2022 Summit Presentations
August 30 - September 1, 2022
Click below to skip to:
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Tues August 30
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Weds August 31
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Thurs Sept 1
Bios and/or contact information for each presenter is linked by clicking their names.
If presentation slides are not available below, feel free to reach out to the presenter directly via their contact info linked to their names.
Tuesday, August 30th General Sessions
Welcome and Opening from Alliance Staff and Leadership: Alliance's Year in Review
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
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Co-Presenters:
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Jodi Walters: Alliance President and CEO of Parker Personal Care Homes
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Randy Brodersen: Co-Chair of the Alliance GRACE Committee and CEO of North Metro Community Services
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Shari Repinski: Co-Chair of the Alliance GRACE Committee and CEO of Rocky Mountain Human Services
Director of People Operations at Support, Inc. and Alliance IDEA Committee Chairperson
Empowering Bystanders: A Call to Action through Awareness, Recognition, and Empowerment
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
What if we all believed we have a responsibility to act, even if we are not the target of discrimination? What if we felt empowered to intervene and support members of our community? This session will open a discussion to obtain a better understanding of how our privilege impacts our ability to act, barriers to equity within the IDD industry, and what it means to become an empowered bystander for our stakeholders. The goal of this conversation is to educate while opening the door for action towards creating a safer and more equitable environment for the people who receive our services and our teammates.
Tuesday, August 30th Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Providing Better Supports with Better Data
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
Data can help inform our decisions and provide better supports. This session will discuss data collection, including types of data collected, limitations on data sets, and ways in which data can be integrated to improve service delivery.
Director of People Operations at Support, Inc. and Alliance IDEA Committee Chairperson
Feeling Empowered to Act: Action Steps to Feeling Comfortable Addressing the Uncomfortable
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
How do you respond when you witness acts of microaggression towards others? If your intended message caused harm to others, how can you repair the relationship? This breakout offers techniques, examples, and an open space to discuss, process and empower us to confront bias, bigotry, and harassment. By responding with courage and compassion, we can provide safer environments for our organizations, improve the mental health of our stakeholders, and create a more diverse set of opportunities for the disenfranchised populations we aim to uplift.
Executive Director at Encore
Building Business Partnerships
The landscape of providing supports and services to people with disabilities and those that support them is constantly changing. This presentation will discuss how organizations can adapt and change to meet the ever-evolving needs of their customers, including how to best engage in our communities. Rich will share stories from businesses he has worked with that can help you be more engaged in providing quality services. This presentation will cover best practices in employment, community engagement, organizational change, and fundraising opportunities to support your organization and the people you serve.
Amy Elbrecht: PharmD at ClearSpring Pharmacy
CANCELED!
Come As You Are for Gentle Chair Yoga Flow and Meditation!
This session will begin with a brief introduction and overview of ClearSpring Pharmacy.
Next, get ready to relieve some stress with Gentle Chair Yoga Flow and Meditation! Amy will lead you in a class that will take you through practical postures that you can easily incorporate into the workplace. This flow is specifically designed to release tension, especially in areas that are prone to extra tightness from the stress of our jobs. There will be a short guided meditation session at the end. Feel more balanced, calm, and at ease after this fun class!
Executive Director at Family Voices CO
Intervener Community Pilot - New Services for DeafBlind Individuals
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
The Intervener Community Pilot is the first of its kind in CO, serving DeafBlind children in their communities, outside of the school day. This pilot provides Interveners for children 0-21 in the community. We will begin year two services in September of 2022 with legislation planned in 2023 to fund and place this program in Colorado services. This presentation will provide a definition of "intervener" along with an overview of the pilot, learnings, data, and successes from year one and plans for year two.
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Co-Presenters:
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Megan Bowser: Parent of a child with DeafBlindness
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Kiera Zink: Parent of a child with DeafBlindness
Wednesday, August 31st General Session Presenters
Motivational Keynote Speaker at JessICAREctor Enterprises
Fire Up So You Don’t Burnout: How to Prevent Burnout and Lead the Disengaged
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Burnout is like a wildfire—spreading quickly and affecting everything in its path. Monster.com recently reported that 95% of the workforce is thinking of leaving their jobs. The #1 reason cited? Burnout, and it’s not slowing down any time soon. With 79% of the workforce burned out and even more stressed out, employees feel overwhelmed, unappreciated, and un-recognized, while consistently feeling leaders need to better recognize burnout in their workforce. With having to juggle more things and in different ways, burnout and stress are at an all-time high, reducing performance, health, and motivation.
