disAbility MegaConference

Knowledge ♦ Hope ♦ Choice ♦ Fulfillment

June 12-13, 2014 Marriott Jackson

The Mississippi disAbility MegaConference brings together hundreds of individuals with disabilities, family members, and

professionals to share best practices, provide training, and inspire innovation among attendees.

Acknowledgements Page 3

General Conference Info Page 4

Continuing Education Page 5

Conference Schedule At-A-Glance Page 6-7

Letter from Governor Bryant Page 8

Welcome & Plenary Session Page 9

Breakout Sessions 1 Page 9-10

Breakout Sessions 2 Page 10-11

Thursday Night Gala Page 11

Breakout Sessions 3 Page 11-12

Breakout Sessions 4 Page 12-13

Sponsors Page 14

Exhibitors Page 15

Biography of Speakers Page 16

Notes Page 17-18

Hotel Map Page 19

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

2014 Mississippi disAbility MegaConference

Planning Organizations

3

General Information

Accessibility Issues: Please contact the main registration table for any issues related to accessibility of your rooms or the conference venue. The Marriott has free accessible parking for MOST attendees. However, parking meters have been reserved for those with high ceiling vans that will not fit into the garage. Please look for LIFE of MS staff, who will be on the curb for assistance in locating these. Cell Phone Etiquette: We respectfully request that you show courtesy to your presenters and fellow conference attendees. Please silence your cell phones during workshop and plenary sessions. Conference Buddies: Please notify the registration table if you wish to request a conference buddy. Conference Evaluations: We sincerely value your feedback. Please complete the general conference evaluation in your conference folder and return it to the Registration area by 11: 30 a.m. Friday to get a chance to win a special door prize. Continuing Education: See page 5 for details. You are responsible for registering and turning in the required paperwork to obtain credits. Equipment Issues: We are sharing IT responsibilities with the hotel. Please notify a conference staff member immediately if you experience any issues with equipment including microphones, computers, projectors, etc. We will direct your issue to the appropriate person. Exhibits: The exhibitors throughout the Mezzanine help make this conference possible. Please stop by and talk to them, thank them, and, where possible, use their services in the future. Get your exhibitor bingo card signed, turn it in by 11:30 Friday and get a ticket for a special door prize drawing. Exhibit Tables in the Ballroom are for agencies involved in planning and hosting the confer-ence. They may not always be staffed, but please stop by for useful information. Hang Out Room: Need to rest, chill out or hang out with friends? We have a hang out room for adults of all ages who need to take a break from the hectic pace of conference sessions. Check out the Canterbury Room for games, conversation and hanging out. A special “thank you” to the staff of LIFE of MS for making this room possible. Parking: Parking in the hotel garage is free for all conference participants. If you are not staying at the hotel, check at the registration desk for a parking pass. If you have issues related to accessible parking, see notes under “accessibility” above. Respite: Respite activities are provided in Winston I and II for children with disabilities who are pre-registered. This year’s theme is “Camp Hollywood”. Thanks to the many volunteers who are sharing their time and talents with our young ones.

4

Continuing Education

The educational portion of this activity is presented by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health,

Division of Professional Development. Continuing education is a separate registration which is required at

the beginning of the conference.

The Department of Mental Health, Division of Professional Development is approved as a provider

(#SWB120008) by the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family

Therapists. The Division maintains responsibility for the educational program. Social Workers may

receive up to 4 hours for full attendance/successful completion in this course.

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Division of Professional Licensure and Certification which is

an approver of continuing education for Certified/Licensed Mental Health Therapists, Certified/Licensed

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Therapists, Licensed DMH Administrators, Certified Community

Support Specialists, Certified/Licensed DMH Addictions Therapists and Certified Peer Support Specialists.

Continuing education has been applied for through Jackson State University for .4 CEUs.

Continuation education has been approved through the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor

Certification for 4 hours.

Continuing Legal Education

Application has been approved by the Mississippi Bar for Continuing Legal Education credit for three hours.

The following sessions qualify: Session 1b, “Social Security Disability Work Incentives,” Session 3c “The

EEOC, the ADA, and Self-Advocacy for Employment,” and Session 4a “Medicaid Advocacy Overview and

Updates.”

