ANCOR Foundation Board of Directors Meeting

9 am-2 pm

ANCOR Foundation Leadership Academy Class of 2025 Orientation

2:30-5 pm

Government Relations Committee Meeting

9-11 am

Registration Open

11 am-5 pm

State Association Executives Forum Meeting

11:15 am-1:15 pm

Board of Representatives Meeting

2-4 pm

Grassroots Committee Meeting

2-4 pm

Exhibit Hall Open

4-5 pm

Registration Reopens

7:30-9:30 pm

Pre-Conference Sessions offer deep dives into timely and relevant topics. There are two two-hour time blocks for these sessions, both on Monday, April 24, with two session offerings per time block. This means that you can participate in more than one Pre-Conference Session! Please note that an additional registration fee of $165 per Pre-Conference Session is required; add the session(s) you want to attend when completing your Conference registration.

It Starts with Hello: Using a Person-Centered Focus to Shift Your Hiring Culture and Improve Recruitment & Retention
The Renee L. Pietrangelo Leadership Forum

11:15 am-1:15 pm | Tracks: DEIA, Leadership

Presenters:

• Sasha Sencer, ANCOR
• Alli Strong-Martin, ANCOR

Transformation Teams: An Innovative Approach to Implementing Strategic Plans

11:15 am-1:15 pm | Track: Leadership

Deciding goals for a strategic plan can be challenging, but determining how to successfully implement strategic plans can be even harder. In this session, the presenter will talk about her organization’s use of “Transformation Teams” as an innovative way to create solutions to NCC’s most challenging obstacles outlined in its strategic business plan. Participants in this session will learn about the rationale behind NCC’s approach, as well as successes, feedback from participants, roadblocks and lessons learned. This session is ideal for participants regardless of where they are in their strategic planning journeys, whether just beginning to imagine a strategic plan, working through methods to carry out a plan, or looking for unique ways to involve staff in larger projects.

Presenters:

• Capri Fowler, National Children’s Center
• Terrance King, National Children’s Center

The Future of Funding: Leveraging Data Analytics to Drive Outcomes

1:45-3:45 pm | Track: Technology & Innovation

NOTE: This session has been particularly popular and is now operating a waiting list. If you are interested in participating but have not yet registered, you can  add yourself to the waiting list or select another of our compelling Pre-Conference Session offerings. 

As the health and human services sector continues to move towards alternative payment models and valued-based reimbursement, it is becoming increasingly important for service providers to take full advantage of technology and data analytics to drive quality and clinical outcomes. Traditional fee-for-service models and Medicaid carve-outs are increasingly at risk, giving way to managed care. This has been the trend in primary care and behavioral health services and is increasingly prevalent in the intellectual and developmental disabilities space, where the cost of care is substantially higher than in other sectors. This shift has been accelerated in part by the pandemic, which has required agencies to pivot to the use of technology to deliver services, provide hybrid options for care, and increase focus on integrated, whole-person care to support people with complex needs.

This session will share practical guidance, lessons learned and opportunities for like-minded agencies to impact the people they serve by exploring how to use technology to drive data collection and how to use data analytics to track outcomes and build clinical pathways. This technology- and data-driven approach is essential for engaging in discussions about the future of alternative payment models and valued-based reimbursement.

Presenters:

• Nathan Henninger, I Am Boundless
• Jen Riha, I Am Boundless

Trauma and Healing in the Lives of People with I/DD

1:45-3:45 pm | Track: DEIA

This session will provide an in-depth look at trauma in the lives of people with I/DD and the effects of that trauma. The presenter for this session is a nationally recognized subject matter expert who will work with participants to explore biological, psychological and social effects of trauma, and then facilitate a discussion about healing. Participants will glean a sense of three core elements of healing—safety, connections and empowerment—as well as the Positive Identity approach to healing. Participants will have the opportunity to implement hands-on tools, both in the session and afterwards, including a happiness assessment, a daily happiness worksheet and a variety of other workbooks. These tools can be used by professionals and are accessible to all.

Presenter:

• Karyn Harvey, Park Avenue Group

Conference Welcome & 2023 President’s Address

5-5:30 pm

Bold brainstorming. Intentional innovation. Catalytic collaboration. That’s what unleashing possibility is all about, and that’s what ANCOR is all about. Over the next three days, you’ll connect with hundreds of providers who have made it their life’s work to insist on inclusion for people with I/DD. Together, we’ll reexamine past practices, set aside assumptions about what’s possible in the status quo, and imagine creative solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. In this opening plenary session, we kick off the Conference with a welcome from our “local hosts,” who lead the two state provider associations here in the Land of Lincoln. Then, we’ll hear from Diane Beastrom, President of the ANCOR Board of Directors, who will use her first President’s Address to share her vision of all the possibility that can be unleashed when our community comes together.