As the #1 expense to organizations, burnout is an organizational and leadership issue affecting morale and bottom-line results. Using her burnout research, Jessica shares how individuals can identify what leads to burnout, teams can stop stress from spreading to other work and life areas, and how leaders can ignite, motivate, and empower employees to build resilience, create a thriving culture, and tackle uncertainty and challenges without burnout.
Participants will:
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Identify and pinpoint your biggest “burnout moments” to prevent future stress and overwhelm to improve your health, mind, and team
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Identity the top three ways to extinguish burnout in your workplace to build a stronger team and culture
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Apply what organizations can do to decrease turnover while retaining and engaging top talent
David Kalis, Ph.D., LCSW: Chief Officer of Development & Culture at Kalis and Associates
Developing Workplace Culture to Increase Retention and Promote Psychological Capital​
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
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Amid unprecedented staffing shortages and a challenging economic climate, developing psychological capital is a critical strategy to maximize stability and quality within your organization’s workforce. More than ever before, the workforce is looking beyond compensation when considering their options to stay with an organization or to join an organization. This presentation will demonstrate the role of workplace culture in retention and workforce efficiency specifically within the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities to help you build a positive and stable workforce.
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Co-Presenter:
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Jodi Walters: Executive Director at Parker Personal Care Homes and Alliance Board President
Wednesday, August 31st Breakout Sessions
President and CEO at Community Connections, Inc.
and Alliance Emergency Response in Communities (ERIC) Committee Chair
Leave Your Ableism at the Door
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
As professionals in the IDD field, we should be above reproach when it comes to how we value people with IDD and center their voices in developing their services. Yet throughout our system, we continue to use language that reflects a mindset of oppression and maintaining power over people with disabilities. In this session, we will focus on defining and exploring what Ableism is and how it shows up in disability services. You will also hear directly from a disabled service recipient on their view of what not to do and what to do when working with people with disabilities.
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Co-Presenter:
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Hannah Beller
Executive Director at Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities
Special Needs Trusts, ABLE Accounts, Pooled Trusts...What you need to know!
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
People with IDD often need a trust or ABLE account to remain eligible for benefits. Sometimes they are the beneficiary of a trust, and we need to help them in navigating it. This session will provide an overview of trusts and ABLE accounts and discuss common questions that may arise in regard to them.
Tim Dolan: Board Member at Inclusive Housing Coalition
Neuro-Inclusive Housing for Adults with I/DD
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
VIEW LOCAL LEADERSHIP REPORT HANDOUT >
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The Inclusive Housing Coalition (IHC), in collaboration with the Alliance Housing Committee Chairperson, will present an overview of current efforts to provide affordable and inclusive housing for individuals with I/DD. IHC is an emerging not-for-profit with the mission to bridge the gap between organizations and individuals to provide better housing solutions for this community in Colorado. Updates will include the Housing local leadership report, CHFA projects and opportunities, as well as local affordable housing projects. Although many people with IDD can and want to live independently, many barriers exist, including a lack of affordable, accessible housing options. This session will provide an overview of current efforts to provide affordable and inclusive housing for individuals with I/DD.
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Co-Presenter:
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Cindy Opheim: CEO at Cottonwood Community Alternatives, Inc., Alliance Housing Committee Chairperson, and Alliance Board Treasurer
Early Intervention Program Director at Colorado Department of Early Childhood
Early Intervention Updates by the Department of Early Childhood
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There have been a lot of Early Intervention (EI) changes this year. Learn about the new EI Evaluations process, eligibility expansions, a new department, and more! Join us for an overview of these exciting improvements and what the Department of Early Childhood will be working on in the future.
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Co-Presenters:
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Kendra Dunn: Director, Division of Community and Family Support at CDEC
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Lenita Hartman: Associate Director, Early Intervention Program at CDEC
Owner and Principal at Emma Hudson Consulting
Colorado Legislation & Advocacy 101
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
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Interested in understanding or engaging in state politics, but not sure where to start? Ever wonder if there was more you could do to help your community? Excited to be an even more powerful advocate for people with IDD in Colorado? Come to this session to get a strong foundation in how the Colorado legislature works, how bills pass or fail, how you or the people/families you work with can engage, and much more. Emma Hudson, Alliance's contract lobbyist, will walk you through the basics of state politics and will share tips and tricks for becoming a meaningful advocate for people with IDD in our state.
