Designing your own future

Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge Sept. 26-28, 2012

This has been a heckuva year. Going in to last year’s Leadership Conference we faced damage from the closed door special session, the threat of an unworkable payment methodology and the urgent need to advance significant system reforms in 2012.

At the conference we launched our Blueprint for Reform and formulated strategies to address the special session surprises and payment methodologies.

With a lot of hard work our strategies proved successful. In particular, most of our Blueprint for Reform became the law of the land. We asked the Legislature and Governor to find savings through reforms rather than random reductions. They listened and said “yes.”

So now what do we -- what do you -- do in a world where rate increases will be tough to get and not enough?

Not everyone can or should change how they provide services. When the waiver came to Minnesota, many ICFs/DD continued to serve people well, while others transformed the way they supported people into new models. Choices for people and providers were expanded. You made your best decisions to design your destiny in the best interests of the people you support.

That’s where we are now -- only we have many more options and increased flexibility to invent new ways to support people.

The conference is designed to help you with these questions:

• Do I serve people who would benefit from more independence?
• What are the new tools?
• Should I consider taking advantage of these reform tools?
• What are some options for me and ways I could be innovative and inventive?
• How can I design my own destiny?

We asked for this opportunity and now -- with new laws we asked for -- the ball is in our court.

The conference will also include:

• Key legislators (Rep. Jim Abeler has confirmed) and officials from the Governor’s office and/or DHS.

• An update from Service Innovation Committee on the status of changes being made at DHS in response to ARRM’s 2012 reform legislation.

• ARRM members who are making the new tools -- including technology -- work.

• Inspirational speaker and musician Billy McLaughlin.

• Updates on pressing issues like payment methodologies, DHS waiver requests to CMS (including the 1.67 percent and ten percent rate reductions) and proposed changes to Rule 40.

• A review of what worked and what we could have done better during the successful 2012 legislative session. How can we build on the ARRM brand and legislative success in our grassroots work?

• Our 2013 legislative priorities, such as a COLA, payment methodologies and the next reform steps.

• Time to talk turkey among ourselves about what you need ARRM to address and strategies to pull it off.

The conference is open to all current organizational members and designed for upper management.

Thanks to our 2012 conference sponsors. Read more about them.

For more information:
Nancy Peterson,
Director of Member Services and Education
npeterson@arrm.org
651-291-1086, ext. 2