Discipline Hours

DMH Mental Health Therapist 4

DMH IDD Therapists 4

DMH Licensed Administrators 4

DMH Certified Peer Support Specialists 4

Social Workers 4

Education (JSU) .4 CEUs ($20)

Certified Rehabilitation Counselors 4

5

Conference At-A-Glance

Wednesday June 11, 2014

6—8 pm: Conference Registration

Thursday, June 12, 2014

7:30 am: Registration Begins

8 am: Continental Breakfast

Father, Mother and Sibling Breakfast Discussions “Camp Hollywood” Respite Begins (Ends at 4:00 pm) “Hang Out” Room opens

9 - 10:30 am: Welcome and Plenary Sessions

10:30 - 11 am: Morning Break

11 am - 12 noon: Breakout Session 1

1a: “Using Bluetooth in Assistive Technology” 1b: “Social Security Disability Work Incentives and Plans to Achieve Self Support” 1c: “Navigating the MS Community Resource Database” 1d: “Domestic Violence and Disabilities; Recognizing Abuse”

12:30 - 2:30 pm: Seated Lunch and Awards Ceremony

2:45 pm - 3:45 pm: Breakout Session 2

2a: “Power Wheelchairs and Integrated Controls” 2b: “Overcoming the Wall” to Employment 2c: “Effective Advocacy Skills for Parents” 2d: “Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy”

3:45 - 6 pm: Free Time— Dinner on Your Own

4 pm: Respite Ends

6 pm - 9:30 pm: Evening Celebration with Entertainment & Dancing

6

General Information: In the registration bags, each conference participant will find a door prize ticket. Hold on to it! Matching tickets will be pulled at various times, and if your number is called and you are present, you will win a prize! Listen closely and good luck to all! In each registration bag is also an exhibitor BINGO card. Have each exhibitor's representative sign their appropriate space on the BINGO card and turn it in by 11:30 a.m. Friday. This will earn you a ticket for the mega-door prize which will be awarded after the final session on Friday. Please let a volunteer know if you have questions. Turn in your conference evaluation form by 11:30 Friday and you will get a chance for another special door prize.

The planning committee would like to thank the individuals and companies who donated items for door prizes.

Friday, June 13, 2014

7:30 am: Continental Breakfast

8 am: “Camp Hollywood” Respite Begins (Ends at 12:15 p.m.)

8:15 am - 9:15 am: Breakout Session 3

3a: “MS Medicaid - Overview and Updates” 3b: “Housing Issues and Options for People with Disabilities” 3c: “The EEOC, the ADA and Self-Advocacy for Employment” 3d: “MS Special Education Overview and Updates”

9:15 am - 9:45 am: Break

9:45 am - 10:45 am: Breakout Session 4

4a: “Medicaid Advocacy Overview and Updates” 4b: “Pathways to Employment for School Transition Students and Adults” 4c: “Inclusive Child Care for Young Children with Disabilities” 4d: “Building Community Capacity through Crisis Intervention”

11:15 am - 12:15 pm: Closing Plenary

12:15 pm: Respite Ends

12:15 pm: Hang Out Room Closes

7

8

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

7:30 am Registration Opens Mezzanine

8 am Continental Breakfast

Mother, Father and Sibling Breakfast Roundtable Discussions Windsor

II , III

8 am “Camp Hollywood” Respite Begins

Registration Required Winston I, II

9–10:30 am

Welcome and Plenary Sessions Conference Emcee: Matt Nalker, The Arc of MS

Welcome by: Aaron Banks, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for The City of Jackson

“Systems Change One Person at a Time” Dr. Ellen Gillespie, Introduced by Ms. Ann Maclaine

Learn about the unique qualities of MS that can be positive influences in making progress in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.

“Telling Our Stories” Self Advocates Panel : Watson & Pam Dollar, Adam Pates,

David Connell, Kendrick Kennedy

Windsor I, II, III

10:30 - 11:00 am Morning Break Sponsored by: Mississippi Dept. of Rehab Services

Breakout Sessions 1: 11 am—12 noon

1a Churchill I, II

“Using Bluetooth in Assistive Technology” — Ashley Nicole Flowers, Institute for Disability Studies Technology Learning Center Have you ever thought of Bluetooth being used in assistive technology? Bluetooth is a common wireless communicator that allows data to be transferred between two or more electronic devices. As assistive technology, it can be used in iPads, headsets, tablets, Blue2Switches, computer software, and mobile devices. Bluetooth allows children and adolescents with disabilities an alternative way to communicate.