Presenters:

• Diane Beastrom, Koinonia
• Kathy Carmody, Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities
• Josh Evans, IARF
• Barbara Merrill, ANCOR

Opening Keynote: Reimagining Our Limitations by Embracing the Shake

5:30-6:30 pm

Our opening keynote presentation will be delivered by Phil Hansen, an internationally recognized multimedia artist, speaker, author and innovator who has made it his mission to bring art to a wider audience. For the tens of millions who have seen Hansen’s art, it’s hard to imagine that his artistic journey nearly came to an end after he developed a career-ending tremor in his drawing hand. However, he embraced his “shake,” both physically and metaphorically, by redefining his limitation as an impetus for creativity. Hansen not only restored his artistic abilities, but also became more creative and more innovative than ever. Now, Hansen will step onto ANCOR’s mainstage to deliver a powerful message about how “embracing the shake” can inspire us all to approach our limitations in a new way.

Presenter:

• Phil Hansen, Artist, Speaker, Author & Innovator

Welcome Reception with Exhibitors

Networking | 6:30-7:30 pm

Late Night “Pretty Cool” Popsicle Party

Brain Break | 7:30-9:30 pm

ANCOR Disability Champions PAC Event

Networking | 7:30-9:30 pm

2023 State of the Association Address

9-9:30 am

Now a staple of the ANCOR Annual Conference experience, ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill will kick off a thought-provoking Day 2 with the annual State of the Association address. As we reconsider what’s possible for the future of community-based services, Merrill will lead us through some of our community’s biggest accomplishments of the past year and offer a sense of what innovations and milestones are on the horizon. With proof of all that’s possible because of the ingenuity of our growing community of providers, you’ll start your morning feeling energized to embrace new ideas that will carry you through the busy day ahead!

Presenter:

• Barbara Merrill, ANCOR

Morning Keynote Address: Taking the Right First Step: Starting Your DEIA Journey

9:30-10:15 am

By now, your organization is likely at least thinking about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). Perhaps you’re questioning your hiring practices, or wondering how to invite a more diverse range of perspectives onto your Board. Maybe you’re considering how to make your workplace more welcoming to people with rising identities. You might even be practicing how staff at all levels of the organization should be responding to identity-related aggressions in the workplace. No matter what thoughts you’re having, one question takes precedence above all the others: where should you begin? No matter how you’re thinking about your DEIA journey, what matters is that you get started, and that your first steps move you in the right direction. In this thought-provoking keynote address, renowned thought leader Alonzo Kelly will help us evaluate how to take the right first step in transforming our workplaces.

Presenter:

• Alonzo Kelly, Executive Coach & Best-Selling Author

Enhancing Diversity & Inclusion through Side-by-Side Training

Track: DEIA

Inclusive training can enhance diversity and inclusion in a way that empowers people accepting services, as well as their providers and the communities in which they support people. In this session, presenters will walk participants through how facilitating training that is appropriate for both staff and the people accepting services can create new opportunities for skill development, hands-on learning and inspired ideas—all without interfering with billable services. After learning the what, why and how of “side-by-side” training, presenters will share first-hand accounts of the side-by-side training experience from the perspectives of people accepting services, family members, direct support professionals and county board staff.

Presenters:

• Beth Barr, Capabilities
• Stephanie Bockrath, Capabilities

I/DD Business & Service Models: Reimagine, Refocus, Rebuild

Track: Person-Centered Supports

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, community providers rose to the occasion in a range of different ways. Along the way, an array of new practices emerged. While many of these practices have become industry standard in some places, they haven’t been universally embraced in all places or for all providers. With that in mind, the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council set out on a 17-month comprehensive service delivery models project designed to transform service delivery models, revolutionize business practices and promote best practices to help providers recover, rebuild and reimagine their service models. Participants in this session will glean a comprehensive overview of the approaches used, tools implemented, processes enhanced and funding streams utilized by providers in this project to envision approaches they might adopt to ensure people with I/DD receive services in a seamless, individualized and sustainable way, regardless of where they live or whether they receive services at home, on-site or in the community.

Presenters:

• Michael Shriver, Penn-Mar Human Services
• Dale Verstegen, Penn-Mar Human Services
• Kevin Walker, Penn-Mar Human Services

Strategies, Initiatives & Resources to Increase Competitive, Integrated Employment

Track: Person-Centered Supports

This session implores strategic approaches taken by disability service providers to embrace and advance competitive integrated employment (CIE). These organizations, using resources provided through the National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network initiative, developed innovative strategies to address various challenges encountered throughout the country when expanding CIE. Using these examples as a framework for future success, this session will provide a course of action to expand participants’ efforts to increase CIE, reduce reliance on subminimum wage and segregated employment settings, and remain engaged and responsive to business needs and workforce trends. Participants will also learn about future opportunities to partner with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and other industry leaders, such as through monthly community of practice meetings.

Presenters:

• Tom Knost, Continuum of Colorado
• Jeannine Pavlak, Economic Systems, Inc.
• Michael Petrick, Economic Systems, Inc.

Supporting our DSPs: Results from the 2023 Relias DSP Survey

Track: Workforce Solutions

The field of I/DD services has seen enormous shifts in the last two years. Struggles in funding, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and a strained workforce have led to huge challenges for the backbone of our services: our direct support professionals. In 2019 and 2021, in partnership with ANCOR, Relias fielded a survey to enable us to hear directly from DSPs about their unique perspectives and offer provider organization leaders insights about how they can help these crucial staff members thrive. Now in its third iteration, this year’s DSP survey seeks to answer key questions: What challenges do DSPs continue to face, despite organizations’ best efforts? What do DSPs desire and expect from their leaders and their organizations? And, most importantly, what can organizations do to ensure the well-being of their DSP workforce and the people they serve?

