Forward Annual Conference

Schedule

Schedule Overview

2023 Forward Annual Conference - July 26, 2023

Morning | 7:00 - 11:00 am

7:00 AM

7:30am - 9:00am: Hot Breakfast/ Morning Mingle and Reg Open

7:30am - 8:45am: Headshot Booth OPEN

8:00 AM

8:00am - 8:45am: Early Bird Session: Legislative Session Review

9:00 AM

9:15am - 10:15am: Keynote: Mark Mayfield

10:00 AM

10:30am - 12:00pm: Cultural Self-Awareness as a Tool for Effective Change
Speaker: Jesse Ross

10:30am - 11:30am: Center on Me: Person Centered Planning
Speaker: Anne Silcher and Sarah Ta

10:30am - 11:30am: I Want to Help, But What do I Say?: Recommendations on How to Talk about Sex & Sexuality successfully with folks with I/DD, According to Your Professional Role 
Speaker: Kate Napolitano

10:30am - 11:30am: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)- it’s not as bad as you think
Speaker: Cashe Software

10:30am - 1:00pm: Headshot Booth

2023 Forward Annual Conference - July 26, 2023

NOON | 11:00 AM - 2:00 Pm

11:00 AM

10:30am - 1:00pm: Headshot Booth - continued

11:00am - 12:00pm: Training Supervisors to Support Retention of the Direct Support Workforce
Speaker: Claire Benway and Megan Sanders

11:00am - 12:00pm: On the Frontlines of Leadership
Speaker: Ted Schick

11:30am - 1:00pm: Boxed Lunch 

11:45am - 12:15pm: Sponsored Session: Topic TBD

12:00 PM

12:45pm - 1:45pm: Understanding Assistive Technology and Remote Supports
Speaker: Alaina Gallagher, Anna Hegland, Kathy Larson, Anna MacIntyre

12:45pm - 1:45pm: How to Support Individuals With Online & IRL Dating as a Service Professional
Speaker: Kate Napolitano

12:45am - 1:15pm: Sponsored Session: Topic TBD

1:00 PM

1:00pm - 2:00pm: Principles of Servant Leadership
Speaker: Ted Schick

1:00pm - 2:00pm: Embracing Diversity in the Workplace
Speaker: Jesse Ross

1:00pm - 2:00pm: The Power of Community Connections: Stories of Inspiration
Speaker: Jeffrey Mortimore and Billie Hendrickson

2023 Forward Annual Conference - July 26, 2023

Afternoon | 2:00 - 5:00 Pm

2:00 PM

2:15pm - 3:15pm: The Ladder of Your Senior Leadership Success
Speaker: Ted Schick

2:15pm - 3:15pm: LGBTQIA+ Identities, and How Support Professionals Can Create Environments of Safety and Inclusivity for All
Speaker: Kate Napolitano

2:15pm - 3:15pm: Planning your DSP Positive Support Training
Speaker: Rachel Freeman and Dani Dunphy

2:15pm - 3:15pm: Grassroots Engagement Training
Speaker: Sara Grafstrom

2:45pm - 3:15pm: Sponsored Session TBD

3:00 PM

3:15pm - 3:45pm: Heavy Break

4:00pm - 5:00pm: Keynote: Something Greater is Always Possible
Speaker: Devin Henderson

ARRM Forward Annual Conference and Expo, July 23 to 24, 2024 at Mystic Lake Center

2024 Annual Conference

Overview

Register

Schedule

Speakers

Lodging

Session Information

2023 Legislative Session Review

When: 8:00 am - 8:45 am

Speaker: Sara Grafstrom, ARRM

Description: TBD

Keynote with Mark Mayfield

When: 9:00am - 10:15am

Speaker: Mark Mayfield

Description: TBD

Cultural Self-Awareness as a Tool for Effective Change

When: 10:30am - 12:00 pm

Speaker: Jesse Ross

Description: If cultural competence is about bridging across differences that make a difference, then the work must start with a focus on self. Our identities and cultures inform our beliefs, values, assumptions and biases and thus influence the ways we think about behave when working and relating across difference. This workshop helps change agents explore their own cultural patterns and behaviors and links identity awareness to our capacity to make new and different choices to achieve equity or inclusion goals.