1b

“Social Security Disability Work Incentives” “Plans to Achieve Self Support” Lora Richardson and Jodie Oakes, Social Security Administration

This session will provide valuable information on Social Security work incentives, how work affects benefits, and how work related needs can be funded with the use of PASS for persons with disabilities seeking to return to work. Includes information on the potential to get items and services that may not be covered by Vocational Rehabilitation.

Windsor I

Thursday, June 12, 2014

6 — 8 pm Registration Begins Mezzanine

9

1c

“Resources at Your Fingertips: Navigating the MS Community Resource Directory” — Cindy Singletary, Disability Rights Mississippi

This session will introduce Mississippi’s first state-wide fully online resource directory. The speaker will provide a demonstration of the features of the Mississippi Community Resource Directory (MSCRD) and discuss how it can help case managers, intake specialists, and individuals easily locate resources.

Windsor IV, V

1d

“Domestic Violence and Disabilities; Recognizing Abuse” — Wendy Mahoney & Debrynda Davey, MS Coalition Against Domestic Violence

This session will provide insight information into the dynamics of domestic violence. Participants will learn about the prevalence of abuse; types of abuse; cycle of abuse; and the vulnerability of individuals with disabilities in the face of abuse. Prevention and intervention strategies are vital to end abuse; therefore practical tools will be discussed.

Surrey I, II

12:30

to

2:30 pm

Lunch sponsored by: Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities

Keynote Speaker — Nicole Marquez Nicole knows about adversity. She also knows how to turn adversity into success. Her amazing story of perseverance and hope has inspired thousands across the country, and soon she will be taking her story to Canada. Her motto is: “You Can’t Stop this Dancer.” Once you here her presentation, you will understand why.

Presentation of Awards by LIFE of MS & The Arc of MS

Windsor I, II, III

Breakout Sessions 2: 2:45 pm—3:45 pm

2a

“Power Wheelchairs and Integrated Controls” — Allison Fracchia and George W. Gober, Methodist Rehabilitation Center

The session provides an overview of the modern interfaces and how the concept of “integrated controls” is changing the capabilities of power wheelchair electronic packages. Examples of technology that will be used to demonstrate these interfaces will include ECU, infrared phone and consumer devices, computers, and iDevices.

Windsor IV, V

2b

“’Overcoming the Wall to Employment” — John Lyons, North MS Regional Center

This session provides information and strategies for securing employment for individuals with disabilities, particularly intellectual and developmental disabilities. The presentation will be based on results to date from a grant awarded to NMRC from the MS Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Churchill I, II

2c

“Effective Advocacy Skills for Parents” — Leslie Junkin, MS Parent Training and Information Center

This presentation teaches parents how to be effective advocates for their children. This presentation provides tips on communication, documentation, and tips to learn key skills in advocacy for yourself or your child.

Windsor I

10

2d

“Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy” — Lee Jenkins, Brain Injury Association of MS Tress Townsend, Epilepsy Foundation

This presentation will provide a general overview of traumatic brain injury, its incidence, risk factors, causes and treatment options. The Continuum of Care model will be presented to demonstrate what is needed for optimum rehabilitation after sustaining a TBI. Information about epilepsy and seizure conditions will also be shared.

Surrey I, II

3:45 — 6 pm Free Time; Dinner on Your Own

Respite and Hang Out Rooms will close at 4 pm.

6 pm

“Dance, Dance, Dance” Gala

The evening festivities will be led by our exuberant DJ, “Ice Dog” with featured dancers from the Salsa Mississippi Dance Studio and

the Silver Sneakers.

There will be light hors d’oeuvres, soft drinks and a cash bar for your convenience!

Windsor I, II, III

Friday, June 13, 2014

7:30 am Continental Breakfast Mezzanine

8 am “Camp Hollywood” Respite Opens Winston I, II

Breakout Sessions 3: 8:15 am – 9:15 am

3a

“MS Medicaid - Overview and Updates” — Dr. David J. Dzielak, Director of MS Division of Medicaid

The session provides an overview of the history of Medicaid and what populations Medicaid covers. Will discuss current enrollment and the implications and effects of the Affordable Care Act on the MS Division of Medicaid’s operations.