Presenters:

• Arlene Bridges, Relias
• Nellie Galindo, Relias

The Forgotten Population: Whole-Person Integrated Care for People with I/DD

Track: Person-Centered Supports

A significant portion of people supported by community-based I/DD providers have dual I/DD-behavioral health diagnoses. The same is true for 85% of the people supported by Ohio-based Koinonia. For people with dual diagnoses, whole-person Integrated care (WPIC) is essential; WPIC increases the likelihood of a proper mental illness diagnosis, as well as accurate medication management and appropriate care. In this session, experts from Koinonia will share how they approach WPIC at the agency, including how they empower the people they support to make informed decisions to support their health and well-being in coordination with a team of highly trained specialists who understand people’s complex needs.

Presenters:

• Kiley Ritt, Koinonia
• Ryan Wood, Koinonia

Unleashing Leadership to Create Transformative Partnerships: A Leadership Academy Success Story

Track: Leadership

In the news, at work, in our families and even in our close relationships, divisiveness surrounds us. For established and emerging leaders in an ever-changing field that has a pronounced impact in the lives of so many people, this means that it’s more important than ever before to find and create pathways to connectedness. In this session, two graduates of the ANCOR Foundation’s Leadership Academy discuss how they applied what they learned from the Academy and how these leadership lessons led them to develop a strong partnership, both between themselves as professionals and between the agencies for which they work. Representing agencies that might otherwise be considered competitors and having never met one another prior to the Leadership Academy, the presenters in this session will walk participants through how their unlikely partnership, rooted in a culture of trust, enabled them to increase awareness of and access to Life Sharing Services for people with I/DD throughout Minnesota. Participants can expect to leave the session with a deeper understanding of how to root partnerships in a culture of trust, the power of having a mentor, and the benefits of participating in the ANCOR Foundation Leadership Academy.

Presenters:

• Laura Vogel, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
• Jennifer Walton, Accord

Applying Natural Language Processing in Human Services to Improve Lives

Track: Technology & Innovation

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is no longer just a plot device in the movies. Natural language processing is the use of software to process, analyze and understand written data—much like the plans and notes we collect on the people we support. Harnessing this form of AI to extract and quantify language and study subjective information is the future of home- and community-based services. By the end of this session, participants can expect to (1) understand the basics of sentiment analysis and natural language processing and how these concepts can be applied to the human services field, (2) explore real use cases from a provider agency, (3) understand how to improve lives and outcomes through futuristic technologies, and (4) learn about opportunities to use natural language processing to address disparities in health equity.

Presenters:

• Anu Arnold, Family Residences & Essential Enterprises
• Robert Budd, Family Residences & Essential Enterprises
• Doug Golub, MediSked

Becoming Technology-First: It’s Not (Just) About the Technology

Track: Person-Centered Supports

For many providers, becoming “technology-first” can be daunting. For Pennsylvania-based Keystone Human Services (KHS), the process felt overwhelming—that is, until the organization recognized that it wasn’t really (all) about the technology. Fortuitously, KHS recognized early on that the journey toward becoming technology-first was really about making person-centered planning a cornerstone of their operations. This realization enabled KHS to cultivate a culture of curiosity, which has in turn strengthened services. In this session, leaders from KHS will shed light on their journey toward becoming technology-first, highlighting how they have increased community access, improved health outcomes, and enhanced communication skills by elevating a person-centered approach to planning.

Presenters:

• Nathan Gerhard, Keystone Human Services
• Greg Wellems, Keystone Human Services

Innovative Tech Partnerships to Elevate Independence

Track: Technology & Innovation

Technology is quickly becoming a critical tool to improve community inclusion and independence for people with I/DD. Creative, intentional partnerships between providers and payers can lead the way in adopting and evaluating technology for people with I/DD and complex behavioral needs. This session will introduce participants to one such partnership by walking through case studies and lessons learned. Presenters will share examples of independence-supporting technologies, some of which are familiar (think smart home technology, communication tools and remote supports) and others of which are newer (a wearable-enabled app to improve quality of life while decreasing unnecessary ER visits and crisis services utilization). Participants may be surprised by the opportunities to outcomes that are already at their fingertips!

Presenters:

• Jodi Fenner, Elevance Health
• Andrea Palmer, Awake Labs

No Turning Back: The Future of Direct Support

Track: Workforce Solutions

Pre-pandemic workforce trends, followed by COVID-19 and the ensuing “Great Resignation,” have had a permanent impact on workers across many industries. Employers have been forced to adapt by offering increased flexibility and individualized options. And, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, acute worker shortages will continue for the next decade, if not beyond. What does all of this mean for the world of direct support, particularly for people who rely on in-person, hands-on assistance? How will the home- and community-based services system meet people’s support needs in a world with fewer workers? How do leaders plan now for a future that has yet to unfold? This intriguing session will invite participants to consider what the future of direct support might look like in the coming years.

Presenter:

• Kim Champney, Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities

Person-Centered Planning is Floundering: How Can It Become Better?