Center on Me: Person-Centered Planning

When: 10:30am - 11:30am

Speaker: Anne Silcher and Sarah Ta

Description: Center on Me was created from the value of empowerment, offering a new way to act on our national efforts to honor nothing about me without me, choice and control. The interactive site, called Center On Me, guides a person through the three foundational elements of person-centered planning, in a customizable, fun, and engaging way. Center On Me lets people create their own Person-Centered Plan from the comfort of home and at their own pace. As the user creates their plan, they can invite people from their circle of support to contribute in real-time, regardless of location. And best yet, the plan owner gets to approve or not approve the comments their circle of support adds, ensuring nothing goes into their plan without their approval. In this session, you will be guided through a journey while using Center On Me: from the perspective of the plan owner and a contributor. Learn how Center on Me can improve the supports one receives by having a greater picture of the person’s life.

On the Frontlines of Leadership

When: 11:00am - 12:00pm 

Speaker: Ted Schick

Description: The most influential level of leadership in any organization is the frontline leader be it the Lead, Supervisor, Crew Chief or Foreman. No other level of leadership has more day-to-day interaction than the frontline leader and no other level of leadership has more bearing on whether a person stays or leaves or flourishes or flounders. And, at the same time, this same critical leader, is often “tossed in” to their position without any formal instruction on how to lead and supervise. In this engaging and thought-provoking presentation, we will outline and discuss the foundations of frontline success from leading ourselves to the professional relationship to communication and performance corrections. It is time to pay attention to the frontlines of leadership.

Training Supervisors to Support Retention of the Direct Support Workforce

When: 11:00am - 12:00pm

Speaker: Claire Benway and Megan Sanders

Description: It is often said that people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their boss, and in the field of direct support, this is certainly true. Frontline supervisors (FLS) and managers are the main support for direct support workers. However, many supervisors have minimal training to know how to supervise direct support workers. Join subject-matter experts from the Institute on Community Integration to discuss interventions and strategies to support and train supervisors. Participants will have time to learn about training programs available for supervisors focused on learning how to support the retention of the direct support workforce, and reflect on their own training programs while developing strategies to implement within their organizations. There will be time to share training resources with each other. 

Understanding Assistive Technology and Remote Supports

When: 12:45pm - 1:45pm 

Speaker: Alaina Gallagher

Description: Did you know the use of support technology, like Assistive Technology and Remote Support, is the premier promising practice identified through research to assist with the ongoing workforce shortage? 

In this session you will discover how technology helps with the workforce shortage. You will see examples of Assistive Technology and hear success stories of how it has helped individuals gain more independence. You will also learn the ins and outs of Remote Support and feel confident you understand how it works and can be utilized moving forward.
Since funding is always one of the biggest questions and potential barriers to utilizing technology services, you will get to hear directly from DHS about their support and encouragement for providers to start using technology, and how it can be funded through an individual's waiver.

Following this session, you should feel comfortable knowing how to quickly and easily start implementing technology and remote supports, so you can continue to provide the top level of support you have always strived for. This session is open to everyone, and we encourage you to come and learn, so we can all move forward together. "

Principles of Servant Leadership

When: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Speaker: Ted Schick

Description: Simply stated, leadership is a position of service. A philosophy--- not a leadership style—Servant Leadership is the concept that leadership is not about you but rather putting the people you lead first. In this presentation, we outline and describe the foundation of Servant Leadership to include the 3 Assumptions, the 5 Ways of Being and the 10 Attributes of what it means to be a servant leader. First lesson: The servant leader is servant first.

Embracing Diversity in the Workplace

When: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Speaker: Jesse Ross

Description: Communicating in a diverse, multicultural environment can be awkward. For example, someone might make a sweeping and inappropriate generalization to a coworker about what "his people" are like, causing discord. More subtle problems can involve the differences in how people from different cultures communicate. A gesture that's acceptable in one culture might be meaningless or offensive in another. How do you communicate well and be aware of cultural conflicts that crop up, even subtle ones? This workshop explores how to be aware of our own biases, and how we can make our workplaces a barrier-free environment, so our customers get the best experience possible.