Windsor I

3b

“Housing Issues and Options for People with Disabilities” — Gretchen Leake & Heather Steele, Institute for Disability Studies, University of Southern Mississippi

This presentation will examine the reasons behind the changing trends in homelessness with a specific focus on how this affects veterans and individuals with disabilities. It will also address the difficulties faced by people with disabilities in obtaining housing and discuss resources and strategies to secure housing. Information will also be provided regarding the Home of Your Own Program, including available counseling services and down payment assistance for persons with disabilities.

Surrey I, II

11

3d

“MS Special Education Overview and Updates” - Gretchen Cagle, MS Department of Education, Director of Special Education

This presentation will provide updates on initiatives from the Office of Special Education at the MS Department of Education. Standards-Based IEPs, IEP facilitation, and Dynamic Learning Maps are just a few of the topics that will be covered. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of the Speaker, who was recently appointed as the State Director of Special Education.

Churchill I, II

9:15 — 9:45 am: Morning Break – Sponsored by: Bath Planet

Breakout Sessions 4: 9:45 am – 10:45 am

4a

“Medicaid Advocacy Overview and Updates” — Andrew Canter, Southern Poverty Law Center and Ann Maclaine, Disability Rights MS

Attorneys with experience in Medicaid Advocacy will provide information and updates affecting individuals with disabilities, including rights of Medicaid eligible children to mental health services under the EPSDT provisions of the Medicaid Act, recent updates to various Medicaid Waivers and beneficiaries due process rights.

Windsor I

4b

“Pathways to Employment for School Transition Students and Adults” Mike Montgomery, The Arc of MS; Lou Ellen McDonald, MS Department of Rehabilitation Services & Velma Martin, Jackson Public Schools.

This presentation is designed to provide information regarding the use of Customized Employment for students and adults. The speakers will provide an overview of how to design off campus work experiences for transition age students as well as steps of Customized Employment for adults.

Windsor IV, V

4c

“Inclusive child care for young children with disabilities” — Nicole Briceno, Institute for Disability Studies, Univ. of Southern MS

This presentation will discuss inclusion of children birth to five in the preschool setting. Participants will gain knowledge on how to set up and look for high quality inclusive settings in MS. Participants will learn the basic principle of Universal Design for Learning Guidelines and how they relate to the education of young children. This will give preschool teachers a better understanding of how to include all children and parents will gain information on how to best advocate for their child in an early learning setting.

Surrey I, II

3c

“The EEOC, the ADA, and Self-Advocacy for Employment” — Eddi Daniel Abdulhaqq, Equal Employment Opportunity Com. Andy Imparato, Association of University Centers on Disabilities

The presentation will provide an Overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, regarding employment. It will include definitions of disability, reasonable accommodations, and undue hardship, and discussion of whether individuals must self-identify. The speakers will also encourage discussion of various situations, and share tips for practical employment self-advocacy for people with disabilities, as well as updates on new federal regulations on hiring by federal contractors.

Windsor IV, V

12

Breakout Sessions 4: Continued

4d

“Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model; Building Community Capacity through Crisis Intervention” — Spencer Blalock, Central MS Regional Center, Chief Deputy Ward, Calhoun, & Amy Bishop, LMFT

Law enforcement has limited resources to properly help individuals in crisis. Jail has become the alternative if emergency rooms are not able to meet an individual’s needs. This presentation highlights how a group of community agencies have come together to intervene with individuals in crisis using the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model and tips for creating something similar in other communities.

Churchill I, II

11:15 am — 12:15 pm

Closing Plenary: Windsor I, II, III

“ What's Next for Disability Policy? Leveraging the Milestone Anniversaries of ADA and IDEA to Refresh the Disability Agenda”

Keynote Speaker: Andy Imparato, Executive Director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Introduced by: Dr. Royal Walker, Jr.

Final Door Prizes Announced / Camp Hollywood Respite ends at 12:15 pm.

A Huge Thank You to the Camp Hollywood Respite Committee

Nickey Kirkwood, ABLE Ashley Smith, The Partnership for a Healthy MS

Shawn Smith, MS Parent Training Information Center Hollia Thompson, The ARC of MS

SONBEAMS—Volunteers

We would also like to thank everyone who worked or volunteered in the “Hang Out” Room. Augusta Smith with LIFE of MS and her staff have done a great job

to ensure that everyone has an awesome time!