Track: Person-Centered Supports

Presenters:

• Art Dykstra, High Tide Press
• Anne Ward, High Tide Press

Wait, What?! Stepping Into an Executive Role

Track: Leadership

Stepping into a role as the new Executive Director or Chief Executive Officer is an exciting time. Realizing your ability to impact services and share a vision for an organization can be invigorating. That is…until reality hits! Now what? Leading at this level can be challenging and lonely. It can also be the most rewarding career experience you ever have. To help you make the most of it, this session will give you ideas for how to develop courageous leadership, be transparent, build lasting relationships and lead in difficult times. What do I need to know when I walk in the door? Who are my partners and how can I work with them? What are some good resources I prepare before I start? How do I develop trust as the new leader? Should I use an executive coach or senior mentor? If I’m new to the arena, how do I connect to thought leaders and understand who I should influence? How do I negotiate my contract and what resources might I pursue if salary is limited? What is my role with the board? Two seasoned organization leaders will walk participants through these pressing questions that face all new chief executives as they get their bearings straight. Bring your sense of humor and be prepared to laugh with us as they share their experiences, challenges and humbling stories!

Presenters:

• Cheryl Plank, Hope Haven Area Development Center
• Rita Wiersma, Accord

State Investments in I/DD Rates: The Good, The Bad & The “It’s Too Soon to Tell”

2:45-3:45 pm

As our community thinks beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, we are seeing several states make significant investments in funding for services using resources from the American Rescue Plan to fuel their efforts. Some states are building this funding into their budgets, while others are treating it as a one-time influx of funding. Meanwhile, some states are missing this opportunity to invest altogether. This session will provide a broad overview of the state of the states when it comes to I/DD funding rates, illustrating some of the most successful examples along the way. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from peers in other states and share what is happening in their own states regarding how they found success and what they wish they had done differently.

Presenters:

• Donna Martin, ANCOR
• Josh Rael, Alliance

Becoming Anti-Ableist: Transforming the Workplaces of Workers with Disabilities

Track: DEIA

Direct support professionals know that the people they support are far more likely to succeed in workplaces that are ready, willing and able to create an inclusive and adaptive environment. Unfortunately, not all employers are well equipped to meet the needs of a diverse workforce, including meeting the needs of employees with disabilities. Many employers need additional tools and education, and often they turn to DSPs for this knowledge. This leaves DSPs burdened with the additional responsibility of educating the co-workers, managers and leadership of the workers they support. Between supporting multiple people and managing case notes, billing and other responsibilities, this additional role of “trainer” can be overwhelming and stressful. In this session, participants will learn strategies to transform moments of conflict or stress with an employer into opportunities for growth and success—for themselves, employers and, most importantly, the people they support to seek and maintain employment. Grounded in the principles of disability justice, the presenter will offer a crash course in the role of ableism in the modern workplace and the integral role DSPs can play in transforming workplaces to better support employees with disabilities.

Presenter:

• Nora Genster, Northwest Center

Cultivating DSP Capacity to Promote Employment Equity Despite a Catastrophic Workforce Crisis

Track: Workforce Solutions

We are living through an intense and opportunistic time in the global workforce. In the realm of employment equity for people with disabilities, we see immense turnover and astounding numbers of vacant positions. Meanwhile, people with disabilities continue to be excluded from the workforce. This conundrum begs some important questions: How do you create opportunities for people who have historically been underemployed while simultaneously cultivating a workforce of skilled DSPs? Likewise, how do you interrupt high turnover and still trigger better outcomes? From these challenges lies an opportunity: to build capacity through recruitment, training and collaboration, and to bring together supported employment providers to encourage shared learning, user friendly tools and innovative practices. This session will share pivots in training and capacity building that were implemented in Washington state in 2020 that now continue to grow beyond the pandemic and beyond the Pacific Northwest.

Presenters:

• Emily Harris, Wise
• Jaimie Laitinen, Wise

Operationalizing Person-Centered Organizations: Practical Tools for Implementation

Track: Person-Centered Supports

Person-centered practices should be at the root of all human services provision. Given the HCBS Settings Rule, it’s more important now than ever before that providers focus on assuring services are congruent with what people define as their personal outcomes. In this context, this session will will introduce participants to person-centered practices, including some of the tools available to facilitate person-centered planning discussions developed by LifeCourse Nexus in partnership with the University of Missouri Kansas City. Presenters will support participnts to take a closer look at how to support people to achieve their identified goals and outcomes through the use of a combination of these tools. Then, participants will engage in discussions about how to build a person-centered organizational culture within their agencies. Participants will leave the session with a challenge to examine how to capture and use data from person-centered practices to bring about better outcomes for people supported in a variety of settings.

Presenters:

• Heather Daily, Therap Services
• Ishya “Shae” Dotson, Therap Services

Strategies for Unleashing Better Outcomes through Innovative Workforce Solutions

Track: Workforce Solutions

Community-based disability provider organizations face turnover rates exceeding 50% and are increasingly relying on part-time staff. As a result, more than 30% of the direct support workforce is part-time, requiring providers to glean a better understanding of the needs of DSPs and the root causes behind organizational instability in order to reduce the number of people involved in care. The team at GoodLife Innovations has spent years designing and implementing innovative labor solutions to increase DSP wages and provider margins within existing pools of resources. Their solutions include innovative schedules that offer compressed workweeks and premium pay strategies that have a meaningful impact on turnover. This session will demonstrate how participants can replicate many of the positive outcomes enabled by these innovations, such as lower turnover, $2-3 hourly wage increases for DSPs and decreased reliance on part-time staff.