The Ladder of Your Senior Leadership Success

When: 2:15pm - 3:15pm

Speaker: Ted Schick

Description: Serving as a senior leader is both challenging and rewarding. Much like the Captain of a ship, your leadership is critical to the course of the organization. In this illuminating presentation filled with stories and examples, we will examine and discuss the effective attributes of the senior leader.  From our influence to motivating our teams, to proper delegation, we will climb our “leadership ladder of success” rung-by-rung, with the leadership skills we need to keep our ship moving through the water with fair winds and following seas.

Remote Monitoring: Increasing Your Org's Resilience and Individuals' Independence

When: 2:15pm - 3:15pm

Speaker: John Kehr, Michael Doucette, and Matt Daniels

Description: Are you curious about Remote Monitoring and how it works? Are you on the fence about whether it's an appropriate service to support the people your organization cares for? Are you unsure about where, when, and how Remote Monitoring services can be utilized? Join John Kehr, Michael Doucette, and Matt Daniels as they review what Remote Monitoring is and discuss the many ways this service can help Minnesotans gain more independence and help providers care for individuals in the face of a worsening workforce shortage crisis.

As members of three different Remote Monitoring vendors, as well as the Coalition for the Advancement and Integration of Remote Support Services (CAIRSS), John, Michael, and Matt have the experience and knowledge to demonstrate the numerous benefits of using Remote Monitoring, for individuals and providers alike. By the end of this session, you will have a better grasp of what's possible with Remote Monitoring and how providers are using it in Minnesota and beyond.

Keynote: Something Greater is Always Possible

When: 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Speaker: Devin Henderson

Description: For many individuals and teams, a once-held vision of unlimited possibility gets small and limited as a result of life’s daily stressors, persistent insecurities, self-doubt, isolation, and even failure. But what if you and your team could reclaim and even expand your full potential at any time? And what if your truest potential was bigger, richer, and more satisfying than you had previously envisioned?

Seasoned speaker and performer Devin Henderson brings an unforgettable experience of impact and inspiration that helps people and organizations take a break from the worries of the day while breaking free from perceived limits. You will discover practices for maintaining mental strength and resilience to realize your greatness like never before.

LGBTQIA+ Identities, and How Support Professionals Can Create Environments of Safety and Inclusivity for All

When: 2:15pm - 3:15pm

Speaker: Kate Napolitano

Description: Creating safety in the workplace comes first for DSPs and the Individuals we serve. Part of creating safety of course involves learning how to communicate & behave with one another in an informed and inclusive way when it comes to diversity of identity. In this workshop, we'll take a closer look at LGBTQIA+ Identities and how to create an agency workplace that effectively integrates folks who identify, whether they are DSPs or the Individuals we serve. For example: we'll take a few minutes to do some basic education about LGBTQIA+ culture and good terms to know. We'll also look at very practical interventions, including: the value of agency policy; topics for training & education; and best practices for how to support Individuals who may identify.

We'll also take a look at a few different common issues, like: "What do I do if I'm a DSP who identifies as LGBTQIA+, but an Individual I'm working with has very opinionated, or even hateful thoughts about the Community?" or "An Individual seems to need LGBTQIA+-related resources--what do I do?" There are many different kinds of situations and challenges DSPs can come across when trying to assist with LGBTQIA+ support and inclusivity: while we can't tackle every possible scenario, this workshop will give you a few good strategies to build from.

