KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Barol has dedicated the past 44 years to serving and supporting people with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) who also have challenging behaviors and co-occurring mental health issues.

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Clinical Consultation Model: Serving Individuals Diagnosed with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness
Merakey believes that the best way to serve individuals with an IDD/MH dual diagnosis is through a person-centered community-based treatment model that addresses the whole person. In this introductory session, attendees will gain an understanding of Merakey’s evidence-based care model for the dually diagnosed population and the program’s positive outcomes.

SEE BIOS: Tim Barksdale | Kevin Kumpf | Kristin Cline

Mindfulness and Self-Regulation
Most of the time in our daily lives, we are instinctively reacting to unconscious, automatic activities of the mind and nervous system. Anxieties, fears, attitudes, beliefs and biases developed through our life experiences, all live in ingrained neural networks, lurking below the level of conscious awareness, driving our thoughts, feelings, and actions. In this experiential workshop, participants will explore evidence-based mindfulness practices that strengthen emotional intelligence, build our capacity to self-regulate and co-regulate with others, and ultimately empower us to truly put “our heart and soul into exceptional care.”

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Promoting Social Wellness: The Importance of Forming and Maintaining Healthy Relationships
A healthy social life is based on creating and maintaining strong collaborative relationships. In this session, we will learn strategies for building effective relationships with internal and external supports, review how to utilize an intentional approach when building relationships, and discuss ways to strengthen, repair and manage ongoing relationships.

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COVID, Mental Illness & IDD
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact everyday life, taking care of our physical and mental health and well-being has never been more important. This is especially true for those with Developmental Disabilities and co-existing mental health disorders. Not only are those with I/DD at high risk of contracting Covid-19 and having higher mortality rates, they are also at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues related to the pandemic, such as feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and isolation. In this session, we will take a look at the long-term cognitive effects and physical effects that continue to evolve as the world learns more about the virus and the ongoing impact it has on our lives.

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Sexuality, Safety, and Healthy Boundaries
Sexuality and its complexities are part of every human life. Helping individuals with disabilities to navigate their sexuality in a healthy and safe way is important to overall health and wellness. In this breakout session, we will learn about capacity and consent, review internet safety and complexities, and explore how to assist in building healthy relationships through safe boundaries.

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How to Recognize Mental Illness & Intellectual Disabilities
In this session, attendees will learn how diagnoses are made for intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental disorders, how to distinguish challenging behaviors from mental disorders, and how to identify mental health symptoms for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Spiritual Wellness: Empowering an Individual’s Values and Beliefs
Spiritual wellness is a key component to an individual’s overall health and wellness. Finding meaning and purpose in life according to your own set of values and beliefs can build resiliency and foster a greater connection between the mind and body. In this enlightening session, we will discuss the importance of spiritual wellness in everyday life, explore how spiritual wellness can empower individuals, and learn new tools that can assist individuals to progress along their spiritual journeys.

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Shared Decision Making: A Mindful Approach to Collaboration
Shared decision making is a communication process that helps to build a collaborative bridge between an individual and a professional. Session attendees will leave the training with an understanding of who is involved in shared decision making, why it is important, the neglect versus overprotect continuum and a be introduced to the use of decision trees for ethical dilemmas which could arise during the collaborative relationship.

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Positive Approaches for Supporting an Individual’s Educational/Vocational Goals
For community-based practitioners, safety awareness is the key to managing difficult or unsafe situations. In this session, we will discuss the importance of environmental awareness and crisis preventative measures, how to respond in a trauma informed manner when faced with a challenging situation, and the importance in self-care for daily practitioners.

SEE BIOS: Brittney Anderson | Gina DiFazio

Increasing Environmental Awareness: Skills for Community Living
For community-based practitioners, safety awareness is the key to managing difficult or unsafe situations. In this session, we will discuss the importance of environmental awareness and crisis preventative measures, how to respond in a trauma informed manner when faced with a challenging situation, and the importance in self-care for daily practitioners.

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Cultural Considerations for the Dually Diagnosed

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Skill Transference: Consultation, Collaboration and Data Driven Treatment
Valid and reliable assessments; strong consultation and person-centered care; evidence-based practices, including care coordination and collaborative documentation: These are all important elements of building a data-driven treatment model that can enhance skill transference. In this session, attendees will learn ways to build rapport with individuals served, and their supports, and learn ways to transition skills efficiently and effectively. Participants will also discuss ways to consult with providers and paid/natural supports when providing treatment to a dually diagnosed individual.

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Supporting Budgeting and Fiscal Responsibility with Individuals who are Dually Diagnosed

Individuals with intellectual disabilities are often faced with challenges with implementing and maintaining financial responsibility. This breakout focuses on the types of interventions and strategies utilized in supporting individuals who struggle with financial management, recommendations for natural supports, and overview of the resources available to assist long-term goals of financial management.

SEE BIOS: Stephanie Seymour | Deonna Walker

Trauma Informed Functional Assessments & Behavior Planning: A Case Study
Humanizing the functional assessment process by doing a deeper dive into both immediate and historical antecedents and experiences can change staff perspectives on clients and their behaviors and improves fidelity of implementation of behavior plans and client goals. In this session, attendees will lean how to incorporate trauma informed care into functional assessments, behavior intervention plans, and related goals through best practice research and a full case study presentation.