2005 Issues Forum

Rehabilitation at a Crossroads

April 6-8, 2005, the CRP-RCEP hosted the annual 2005 Issues Forum at the Sheraton Hotel in Overland Park, KS, just outside of Kansas City. Below is the agenda for that conference. There are text-only transcripts available for a few of the presentions. They are shown below as well.

PHOTOS - Photos from the 2005 Issues Forum are available here.

Short Agenda

• Wednesday
• Opening Keynote: “Same Walk, Different Streets”
  • Transcript available
• The Choice Is Yours: The Power Of True Informed Choice
• The Risks Of Normalcy? Providing Real People With Real Opportunities
• Becoming Outcomes-Driven: How Are We Doing?
  • Transcript available
• Adding Value To The Employer
• Career Planning – Is It The Same For Everyone Or Not?
• So How Do We Get To A Different Street?
• Thursday
  • Self-Employment: Creating Jobs In A No-Jobs Environment
• Breaking The Cycle: Getting Beyond Recovery
  • Transcript available
• Jobs Or Careers: Which Is It?
• Leadership Strategies: Managing Conflict In The Workplace
• Offender Workforce Development
• Business Quality For Community Providers – Managing For The Many Customers’ Wants And Needs
• Making The Career Center Connection
  • Transcript available
• Networking, Connections And Delegation: Redefining The Role Of Job Development
• Organizational Change, Session 1: A Consultative Model And Process For Assisting Providers In Building More Community Employment Opportunities
• Designing Employment Services In A Competitive Environment
• Leadership Strategies: Leading Change That Sticks…Not Stinks!
• Doing More With Less
• Self-Employment: My Dream, My Business
  • Transcript available
• Organizational Change, Session 2: Organizational Change Planning And Implementation
• Customizing Employment: Challenging Flintstone Practices With Jetson Ingenuity
• A Resource Mapping Experience In Iowa
  • Transcript available
• Partnering With Consumer Organizations
• Organizational Change, Session 3: Let’s Talk About It!
• The Self-Determined Career Development Model: Enhancing Rehabilitation Services And Community Capacity To Promote Job And Career Outcomes
• So Where Are We Going And How Will We Know When We Get There?
• Friday
  • Vocational Rehabilitation 101
• Consumer As Provider
• Recruitment And Retention: How The ADA Can Help To Create Best Practices
• Soft Skills & Successful Employment
• The Power Of Planning And Partnerships
• Finding My Own Road
• Closing Keynote: Looking Beyond The Crossroads
  • Transcript available

Detailed CONFERENCE ITINERARY

Wednesday, April 6, 2005

• 10:30 AM - Conference Registration Open )
• 1:00 pm - 2:15 PM - Conference Opening Remarks and Opening Keynote
  • OPENING REMARKS: C. David Roberts, Ph.D., Director, CRP-RCEP; Darla Wilkerson, Assistant Director, Region VII CRP-RCEP
  • OPENING KEYNOTE: “SAME WALK, DIFFERENT STREETS” Presented by Geri Jewell
  • Transcript available here
  • Geri Jewell known by millions as cousin Geri on “Facts of Life” and as Jewel on the present HBO series “Deadwood” was the first person with a disability to become a regular performer on a national television show. Her presentation “Same Walk, Different Streets” is an outstanding portrayal of Geri’s first-hand experiences of how she has been perceived as a person who has mental retardation, is drunk or on drugs to the public at large, in spite of her well- known fame. Geri’s passion is to help change these perceptions by conveying her journey with a sense of humor that will keep the audience laughing while offering an education one is not soon to forget.
• 2:15 pm - 2:45 pm - Break
• 2:45 pm - 4:15 pm - Concurrent sessions:
  • 1. THE CHOICE IS YOURS: THE POWER OF TRUE INFORMED CHOICE, Presented by Susan Rocker
    • "Choice" is a buzz word in the rehabilitation field right now. What does it really mean? How do you make sure you are offering informed choice? Join this session to enhance your skills in providing true informed choice for those you support, and learn how informed choice leads to increased customer satisfaction.
      