Presenter:

• Mike Strouse, Goodlife Innovations

Unleashing Possibility by Changing Company Culture

Track: Technology & Innovation

When the HCBS Settings Rule was initially rolled out, the relatively new leadership team at Core Services of Northeast Tennessee saw an opportunity to improve the direction of their agency by embracing the spirit of the new regulations. Seeking a roadmap forward, the agency enrolled in the state’s “Becoming a Person-Centered Organization” initiative and achieved Person Centered Excellence Accreditation through The Council on Quality and Leadership. This was the start of a virtuous cycle of change, transforming from a service model to a support model and enabling a number of important epiphanies along the way. For instance, the Core Services team often says, “People don’t want a lifetime of really good services, people want great lives.” These realizations have become words to live by, and the results have been significant: the agency has seen an 80% reduction in human rights restrictions, a 43% reduction in turnover among DSPs, and a 28% reduction in costs associated with overtime pay. In this session, leaders from Core Services will share how their agency embarked on a journey to reinvent roles and relationships to create a virtuous cycle of change that benefits everyone.

Presenters:

• Susan Arwood, Core Services of Northeast Tennessee
• Nicholas Filarelli, Core Services of Northeast Tennessee

Using Net Promoter Score to Drive Improvements in Your Organization’s Operations

Track: Leadership

A Net Promoter Score is a marketing metric that understands customer satisfaction by asking customers how likely they are to recommend a product or service. Although disability services may not be the first context we think of when imagining how a Net Promoter Score can be used, it can be a valuable tool for taking a pulse on what employees, people accepting supports, families, donors and volunteers think about your organization. This measurement approach is used by many Fortune 500 companies as part of a continuous improvement feedback loop to drive change and reach new levels of performance. By the end of this session, participants will have a clear sense of how using this simple survey tool can enable their organizations to track progress and highlight positive performance with various stakeholders.

Presenter:

• Ron Ekstrand, Easterseals Arkansas

Exhibit Hall Open

7:30 am-5 pm

Continental Breakfast with Exhibitors

Networking | 7:30-9 am

Registration Open

8 am-1:30 pm

Newcomer Meet & Greet

Networking | 8-9 am

Networking Break with Exhibitors

Networking | 10:15-10:45 am

Lunch on Your Own

11:45 am-1:15 pm

Drum Circle: Leadership through Listening

Brain Break | 12-1 pm

Drum circles are immersive experiences focused on deep listening, a leadership skill that can call our attention to important lessons about being adaptive and collaborative and anticipating change—all while listening for and respecting the contributions of others.

Spend your lunch hour experiencing a drum circle, guided by Michael Taylor, a biracial Chicago-based teacher and performer who has been teaching West African percussion for nearly three decades. All are welcome to join—you can bring a percussion instrument from your own culture or use one of several provided by Taylor.

Networking Break with Exhibitors

Networking | 2:15-2:45 pm

Networking Break with Exhibitors

Networking | 3:45-4:15 pm

Building for Better Schools: A Social Hour Benefitting Chicago Public Schools

Brain Break | 5:30-6:15 pm

ANCOR Foundation Reception

Networking & River Cruise | 7-9 pm (ticket required)

Critical National Trends: What the Trendlines Tell Us About Business, Technology & The Future of Supports

8:30-9:15 am

In an industry defined by new innovations and ever-evolving challenges, it’s crucial for community providers at all levels of the organization to stay ahead of the curve regarding what’s happening on the ground and what’s on the horizon. To keep you on the leading edge, this session will feature insights from data and emerging trends that highlight the road ahead for disability inclusion and the providers that make it possible. This all-star panel of national leaders will identify key trends that pertain to technology, business intelligence and the future of community-based supports for people with I/DD.

Presenters:

• Stacy DiStefano, Consulting for Human Services
• Mary Sowers, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
• Emily Shea Tanis, University of Kansas
• Gabrielle Sedor, ANCOR (moderator)

Pioneering the Next Generation of Workforce Solutions: Presenting the 2023 Moving Mountains Award

9:15-9:30 am

Each year, ANCOR partners with the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals to present the Moving Mountains Award, an honor bestowed upon leading-edge providers that are implementing proven solutions that develop the direct support workforce. We’re thrilled that the 2023 Moving Mountains honorees will be celebrated on ANCOR’s mainstage in a session that is sure to leave you feeling appreciative of this year’s innovators and inspired to unleash creative solutions of your own!

Presenters:

• Amy Hewitt, University of Minnesota
• Desiree Loucks Baer, National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals
• Barbara Merrill, ANCOR

Alternative Payment Models: From Concept to Implementation

Track: Person-Centered Supports

Among the many priorities shared by ANCOR and its members, two are always top-of-mind: delivering better services and strengthening our workforce. We believe that on both fronts, payment reforms–in a system where providers are paid for the delivery of value rather than service hours–will be an essential part of the future we envision. Therefore, this session will update members about ANCOR’s ongoing work to affect change in Medicaid-funded I/DD programs. In it, members of ANCOR’s long-standing Alternative Payment Models Work Group will discuss findings and recommendations for pilot projects that states can undertake to achieve enhanced outcomes for people while moving “from volume to value.”

