Gathering Agenda

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Event Schedule | a full event schedule will be posted soon. Welcome begins at 8:30a and Keynote at 9:30

North Region Keynote | Derek Smith | My story of a good life working/volunteering/being a neighbor/athlete/host of a podcast in my townhome all a result of PC planning | & | Brenda Smith | Let’s talk about families through the lens of reputations: Difficult families or Difficult lives?

South Region Keynote | Nancy M. Fitzsimons | "Social Change: The Missing Piece of the Person-Centered Puzzle"

Presentations | More being added | Full agenda coming soon

North Presentations

  • Keynote: Derek Smith & Brenda Smith | Let’s talk about families through the lens of reputations: Difficult families or Difficult lives?
  • Dan Carlson | Unified Work, Powered by MDI
    • Do you know how to be a great employee? Learn soft skills for the job; getting to work on time, positive attitudes, good communication and resolving challenges. Come and learn through activities and discussion on how to be the best CEO you can be for your life.
  • The Power of Community Connections: Stories of Inspiration | Christine Conner, Tim Gross, Jeff Mortimore
    • Community Connections and its impact on individual lives. This session will cover the history and process of the 2018 innovation grant for matching the people we serve with the people from the communities. Individuals will share their stories of success and connection.
  • Better Together - Building Stronger Teams | Tom Wildes

    • Receive tools to assist in building stronger teams. As teams become stronger the people that you support begin to have the lives they desire! Areas covered are; staff conflict, choosing outcomes for your teams, hiring the right staff and positive feedback. We spend so much time redirecting staff, now is the time to build teams and support the people we serve.

  • The Power of Belonging | Betsy Gadbois
    • We live and work in a world where all too often it is us vs. them. Come and discuss how we can create environments where everyone belongs.
  • Pathway of Hope | Carmen Volk, Dana Weisman

    • The Salvation Army in Duluth, MN has a new initiative called Pathway of Hope. This new approach is to create a path out of poverty and break the cycle of crisis. Learn about targeted service to families, who set their own goals in personalized support to focus on capabilities, raise hope, empower, overcome barriers and so much more.

  • Jenny's Journey | Melissa Weber and Jennifer Nemeth

    • Learn about Jenny and her story from having an appointed guardian to becoming her own guardian. Through the experience working with CEDSM you will gain more insight into the needs to be under guardianship and what a guardian can and cannot do.

  • The Benefits of having PCT Coaches within Organizations | Billie Hendrickson, Brandon Hendrickson, Jennifer Steger

    • The benefits of PCT coaching on all levels of organizations: providers will share their experience using PCT coaches and coaches' training and celebrate the successes it has brought to their agencies. This session is for anyone interested in learning more about PCT coaching .

South Presentations

  • Keynote: Nancy M. Fitzsimons | Social Change: The Missing Piece of the Person-Centered Puzzle

    • Let’s take a look a the history of person centered practices and disability justice from what has worked and what has not worked. This session will cover the social and community changes, and oppressed communities, take learned approaches from pioneers and apply them to our current creative work.

  • Highlights from Olmsted County | Emily Hagstrom, Marcia Vettel, Sarah Welper, Sue Stanek, and Lisa Morris-Helmstetler

    • Our session will highlight two initiatives: One successful attempt at strategically removing barriers to hiring for individuals with diverse abilities and the creation of a Diverse Abilities Alliance Group.

  • Peer Mentoring to support CIE | Dupree Edwards, Olivia Lape
    • Discuss how Minnesotans with intellectual and developmental disabilities are educating others on the rights and opportunities to work in competitive integrated employment.
  • Unpacking the Principles of Disability Justice | Tayler Guccione
    • Unpacking the Principles of Disability Justice aims to provide an overview of this important framework and inspire attendees to incorporate the disability justice principles into their work and daily lives.
  • SEMCIL's Assistive Technology Program | Chanell Calhoun

    • "What is assistive technology (AT)”? We will showcase various devices and share information regarding the services that are offered by SE MN Center for Independent Living (SEMCIL). Learning how assistive technology can increase, improve, or maintain an individual’s independence in their home, place of employment, educational setting, or in the community.

  • Applying Person-Centered Practices in a Community Physical Rehabilitation and Specialized Wellness Program | Melanie Brennan

    • Discuss the successes and challenges of incorporating person centered practice in the EA Therapeutic Health’s “EA Way Program” We will look at stories of how people with disabilities expect staff to be experts and require our team to help guide the program plan using evidence-based practice due to payor relations with health insurance and government agencies.

  • Charting the Life Course- Exploring Decision-Making Supports | Nora Ulseth

    • Exploring Decision Making Supports tool from Charting the Life Course: Familiarize yourself with the tool that helps family members, trusted supporters, professionals, and individuals reflect on where someone is currently making decisions in their life and what types of supports might be needed to be more included in making decisions for themselves.

  • My Self-Advocacy Journey | Karli Harguth
    • My self-Advocacy journey and how it has made me the person I am today. This may be a way to help people learn how to self-direct their own lives.
  • Creating a Person-Centered Transportation Community | Melanie Brennan, Elijah Gray, Tom Gottfried, Shelly Rohe, Erickson Schafer

    • The Region 10 Quality Council has been exploring the development of a Regional Transportation Coordination Committee (RTCC) in Southeast Minnesota. Several Panelists will share information about what an RTCC is and how it could help improve transportation for all people. Panelists will share how transportation barriers can impact people in many different ways including their health, their social lives, and economically. Learn what an RTCC is and how it could help with transportation issues in Southeast Minnesota. The session ends with an activity to help inform the scope of transportation barriers in our region and work toward solutions.