  • 2. - THE RISKS OF NORMALCY? PROVIDING REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL OPPORTUNITIES, Presented by George Nostrand
    • Through experiences and observations, both personal and professional, this presenter will discuss incorporating normalcy into all levels of client interaction to facilitate the reduction of stigma associated with treatment. Presented as a progression highlighting real life examples, discussions will include topics ranging from collaborative goal setting to natural consequences. Geared towards all audiences, the learning objectives for providers include an opportunity to see first-hand how their interactions, impressions, and expectations can either foster or hinder successful naturalization /community integration. A variety of topics will provide opportunities to see different areas in which normalization can be incorporated.
      
  • 3. - BECOMING OUTCOMES-DRIVEN: HOW ARE WE DOING? Presented by Pat Steele, Bill Vaughn and Bill Mekemson
    • Transcript available
  • The word is outcomes - payment based on outcomes, certification and licensure based on outcomes, and organizations using outcome data to improve performance. This presentation will discuss the need for collecting data to help in this process and, more importantly, what to do with the data after it is collected. Effective outcome measurement systems stress the human factor - getting staff at all levels involved in using outcome data to help them “work smarter” to improve performance and focus on the data that matters.
    
  • 4. ADDING VALUE TO THE EMPLOYER Presented by Claudia Wilson
    • This presentation will focus on the experiences of Citi Card as they have been involved in hiring individuals with disabilities and the types of services that add value to the process. Business education, sensitivity training, and knowing where to find the right resources to help the person do the job are just some of the issues for employers. Ms. Wilson will also provide information on the successful partnership between employers and community rehabilitation programs, the Kansas City Business Partnership Initiative.
      
  • 5. CAREER PLANNING - IS IT THE SAME FOR EVERYONE OR NOT? Presented by Darla Wilkerson
    • Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the majority of people within the labor force will make three to four major career changes in their lifetime. Each of us has personally unique aspirations, goals, potential for development, and support needs. To satisfy these needs, career planning processes and outcomes must be individualized. Whether you are a service provider, case manager, counselor, parent or a job seeker, this session will help you understand the planning process and introduce you to strategies and tools used in developing a career path.
  • 6. SO HOW DO WE GET TO A DIFFERENT STREET? Presented by Geri Jewell
    • Many organizations would like to employ persons with disabilities but find that fears, biases and myths create barriers in the hiring process. Windmills training focuses on attitudes and human factors that are prevalent not only in businesses but in the community at large. Consisting of eleven modules, Geri will focus on one of them titled “Pick a Disability”. This interactive session will demonstrate how individual fears and stereotypes about disabilities can be surfaced and dealt with as a powerful tool in community education.
• 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm - Welcome Social - An informal networking opportunity. Beverages will be provided.

Thursday, April 7, 2005

• 7:00 am - 7:00 pm - Registration Open
• 7:30 am - 8:30 am Continental Breakfast
• 8:30 am - 10:00 am Concurrent Sessions:
  • 1. SELF-MPLOYMENT: CREATING JOBS IN A NO-JOBS ENVIRONMENT Presented by DAVID HAMMIS
    • This session draws upon stories illustrating innovative approaches to tapping the capacity of communities and practicing the key to innovation, which is simply knowing the rules better than those enforcing the rules. This session will challenge participants to think differently about rural and urban barriers to employment; civic entrepreneurship linking the public and private sectors; self-employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities; the need for expansive relationships with non-traditional partners; and the role inventiveness plays in our daily work life.
  • 2. BREAKING THE CYCLE: GETTING BEYOND RECOVERY Presented by George Nostrand
    • Transcript available
  • Mental illness was, up until very recently, considered a chronic illness. Today the word recovery is used to describe the process of the road to wellness. For most, this road is not a straight one. Employment is one of the crucial components in breaking the various cycles that keep people from getting beyond recovery. Employment provides a number of things that help stabilize a person’s life, reintegrates them into the community, and gives them hope for the future. This presentation looks at how employment and other key elements can help people get beyond stable and move forward towards living normal lives. While the road may not end, full recovery is an attainable destination.
    