Sponsored Session: Technology, Cell Phone Use, and HIPAA Regulations: Understanding the Risks and Best Practices in the Care Industry

When: 1:45pm - 2:45pm

Speaker: TBA

Description: You’ve gone through HIPAA training, but you’re not sure what to tell your staff about cell phone and email use. 
In this session, we’ll review:

  • Best practices for compliance
  • How to protect patient or resident information
  • How to train your staff
  • Steps to avoid technology breaches

The Ladder of Your Senior Leadership Success

When: 2:15pm - 3:15pm

Speaker: Ted Schick

Description: Serving as a senior leader is both challenging and rewarding. Much like the Captain of a ship, your leadership is critical to the course of the organization. In this illuminating presentation filled with stories and examples, we will examine and discuss the effective attributes of the senior leader.  From our influence to motivating our teams, to proper delegation, we will climb our “leadership ladder of success” rung-by-rung, with the leadership skills we need to keep our ship moving through the water with fair winds and following seas.

The Power of Community Connections: Stories of Inspiration

When: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Speaker: Jeffrey Mortimore and Billie Hendrickson

Description: "Our society tends to place an emphasis on relationships. We think that just finding that right person will make us happy and fulfilled. But research shows that friends are actually even more important to our psychological welfare. Friends bring more happiness into our lives than virtually anything else.

But close friendships don’t just happen. In an age where we can achieve as many “likes” as possible, many of us struggle to meet people and develop quality connections.

The Community Connections service is designed to help individuals connect with and ultimately flourish in community settings. In essence, “bridging the gap” between marginalized populations and the many options that community provides. Join us in this session that will feature our unique process of Discovery, and the stories of success we have been a part of."

I Want to Help, But What do I Say?: Recommendations on How to Talk about Sex & Sexuality successfully with folks with I/DD, According to Your Professional Role 

When: 10:30am - 11:30am

Speaker: Kate Napolitano

Description: Typically, an Individual with I/DD and those who support them want the best life possible for that Individual. This includes safety and happiness when it comes to matters of dating, romance, sexuality and family life. There can be lots of anxieties and challenges though, about how to support an Individual to find that fulfillment. For example: What is appropriate for me to say or do regarding sexuality, according to my professional role? Is there a difference between what I feel or think personally about sex, and how my agency might need me to talk about sexuality? As a staff person, can I get fired if I try to help? Could it be misunderstood as sexual abuse? What if the individual's parents tell me not to talk about it? What are subjects I’m ok helping folks with, and what are subjects I feel uncomfortable helping them with?

In this workshop, we’ll talk about how to talk about sexuality - with Individuals, families, and fellow coworkers. We'll review aspects like: tips for handling it emotionally, how to deal with it when the subject suddenly comes up as a surprise, scripts on what you actually can say (and probably shouldn't say!), the differences between professional and personal talk about sexuality, role appropriate-ness, how to protect yourself as well as the Individuals you serve, and more!

How to Support Individuals With Online & IRL Dating as a Service Professional

When: 12:45pm - 1:45pm

Speaker: Kate Napolitano

Description: People with I/DD often want to be in romantic, affectionate, and sexual relationships, but often struggle with how to meet people and navigate the emotional journey of dating. One of the ways they can meet people is through dating apps, but how do we successfully support someone when using dating apps? In this workshop, we’ll explore topics like: how to handle conversations about starting to date, how to help folks think about who they’re looking for, and how to handle rejection and expectations.

We’ll also take a look at a couple of popular dating apps, as well as dating apps tailored for folks with disabilities. Then we’ll work together to go over some basics of online safety and ways you can help Individuals protect themselves, followed by recommendations on how to create a successful online profile and strike up conversations. We’ll also look at some common tough issues, such as what to do when Individuals seem to make the same mistake repeatedly, or if an individual seems to regularly put themselves in harm’s way.

Planning your DSP Positive Support Training

When: 2:15pm - 3:15pm

Speaker: Rachel Freeman and Dani Dunphy

Description: This session will focus on how to support DSPs with supporting Tier 1 social and emotional skills, developing language, and supporting learning.

Sponsored Session: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)- it’s not as bad as you think

When: 10:30am - 11:30am

Speaker: TBD

Description: EVV sounds scary. It’s a big change from paper timesheets, but as we’re learning, it is actually having a positive impact on caregivers, clients and agency operators. Join us to hear the learnings from our product users on how EVV has helped them be more efficient with entering, approving and submitting their time worked and how this has improved agency operations such as payroll, billing and compliance with program rules for EVV.