Presenters:

• Kathy Carmody, Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities
• Mark Davis, PAR
• Donna Martin, ANCOR

Specialized, Diverse & Responsive: Building Care Models to Support People with Complex Needs

Track: Person-Centered Supports

People with complex care needs often lack the options and resources that empower them to live full and inclusive lives—a problem that has been exacerbated by funding constraints, the workforce crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. This session will examine different models and approaches to supporting people with complex care needs, in the context of both home- and community-based services and Intermediate Care Facilities. Together with the presenters, participants will explore a multi-solution and collaborative approach for delivering services along the continuum of care, emphasizing the need to center all voices in conversations about how we redesign our systems.

Speakers:

• Marian Baldini, KenCrest
• Tine Hansen-Turton, Woods Services
• Catherine Thibedeau, Independence Advocates of Maine
• Shannon McCracken, ANCOR (moderator)

Swipe Right for Success: Optimizing the Workforce Using Matchmaker Technology

Track: Technology & Innovation

The session will highlight an innovative technology solution used to better support people accepting services and manage large teams of DSPs. Presenters will share how a customized software program, inspired by the innovations behind apps like Match.com, Uber and Lyft, facilitates better matches between DSPs and the people they support. The program also implements an enhanced scheduling strategy that saves time and money, and includes an electronic visit verification component to help providers comply with federal regulations. By the end of the session, participants will have a deep understanding of how this leading innovation has enabled improved satisfaction with service delivery, increased retention rates and decreased mileage reimbursement expenses.

Presenters:

• Brandan Kelly, Options For All
• Brian Zotti, Options For All

Tech: What’s Out There, and What Can I Afford?

Track: Technology & Innovation

Technology is a tool that we all use to navigate our schedules, manage our homes and access information. By now, technology isn’t inherently innovative—it’s a way of life. But for people with I/DD, it is often a vehicle to greater independence and increased choice. This hands-on presentation will focus on creative solutions to nagging problems using existing technology, demonstrating how technology can be harnessed to support individualized needs. Participants are encouraged to bring real-life examples of their current needs, and can expect to leave the session with an understanding of how any person can use mainstream technology for greater access to their environment.

Presenter:

• Laurie Dale, Ability Beyond

Unleashing Innovations to Strengthen the Direct Support Workforce: Leading Practices from the 2023 Moving Mountains Award Honorees

Track: Workforce Solutions

Did this morning’s celebration of the 2023 recipients of the Moving Mountains Award leave you feeling inspired and eager to learn more? If so, join the honorees themselves as they offer a closer look at their winning innovations. Chosen for their leading practices to develop the direct support workforce, this year’s winners will share the DSP recruitment and retention challenges they were facing, the innovative initiative they designed to overcome these challenges, data and insights about how their workforce has been transformed as a result, and what’s next as they continue to iterate. Participants can expect to leave this session with an array of ideas for how they might replicate the Moving Mountains Awardees’ successes.

Presenters:

• Stephen Lambert, Alpha Supported Living Services
• Scott Livengood, Alpha Supported Living Services
• Michelle Smith, University of Minnesota
• Jolene Thibedeau Boyd, University of Minnesota

Using Universal Design to Create an Inclusive Learning Environment

Track: DEIA

Universal design is a concept that centers around removing barriers to learning. It focuses on each person’s strengths, learning style and specific needs. Universal design can be used by anyone and centers open communication to promote an inclusive learning environment in which people are given the space to learn at their own pace and the ability to share information and experiences in a manner that suits them best. In this interactive learning session, presenters will share the principles of universal design and how those principles have been utilized when developing inclusive programs and supports for people with and without developmental disabilities in Washington, DC. Together, presenters and participants will explore the methods of implementing universal design, not only in a classroom learning environment, but also in agency onboarding processes, continuing education opportunities and training programs throughout your organization.

Presenters:

• Susan Brooks, RCM of Washington
• Breeanna Reyes, RCM of Washington
• Erica Thomas, RCM of Washington

Bold Leadership for Stronger Communities: The 2023 ANCOR Foundation Honorees

11-11:45 am

Although so much of this year’s ANCOR Annual Conference experience has been focused on the future, the course we’ve charted to lead us to this point would have been impossible to navigate if not for the unrelenting work of a range of leaders who have tirelessly dedicated themselves to true community inclusion. That’s why we’ll end our morning by recognizing the 2023 ANCOR Foundation honorees, including this year’s inductees into the Legacy Leaders Circle and the recipient of the 2023 Community Builder Award.

Presenter:

• Gabrielle Sedor, ANCOR
• Rita Wiersma, Accord

Checking the Pulse: One Provider’s Approach to Strengthening its Workforce & Delivering Better Services

Track: Workforce Solutions

New York-based ADAPT Community Network implemented a highly successful onsite mentoring process that significantly enhanced the agency’s services and improved DSP retention. The results have been amazing for people accepting services and the DSPs supporting them. By incorporating new technology, the team at ADAPT was able to enhance the program options available to the people they support. Meanwhile, by creating processes that enable DSPs to better harness the power of technology, ADAPT developed a deeper leadership bench. In this session, presenters will use their experience as a case study to illustrate how ADAPT has been better equipped to “check the pulse” of how supports are offered and how outcomes are achieved, leading to more advancement and promotion opportunities for DSPs and frontline supervisors.