  • 3. JOBS OR CAREERS: WHICH IS IT? Presented by Susan Rocker and Darla Wilkerson
    • When you think about the employment supports you offer, would you say people are getting jobs or developing careers? This session will look at how career development is a lifelong process. Learn how to enhance your career planning, job seeking and post-hire supports to strengthen career development opportunities with each job seeker.
      
  • 4. LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES: MANAGING CONFLICT IN THE WORKPLACE Presented by Doug Whittle, Ph.D.
    • Conflict in an organization is inevitable. If not addressed and managed, conflict can cause significant damage to individuals, teams, and to the organization at large. While being involved in the conflict is in itself uncomfortable, many individuals hesitate to address the conflict directly because that, too, causes discomfort. This session is designed to help you understand the various types of conflict that arise in the workplace, how to identify the root cause of the conflict, and ways to address the conflict that result in a win-win for all parties. Participants will learn how to approach others in a way that eases tension and reduces defensive attitudes that can prevent all parties from working toward a mutually acceptable solution.
      
  • 5. OFFENDER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Presented by Jim Chastain, Patricia Doherty
    • Many community rehabilitation programs are asked to serve individuals with disabilities who are legal offenders. Offenders are often at a disadvantage and frequently lack job skills or the cognitive ability to find and keep meaningful employment. Efforts are underway in some states to address this issue, one of which is the Offender Workforce Development Specialist training program offered in Kansas. This training effort emphasizes strategies such as skills and interest assessments, addressing barriers to employment, and enhancing job search skills. When these strategies are blended with community resources, comprehensive job development, and employer relations programs, offenders can get and keep jobs, and become a productive part of the community. The panel will address efforts being made in Kansas and Missouri.
      
  • 6. BUSINESS QUALITY FOR COMMUNITY PROVIDERS - MANAGING FORTHE MANY CUSTOMERS’ WANTS AND NEEDS Presented by Paul Andrew
    • Self-determination, vouchers, performance-based funding, Olmstead, Sarbanes Oxley, demand for community-based services and the growth of faith-based initiatives are just some of the challenges and opportunities for a community- based organization. This session from CARF will provide the latest updates and strategies for using its business practices to strategically position the organization to flourish into the 21st century as continuous change and environmental pressures impact the design and delivery of services.
• 10:00 am - 10:15 am Break
• 10:15 am - 11:45 am concurrent Sessions:
  • 1. MAKING THE CAREER CENTER CONNECTION [transcript available] Presented by Kevin Rainwater and Jasen Jones
    • Transcript available
  • Funding and referral sources are becoming few and far between, and while we continue to develop working relationships with our current partners, we must always be looking for additional resources. This presentation will assist those in the employment field with connecting to such a resource, your local Career Center. The presenters will discuss, demonstrate and show you how to “make the connection” with your local Career Center. They will discuss what is important to the Career Centers, the employment provider and ultimately, the customer being served. The fun doesn’t stop there, though, “Points to Research,” a proven guideline that helped Lakes Country achieve over 1.5 million dollars in contracts with this Career Center, will be discussed. The Career Center will share what they were looking for out of a provider, both on and off the paper! This presentation will be informative, to the point, and universal enough for all providers and Career Centers.
    
  • 2. NETWORKING, CONNECTIONS AND DELEGATION: REDEFINING THE ROLE OF JOB DEVELOPMENT Presented by Rob Hoffman
    • Job development in supported employment is rapidly changing. What worked well in the past may no longer be effective due to the changing labor market and the needs of business. In this session, the presenter will detail the new techniques and strategies in securing meaningful job opportunities for people with disabilities.
      
