Gathering Agenda

Presentations

Presentation descriptions have been condensed for consistency. Full author abstracts and agenda will be available to registered participants closer to the Gathering.

North MN Gathering Presentations

· Let's be Side by Side! with Meredith Kujala: Self-advocates discuss the significance of inclusion, the effects of exclusion, and ways to be a more inclusive ally.

· Cultivating Hope: Bridging the Gap Through Community Connections with Jeffery Mortimore, Carina Legarrie, Jesse Hagadorn, and Darin Burke: Stories of individuals who achieved independence, employment, and romance through RSI's community connection tools funded by a 2018 grant.

· How I Stopped Grading and Started Learning: A Teacher’s Journey with Hallsten Erickson: After 20 years of grading essays, I switched to having students set their own goals, leading to greater engagement and personal growth for both students and me.

· Creating Opportunities Through Person-Centered Planning with Brandon Hendrickson and Billie Hendrickson: Explore Minnesota’s person-centered planning initiative, its impact on quality of life, and how to become a trained facilitator.

· Building Leadership Capacity for People with Lived Experience with Becky Lambert, Beth Johnson: The Arrowhead Regional Quality Council's Self-Advocate Leadership Initiative, a program for building skills and confidence in individuals with lived experience.

· Person-Centered Informed Decision-Making with Lauren Harrington and Sara Beauchene: Explore how informed decision-making and person-centered practices differ and overlap and learn how DHS's process guides informed choices within a person-centered approach.

· RSI Jefferson NextStep with Gigi Toman, Joelle Schmid, Tana, and Liz: Supporting individuals transitioning to independent living by bridging skill gaps and providing a foundation for success.

· Jenny's Story- A story of resilience with Jennifer Nemeth and Melissa Weber: Becoming her own guardian and the staff’s role in supporting her.

· Using everyday person-centered skills to empower people living in Long-Term Care with Emma Shepard: The Minnesota Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care and Moving Home Minnesota have developed a self-advocacy training curriculum covering resident rights, self-advocacy, and person-centered care for those in long-term services and support settings.

· Perspective Matters with Becky Jakubek: As a person with a disability and instructor at Trillium Services, I aim to shift perspectives from deficits to possibilities in person-centered service delivery.

South MN Gathering Presentations

·Theatre for All: Inclusive Theatre in SW Minnesota with Wilbur Neushwander-Frink and Members of Aktion Club Theatre of Mankato: Open Arts Minnesota, a non-profit for inclusive theatre, presents an interactive session with Aktion Club Theatre on making theatre accessible through games, poetry, and more.

·Journey Mapping, Assistive Technology and Advisory Councils in Dakota County with Megan Zeilinger and Kristin Salseg: Discuss the creation of a countywide Disability Advisory Council and Dakota County's efforts in Journey Mapping and increasing Assistive Technology use for people with disabilities.

·From Resistance to Result: Navigating Difficult Conversations to get Enabling Technology Implemented with Kathy Nesheim-Larson and Alaina Gallagher: Get guidance on navigating the approval process for Enabling Technologies like Remote Supports in this session.

·Come Fly With Pete with Lisa Gemlo, Lori Jasper and Erin Martin: explore an unexpected path to a good life for Pete, transitioning from high school to adulthood, and address parents' concerns about "falling off the cliff."

Keynote Presenters

Meredith Kujala (in Cloquet)

Meredith is a social worker who initially focused on domestic violence and sexual assault. Given her own disabilities, she has gone on to become a passionate advocate for the disability community. She is Program Coordinator at Advocating Change Together (ACT) and manages Little.NotLess, a nonprofit organization that she founded. She educates and trains individuals with disabilities on self-advocacy, leadership, and the importance of inclusion. She aims to create an accessible community where everyone can work, play, and learn together without feeling "different." “Being person-centered should be common sense. We should all focus on the person first and following their lead toward what they want or need. No one else would know better anyways!” she says.

Lori Jasper (in Mankato)

Lori has supported individuals and families for 40 years. She began in occupational therapy and then specialized in home and community-based services. Lori co-founded a provider agency and led it for 15 years. She received international training in nine planning methods, becoming a Person-centered Thinking Training, Charting the LifeCourse Coach/National Consultant, and a Trauma-informed Supports Trainer. Personal and professional life intersected when her great nephew was diagnosed with multiple disabilities 17 years ago.