Presenters:

• Linda Laul, ADAPT Community Network
• Ed Matthews, ADAPT Community Network
• Dahlian Porter, ADAPT Community Network

Health Risk-Informed Telemedicine: A Model for Improving I/DD Health Equity

Track: Technology & Innovation

With the advent of CMS’ “Technology First” initiative, technology is now considered first in the discussion of support options available, and the expectation is that technology will be utilized to promote meaningful participation, social inclusion, self-determination and quality of life. Meanwhile, equitable access to telemedicine and other health care services is a challenge for people with I/DD because most clinicians are not aware of the unique health risks that exist for people with I/DD. As a result, the health conditions most likely to result in morbidity and mortality are overlooked or misdiagnosed, despite all that’s possible with the use of technology. This panel presentation, designed for providers at all levels, describes an innovative technology model and public/private partnership comprised of three key elements: online clinician education in I/DD health care; the use of web-based, health risk-informed data; and I/DD-competent telemedicine supports. Panelists will discuss an innovative approach in which telemedicine clinicians have access to real-time, person-specific health risk data through an interoperable interface that facilitates informed decision-making.

Presenters:

• Craig Escudé, IntellectAbility
• Lorene Reagan, IntellectAbility
• Maulik Trivedi, StationMD

Listen Include Respect: A Global Perspective to Transform Our Culture

Track: DEIA

An exciting set of global disability inclusion guidelines known as Listen Include Respect was launched in 2022 at the United Nations Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Listen Include Respect was developed by Inclusion International and Down Syndrome International, with support from self-advocate leaders from around the world. These guidelines represent the first-ever international standards for including people with intellectual disabilities in the work of organizations in any sector. In this session, presenters will highlight how Keystone Human Services is partnering with Inclusion International to explore how these innovative international standards can positively impact disability service providers. What happens when we apply a truly inclusive methodology and rights-based approach to delivering high-quality support? How do we empower ourselves to step more fully into our roles not as caregivers, but as partners for inclusion? Participants in this session will ponder these questions as they consider what U.S. disability providers are learning from this partnership and how Listen Include Respect can help us all move forward.

Presenters:

• Genevieve Fitzgibbon, Keystone Human Services International
• Leah Klish, Keystone Human Services
• Tia Nelis, Inclusion International

Recipe for Success: Frameworks for Person-Centered, Quality Supports

Track: Person-Centered Supports

Provider agencies need tools to gauge their progress in implementing best practices in service delivery and bringing about the best outcomes for the people they support. In this panel session, researchers will lead an interactive discussion on developing and applying frameworks for person-centered supports and quality evaluation for I/DD provider agencies. Panelists will walk through findings from key informant interviews with people who leverage community-based services and stakeholders across the field of HCBS measure development, coordination and service delivery. Panelists will also share the National Leadership Consortium’s Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI), an evidence-based tool designed for agencies that directly provide, oversee, support, fund, evaluate or otherwise impact services for adults with I/DD. Handouts of these frameworks and tools will be shared, and participants will develop practical takeaways during interactive small-group discussions focused on applying person-centered supports in the real world.

Presenters:

• Lindsay DuBois, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
• Cory Gilden, National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities
• Monica Mesa-Alvarez, National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities
• Tonie Sadler, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

What COVID-19 Taught Us about Keeping People Safe in Congregate Care Settings

Track: Person-Centered Supports

In the wake of the disproportionate death toll among people living in congregate settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Council on Disability issued a report examining the weaknesses in the home- and community-based services ecosystem. This report, which outlines a roadmap to expand community living options to meet the needs of people with disabilities across the lifespan, illustrates how each piece of the home- and community-based services ecosystem must be working at full capacity to ensure that appropriate community living options remain available, especially when the dangers presented by communicable disease around. Participants in this session will leave with a future-focused sense of how the lessons from COVID-19 can help us be better prepared the next time a public health emergency strikes.

Presenter:

• Andrés Gallegos, National Council on Disability

Inspiration Unleashed: The 2023 Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards

2:30-4:15 pm

As if the past three days weren’t enough to leave you feeling inspired, we’ll kick it up a notch in our closing plenary, where we’ll honor the nearly five dozen recipients of the 2023 Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards. Selected by an array of ANCOR members and other leaders in our field from a record-breaking pool of 350 nominees, the stories of this year’s honorees will remind us all why we got started in this work and why we keep fighting on behalf of our incredible workforce and the people they support. Be sure to stick around until the end; you won’t want to miss out on any of the celebration, nor will you want to miss your chance to win prizes as ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill closes out this year’s Annual Conference with some exciting raffle prizes!

Presenter:

• Yadira Holmes, Consumer Direct Care Network
• Barbara Merrill, ANCOR
• Darlene Scott, The Phoenix Residence

Registration Open

8 am-1:15 pm

Continental Breakfast

8-8:30 am

Lunch (sponsored by Relias)

12-1 pm

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 800+ participants this 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.