  • 3. ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, SESSION 1: A CONSULTATIVE MODEL AND PROCESS FOR ASSISTING PROVIDERS IN BUILDING MORE COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Presented by Debra Luecking
    • Over 30 providers have received consultation on organizational change through the CRP-RCEP IV Organizational Change Mentoring Project. Hear about outcome data that describes overall changes made by these organizations, a consultative model that is used to guide all the leaders of the organization through the process, tips on how to get your organization to buy in, and how to get your organization aligned with what the consumers say they want.
      
  • 4. DESIGNING EMPLOYMENT SERVICES IN A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT Presented by Paul Andrew
    • As community providers continuously improve their employment services, many new designs and methods for delivering successful employment services are being developed. Among them are social enterprises, affirmative businesses, franchises and services to set up and support micro-enterprises. This session will be an active one - with an update on the latest community and employment standards and an opportunity for participants to discuss and provide input to the update and revision of employment and community service standards.
      
  • 5. SELF-MPLOYMENT: CREATING JOBS IN A NO-JOBS ENVIRONMENT (REPEAT) Presented by David Hammis
    
  • 6. OFFENDER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (REPEAT) Presented by JIM CHASTAIN, PATRICIA DOHERTY and KATHY
    
• 11:45 pm - 1:15 pm - Banquet Lunch
• 1:15 pm - 2:45 pm - concurrent Sessions:
  • 1. LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES: LEADING CHANGE THAT STICKS…NOT STINKS! Presented by Doug Whittle, Ph.D.
    • Let’s face it: our jobs are all about implementing and supporting change! This presentation will provide you with tools and exercises that will help you identify the stages of change on a change curve, how to recognize where you are on that curve at any given time, and most importantly, strategies and techniques to move you through the change curve in a positive and energized way. Learn how to manage yourself through change and how to support others as they also experience change. Gain a new sense of confidence and self-awareness as you learn and apply change management techniques. Go from being a change victim to a change leader—one who can successfully lead organizational change that is lasting and beneficial.
      
  • 2. DOING MORE WITH LESS Presented by Dave Merrill
    • "Life is hard. Once you accept that it gets easier." M. Scott Peck. With trends that include flat funding, skyrocketing costs and increased demand for person-centered supports, we find ourselves wondering how we can make this work in the long run. This presentation will use music and stories to explore some of our shared challenges as well as offering strategies for thriving, not just surviving.
      
  • 3. SELF-EMPLOYMENT: MY DREAM, MY BUSINESS Presented by Carrie O’Brien
    • Transcript available
  • I started my own business a year ago. I present training programs for agencies and teach self-advocacy classes. At this session, you will learn about how I got the idea for my business, the steps I went through to get my business started, and more details about my work. There will be time for questions.
    
  • 4.ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, SESSION 2: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION Presented by Debra Luecking
    • Case studies of community providers who have gone through an organizational change process to offer more community employment services will be reviewed. The case studies will illustrate the organization’s structural change, human resource distribution, financial planning, wrap-around services, and community partnering. There will be a discussion of how states are forming support networks of providers interested in managing their organizational change plan.
      
  • 5. CUSTOMIZING EMPLOYMENT: CHALLENGING FLINTSTONE PRACTICES WITH JETSON INGENUITY Presented by David Hammis
    • Using straightforward leadership, the best organizations, families and individuals among us are blending funding on local levels, forging creative partnerships, invoking self-determination and straightforward discovery processes, and streamlining their organizations to create stable, high-performing teams focused on employment outcomes. This session draws on examples from across the country to demonstrate best practice in customizing employment for adults and transition-age youth, rethinking job development, using the power of microenterprise to create economic opportunity, and illustrates that the technologies we need, we already have.
      
