations for the MENTOR Network. A native of the state of Maine, she brings over 20 years of experience working with associations.
John Raffaele’s career spans over 30 years teaching direct support professionals and the people they support. Most of the people with whom he has worked and supported over the last 30 years are people with I/DD, at-risk youth, and people with chronic and terminal illnesses in home-care settings. Between 2001 and 2012 John worked as a Director of Training and Education for a developmental disabilities service provider in New York and gained notoriety consulting and teaching throughout the United States. John has educated tens of thousands in the NADSP Code of Ethics and Competencies and most recently, the NADSP Informed Decision Making curriculum and Frontline Supervisor Train the Trainer Curriculum.
Catherine Thibedeau has worked in Human Services for over 30 years with extensive experience in regulatory compliance, advocacy and service delivery systems. In addition to serving as a consultant to ANCOR on the ICF/IID program, she is the Executive Director of Independence Advocates of Maine (IAM) which provides both ICF/IID and HCBS Waiver services.