All staff from I/DD provider agencies are welcome and encouraged to attend ANCOR’s Annual Conference, including:

• Executive leaders
• Program directors & program managers
• Frontline supervisors
• Direct support professionals
• Care coordinators & support coordinators
• Nurses & other clinical staff
• Administrative support staff
• Board members

In addition to staff from provider agencies, the ANCOR Annual Conference draws a diverse range of other participants, including:

• Self-advocates & other individuals with I/DD
• Family members of individuals with I/DD
• Researchers
• Federal, state and local policymakers & regulators
• Corporations offering products & services used by I/DD providers
• At-large members of the disability advocacy community

Given the diverse range of Annual Conference participants, there’s something for everyone—including YOU!

The 2023 Annual Conference will take place April 24-26, in Chicago, Illinois, at the Chicago Marriott Downtown.

Generally speaking, pricing depends on whether you’re an ANCOR member and how far in advance of the Conference you register. Additionally, special pricing is available for direct support professionals. Visit the “Register Now” tab of the Conference website to learn more.

What does my registration include?

Your registration for the Annual Conference includes full access to the entire array of activities on offer at the Chicago Marriott Downtown on April 24-26, including:

• Keynote presentations and plenary sessions
• Breakout sessions
• The presentation of the 2023 Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards
• Multiple networking receptions and events
• The chance to connect with leading companies in the Exhibitor Lounge

Registrations do not include access to Pre-Conference Sessions. Pre-Conference Sessions will only be available for participants in the face-to-face Conference and can be purchased as an add-on to your Conference registration.

We are currently sold out at maximum capacity and are operating a waiting list. Interested attendees may add their name to the waiting list up until 11:59 pm PDT on Friday, April 7. No additional names will be added to the waiting list on or after April 8, 2023. With the exception of direct support professionals being honored at the 2023 DSP of the Year Awards Ceremony, wait-listed registrants will be cleared from the waiting list in the order they were added.

When will I know if I have secured a spot to attend the Conference?

If you are on the waiting list, we will reach out to let you know whether you have been cleared to attend as soon as we are able, and no later than 11:59 pm PDT on Friday, April 14.

Will I get a refund if my name is not cleared from the waiting list?

Please note that in order to be added to the waiting list, you must provide a method of payment at the time of registration. If you have paid to attend the Conference and we are unable to clear you from the waiting list, a full refund for all Conference-related purchases will be issued via your original payment method on or before Friday, April 21.

Due to the fluid nature of public health, ANCOR will decide upon an official health and safety protocol one month prior to the event. At which time we will communicate details to all registrants as well as interested parties.

ANCOR is partnering with a platform called CrowdPass to complete health screenings for all participants. Registered attendees should complete the health screening form prior to their arrival at the Conference venue. Form and instructions coming soon!

Registrations canceled on or before March 31, 2023, will be fully refunded, less a $100 administrative fee. No refunds will be issued on or after March 31, 2023.

All registrants are entitled to one no-cost substitution provided that (1) the substitution request is submitted in writing via email to [email protected] no later than 11:59 pm PST on March 31, 2023, and (2) the registration is transferred to another employee of the original registrant’s organization. Registrants are not permitted to substitute someone from a different organization in their place. Subsequent substitutions after the first, as well as substitutions requested on or after March 31, 2023, will incur a $100 administrative fee.

No, there is not a virtual event this year.

Session proposals are solicited in the fall prior to the ANCOR Annual Conference and submissions are typically due in November. Members of the ANCOR team review all completed submissions in December and January, and notifications were sent in January. If you completed and submitted a session proposal, you should have already received a notification whether your proposal was accepted or declined.

The ANCOR Annual Conference is the premiere gathering of community-based I/DD service providers and the community of practitioners that support these providers. The organizations that exhibit at the ANCOR Annual Conference offer products and services that are relevant to leaders at all levels of the organizations that comprise the Conference audience. Featured exhibitors each year include ANCOR’s Diamond, Platinum and Gold Partners. Nonprofit, for-profit, academic and provider organizations are all welcome to exhibit at the Conference.

Unfortunately, our Exhibit Hall is completely full and several organizations remain on the waiting list. If you are interested in learning about exhibiting opportunities for the 2023 ANCOR Annual Conference, please email Mariana Nork.

Pricing depends on the type of organization you represent (i.e., nonprofit vs. for-profit) and when you complete your registration. The price to exhibit includes one (1) six-foot table in the ANCOR Annual Conference Exhibitor Lounge and one (1) complementary Conference registration for the person who will staff the exhibit table. Visit the Exhibitors tab of the Conference website for specific pricing information.

Exhibit table cancellations made on or before March 23, 2023 will be eligible for a refund, less a $100 administrative fee. No refunds will be made on exhibit booth cancellations on or after March 23, 2023.

Yes! Not only are DSPs welcome and encouraged to attend, but there is special programming available for DSPs, including the presentation of the annual Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards. To encourage DSPs to participate in the ANCOR Annual Conference, deeply discounted registration rates are available.

ANCOR is happy to provide certificates of attendance upon request. Information about how to request a certificate of attendance will be made available onsite.