  • 6. A RESOURCE MAPPING EXPERIENCE IN IOWA Presented by Barb McClannahan
    • Transcript available
  • The State of Iowa is currently engaged in resource mapping activities for the purpose of improving transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. This presentation will give an overview of this initiative’s current mapping activities along with discussions of the resulting challenges and opportunities.
• 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm Break
• 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Concurrent Sessions:
  • 1. PARTNERING WITH CONSUMER ORGANIZATIONS Presented by LeGita Scott-Williams
    • This session will offer participants an overview of various consumer organizations and a look at how partnering with these organizations can enhance services for your customers. Many consumer organizations may be seen more as advocacy networks but in reality, they offer various types of services and supports that can add value to a person’s life. This session will provide information on various organizations, what services and supports they offer and how developing partnerships with these organizations can be a key resource for people with disabilities. A number of resources will be available to assist participants in connecting with consumer organizations in their area.
      
  • 2. ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, SESSION 3: LET’S TALK ABOUT IT! Presented by Debra Luecking
    • This session is designed to complement sessions 1 and 2 by providing a facilitated discussion for participants to talk about their present efforts to offer customer-centered community employment services, the hindrances (what is keeping you from providing more), and ideas or action steps to take to build a culture of change within your organization.
      
  • 3. THE SELF-DETERMINED CAREER DEVELOPMENT MODEL: ENHANCING REHABILITATION SERVICES AND COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO PROMOTE JOB AND CAREER OUTCOMES Presented by Eunice Thompson, M.S. and Jennifer Lattimore, Ph.D.
    • The Self-Determined Career Development Model (SDCDM) is a consumer-directed, problem-solving model of instruction designed to increase job and career outcomes for consumers. This presentation will cover: 1) how the Self-Determined Career Development Model (SDCDM) provides individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to improve career opportunities and maximize employment outcomes, 2) results of three model evaluations, 3) development of a model web site, 4) methods of evaluating and certifying people to implement the model, and 5) plans for transferring the model to Rehabilitation Services.
      
  • 4. SO WHERE ARE WE GOING AND HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN WE GET THERE? Presented by Teresa Grossi
    • Effective transition planning for youth requires an understanding of the requirements, expectations, and demands of the future environments and services after high school. This session will provide an overview of the postsecondary environments (college and work) and general ideas of services and activities that should be occurring during high school to prepare students and families for the future.
      
  • 5. SELF-EMPLOYMENT: MY DREAM, MY BUSINESS (REPEAT) Presented by Carrie O’Brien
    
  • 6. DOING MORE WITH LESS (REPEAT) Presented by Dave Merrill
    
• 6:00 PM - Dinner and Entertainment

Friday, April 8, 2005

• 7:30 am - 8:30 am - Continental Breakfast )
• 8:30 am - 10:15 am - Concurrent Sessions:
  • 1. VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION 101 Presented by Maureen Alexander, Don Crouch, Charles Levine, and Eunice Thompson
    • A panel of VR representatives from each of the Region 7 states will enlighten those who are unfamiliar with the role of the state vocational rehabilitation agency in providing services to individuals with disabilities. Panelists will discuss how each state approaches informed choice, order of selection, outcome-based funding, and the role of community rehabilitation programs in contracting with the state agencies. An overview of the state/federal vocational rehabilitation partnership, the Rehabilitation Act, and the status system will also be presented.
      
  • 2. CONSUMER AS PROVIDER Presented by Pat Steele and Maria Walker
    • The Consumer as Provider program is a skills training program that prepares individuals with mental illness/developmental disabilities for employment and career opportunities in the human services field. The program was developed by the University of Kansas in 1999 and is offered at several locations across that state. It has now expanded into Iowa through a partnership among Polk County Health Services, Mainstream Living, and the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center at the University of Iowa. Since the program’s inception six years ago, nearly 70% of the graduates have obtained employment. This presentation will provide information on how the program can be replicated, the key training topics addressed, and the utilization of internships to both enhance training and develop employment opportunities.
      