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Colorado State Election Update
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
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This session is for anyone interested in learning about the upcoming General Election in Colorado. We'll review candidates in key races, general predictions for what the state legislature may look like in 2023, which races deserve focused engagement and relationship-building, how changes in the political make-up could shift our efforts in the IDD space, and much more. Join Emma Hudson in an open discussion about what's to come in November!
Thursday, September 1st Breakout Session Presenters
Curriculum Developer / Trainer in Benefits Counseling at Colorado Office of Employment First
Benefits Counseling and Colorado DB101: Keys Resources for Employment
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
Colorado DB101 is the online employment resource tool serving as the perfect “jumping off” point for the employment conversation. This tool also supports exploring the biggest fear individuals with disabilities face when considering employment…..”How will work effect my benefits?”
Once that conversation starts, it needs to be cultivated through the employment journey. Benefits Counseling is the other key piece on this journey.
In this session, you will learn:
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What is Colorado DB101?
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How to use Colorado DB101 to start the employment conversation.
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How to Use Colorado DB101 to explore the truth around work and benefits.
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What is Benefits Counseling? What is Benefits Counseling in Colorado?
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How does benefits counseling support the employment journey?
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Why Benefits Counseling AND Colorado DB101?
The combination of Colorado DB101 and Benefits Counseling is key to informed choice for all Coloradans with disabilities interested in employment.
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Co-Presenter:
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Patricia Henke: Director at Colorado Office of Employment First
Unpacking State Rate Methodology – Why a SOC Matters
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
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This session will review the recent Health Management Associates report commissioned by ANCOR to evaluate the methodology used by states when creating provider rate schedules. The report surveyed over 20 states to breakdown their processes for determining rates and DSP wages and found significant discrepancy among those reviewed. Following a review of the study, attendees will learn the importance of establishing a Standard Occupational Code for DSPs and what ANCOR is doing to advocate for this.
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Co-Presenters:
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Donna Martin, M.Ed: Senior Director, State Partnerships & Innovation at ANCOR
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Shannon McCracken: Vice President, Government Relations at ANCOR
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Jeff Newman: Director of Community Integration at Community Connections, Inc.
Supporting Authentic Disability Advocacy
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
We all say we support self-advocacy, but have we really thought about what Advocacy really is? Why advocacy is important? Why encouraging people to "speak up" falls short? In this session, we'll unpack and think critically about our concept of advocacy.
ColoradoABLE Benefits and Updates
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Find out how ABLE accounts help create financial security for individuals with disabilities. Also this past year Colorado has made significant changes to Medicaid recovery, tax deductions and opening and managing accounts. We will talk about all these dramatic changes and much more.
Michael Keglovits: ABLE and Special Programs Manager at
Leah Martin, Ph.D.: Operations Executive at A Brighter Community
Role Modeling and Supported Employment
New research indicates that role modeling may have positive impacts on the employment outcomes of people with IDD. Understanding the role modeling experiences of Direct Support Professionals in Supported Employment may offer providers new insights and practical solutions that can help to increase successful employment outcomes among job seekers with IDD. In this session, research findings will be presented in the context of the motivational theory of role modeling.
Thursday, September 1st General Session Presenters
What’s Happening on the Hill and Beyond
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This session will regale attendees with updates and stories about what is happening on the Hill, what happened to Reconciliation, who are the influencers to watch, and what we can expect going into the mid-term elections. The session will also link priorities in the administration, state houses, and executive offices to trends in IDD services across the country.
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Co-Presenters:
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Shannon McCracken: Vice President, Government Relations at ANCOR
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Donna Martin, M.Ed: Senior Director, State Partnerships & Innovation at ANCOR
Staff at the Office of Community Living, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing
Updates from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing's Office of Community Living​
VIEW SLIDE DECK HERE >
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OCL Leadership will provide the latest updates on the many Department-led projects that will impact people with IDD and the service system in the coming years. Likely highlights will include American Rescue Plan projects, Case Management Redesign, Direct Support Workforce challenges, and much more!
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Presenters:
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Bonnie Silva: Director, Office of Community Living
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Colin Laughlin: Deputy Office Director and Benefits and Services Management Division Director, Office of Community Living
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Amanda Lofgren: Case Management and Quality Performance Division Director, Office of Community Living
Due to limited space and high demand, this is an Alliance Member event or by invite only.
Click HERE to read Alliance's Invitation Policy and to request an invitation to attend.