13

On behalf of all participants, volunteers and exhibitors of the Mississippi disAbility MegaConference, the planning committee would like to thank the following sponsors:

Thursday Morning Breakfast Sponsor

Thursday Lunch Sponsor

Thursday Morning Break Sponsor

Gala Sponsor

Friday Morning

Breakfast Sponsor Friday Morning

Break Sponsor 14

We would like to thank all exhibitors for supporting the Mississippi disAbility MegaConference!

15

Dr. Ellen Gillespie

Dr. Ellen Gillespie recently retired as the Executive Director of the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program at the University of Alabama. She lives in Birmingham, AL, and her family farm near Sherman, MS. Ellen grew up in Lee County and graduated from Belden High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in speech and a master’s degree in special education from Ole Miss. She earned a Ph.D. in Special Education and Human Services Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ellen’s career spans over 40 years of working for people with disabilities. Her first job was as a teacher at the North MS Regional Center in Oxford. She has held leadership positions in Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia, and Alabama. She is most proud of having been the director of the first institution in Alabama for people with disabilities which closed in 1996 by moving all residents back into the community. Since then, with the combined advocacy of many, all institutions in Alabama for people with intellectual disabilities have closed, as have most hospitals for people with mental illness.

Ellen believes in appreciating and celebrating all our differences, in planning that is truly person-centered, and in working tirelessly to make sure everyone enjoys a good quality of life in the community, regardless of ability.

Nicole Marquez

Nicole Marquez always knew she wanted to dance, and she wanted to touch audiences in a special way. In dance classes from the age of three, Nicole was cast in the Emmy Award-winning children’s show when she was ten. In high school, Nicole worked in theatre, TV and radio. She had a radio program called Nic’s Picks: What’s Hot and What’s Not and she did a teen news report on WLBT-TV, the NBC affiliate in Jackson, MS. Nicole did some pretty extraordinary things herself, including dancing in a national Coca-Cola commercial, hosting a documentary series on teen smoking, being crowned the “Reina Latina” at the Mississippi Hispanic Festival and she was featured in an article for Teen People magazine. She graduated from St. Joseph Catholic School in 2001.

Nicole attended the University of Southern MS, with a major in theatre and minor in dance. While in college, Nicole was an intern for the American Dance Festival at Duke University in Durham, NC. After college, she did two acting apprenticeships: the Berkshire Summer Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA, and the Actor’s Theatre in Louisville, KY.

After graduation, Nicole worked as a production assistant on two national children’s shows. Between the Lions, and Lomax: The Hound of Music. She was also the assistant director for You Gotta Move, a video dance series used in elementary schools. In January 2008, Nicole move to NY. She continued her training in dance, theatre and voice while getting her certification in Pilates. She worked as a personal trainer at the Cornell Fitness Center, which allowed her freedom to audition for Broadway.

On Aug. 29, 2008, Nicole got locked out of her apartment and went to the roof, hoping to climb down the fire escape to her bedroom window, but decided it was a bad idea. The next thing she remembers is waking up in a hospital room. While Nicole’s life is different from the one she once dreamed for herself, it is still rich and fulfilling. She is dancing again, but in a different way. She does choreography for college dance students, and she does a good bit of extra work in movies and television shows, primarily in New Orleans. Nicole also has a strong motivational speaking career, sharing her message of perseverance, determination faith and hope with groups of all ages around the country.

Andy Imparato

Andrew J. (Andy) Imparato is the Executive Director of Association of University Centers on Disabilities. He came to AUCD from the position of Senior Counsel and Disability Policy Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. Other past experiences include serving as President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), General Counsel and Director of Policy for the National Council on Disability, an attorney advisor with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, and a staff attorney with the Disability Law Center in Boston, Massachusetts

Mr. Imparato brings together his vast legal and policy knowledge with his own experiences as a person with a disability who has many insights about self-advocacy to share with conference attendees. In addition to his keynote address Friday, June 13th, at 11:15 a.m., Mr. Imparato will co-present a workshop on the “EEOC, the ADA, and Self-Advocacy For Employment” beginning at 8:15 that morning.

Speaker’s Biography

16

NOTES

17

NOTES

18

19