  • 3. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION: HOW THE ADA CAN HELP TO CREATE BEST PRACTICES Presented by Kent Johnson
    • Without training, the recruitment and retention process can be filled with legal landmines, especially those relating to disability. Familiarity with the Americans with Disabilities Act can be very advantageous in ensuring HR practices are within the law. This presentation will focus on the best practices related to ADA in recruitment and retention, including job descriptions, interviewing, selection criteria, testing, and job accommodations.
      
  • 4. SOFT SKILLS & SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT Presented by Susan Rocker
    • Fact or Myth: "Soft Skills" (i.e. communication, accepting feedback, social relationships, etc.) can make or break the success of anyone in their employment setting. This session will explore the issue of soft skills as they relate to successful and satisfying employment. Do soft skills contribute to employment success? We'll look at pertinent research information on this topic, and learn what employment professionals can offer the job seeker in regards to soft skills.
      
  • 5. THE POWER OF PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIPS Presented by Cris Rodriguez, LeAnn Bussard, George Woodward, and Michelle McCoy
    • This presentation will offer participants information on the results of a pilot initiative that supported individuals to develop career plans and gain employment. Through the use of person-centered career planning, a network of supporters, and blended funding, the average cost for each individual to secure a job or start a business was less than $500. Better yet, the average time to develop these employment opportunities was less than 10 hours. Join us for the opportunity to hear from a panel of key participants in this effort to learn how career planning, strong values, blended funding and committed supporters can increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
      
  • 6. FINDING MY OWN ROAD Presented by Teresa Grossi
    • One of the essential transition components is discovering who the person is and then determining the best future. This session will look at ways to gather information using a person-centered approach, review how portfolio assessments can aid both current and future environments, and determine ways students can direct their own IEP process. Additionally, promising practices and quality indicators of community-based instruction, work experiences and non-school based services for 18- to 21-year-olds will be reviewed.
• 10:15 am - 10:30 am Break
• 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Conference Closing remarks and closing Keynote
  • Transcript available
  • CLOSING REMARKS: Peggy Todd, Rehabilitation Admin. Director, Region VII CRP-RCEP
    
  • CLOSING KEYNOTE: LOOKING BEYOND THE CROSSROADS Presented by Steve Wooderson
    • Steve Wooderson is Administrator of the Iowa Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and has been involved in leadership development for Iowa DVRS, the Emerging Leaders Series, and chairs the Prime Study Group in the 2005 Institute on Rehabilitation Issues focusing on Leadership. His closing keynote will highlight the leadership skills we can all practice when we are looking beyond the crossroads. Knowing that change is inevitable, Steve will help us see ways to not only anticipate but to embrace change while being grounded in our daily work.
• 11:30 AM - Adjourn

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

CRP-RCEP would like to extend our gratitude to all who have helped to ensure a successful 18th Annual Issues Forum. This conference would not be possible without the cooperation and participation of our Issues Forum speakers, Task Force

SPEAKERS

Maureen Alexander, Paul Andrew, LeAnn Bussard, Jim Chastain, Don Crouch, Patricia Doherty, Teresa Grossi, David Hammis, Rob Hoffman, Geri Jewell, Kent Johnson, Jasen Jones, Kathy Lambert, Jennifer Lattimore, Ph.D., Charles Levine, Debra Luecking, Ed.D., Barbara McClannahan, Michelle McCoy, Dave Merrill, Bill Mekemson, George Nostrand, Carrie O'Brien, Kevin Rainwater, Susan Rocker, Cris Rodriguez, LeGita Scott-Williams, Pat Steele, Eunice Thompson, Bill Vaughn, Maria Walker, Doug Whittle, Ph.D., Darla Wilkerson, Claudia Wilson, Steve Wooderson, George Woodward

TASK FORCE MEMBERS

Maureen Alexander, Bridget Hartmann, Kevin Rainwater, Marlin Roberts, Susan Rocker, Sharon Spratt, Pat Steele, Eunice Thompson, Steve Wooderson

Thank you to our customers as well for your dedication, motivation, and commitment to community participation and integrated employment for people with disabilities.

Last updated February 1, 2008
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