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7:00 - 8:00
Networking Breakfast
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8:00 - 8:30
Awards
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8:45 - 9:45
Public Advocacy: Your Voice and Message Matter
Audience participants will hear about strategies for having your message heard by public officials. These include three primary areas: knowing your audience, scheduling, and messaging regarding the issues presented for consideration and action. This presentation also considers balancing education and awareness regarding general professional identity with the specific and particular issues you’re advocating for. This presentation also incorporates the NRA and MRA position information for audience consideration.
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8:45 - 9:45
Legalized Marijuana In Michigan- Impacts of Rehabilitation
This workshop will provide participants with up to date information on legalized marijuana in Michigan with and in-depth discussion identifying the impacts of rehabilitation and a brief overview of the employment, social, and economic impacts.
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8:45 - 9:45
The Access to Better Living and Employment (ABLE) Program
Access to Better Living and Employment (ABLE) is an independent living and employment program that is geared towards assisting individuals with mental health or psychiatric disabilities gain skills and tools to assist them with living better and managing their conditions, to be better suited for employment pursuits in the future. Topics this program covers are disability awareness, stress management, coping skills, life management skills, self-care, stigma, advocacy, community resources and supports, and work readiness. This program focuses around the idea that to live better and work better, an individual needs to learn skills that will assist them in discovering their strengths, triggers and what supports they need to be able to live their best life overall. The program is best suited for adults (ages 18-65) who have a diagnosis of a mental health or psychiatric disability who are not ready for traditional employment services and need assistance identifying areas to improve upon as they try to work to live better and thus eventually work better.
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8:45 - 9:45
Amazon- A Roadmap to partnering with Big Business to employ differently abled job seekers.
This session will cover Amazon’s approach to partnering with non-profits to employ individuals with disabilities. We will discuss the staffing, preparation activities, marketing, launch readiness steps along with several technologies employed to ensure program success.
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Ethical Dilemmas of Working With Students
Working with students with disabilities can present challenges and ethical dilemmas while providing support services. Ethical dilemmas can arise from the involvement of parents or guardians, collaboration between agencies and stakeholders, and from the provision of accommodations within a post-secondary setting. This session will focus on how to identify potential ethical dilemmas and strategies for resolving them when considering the CRC Code of Ethics. We will examine case studies to put the Code into practice.
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10:00 - 11:00
Unconscious Bias: Overcoming Ethical Obstacles While Increasing Multi-Cultural Competencies
This session will assist rehabilitation professionals in overcoming ethical obstacles involving unconscious bias by increasing multi-cultural competencies and providing “best practices” in accordance with the CRCC Code of Ethics. Many clients with disabilities are impacted by unconscious bias in the workplace and within service settings such as ours. We have an ethical obligation to reduce our unconscious bias, so as not to serve as an additional barrier to clients obtaining gainful employment or putting your professional relationship at risk. This interactive presentation will demonstrate how to overcome this obstacle including, but not limited to: differentiating conscious versus unconscious bias, various examples of unconscious bias, identifying ethical risks and implications for professionals, tangible methods to identify and address our own unconscious bias, etc. We will end with a facilitated discussion because hearing from other professionals within the field is the best way to find new ideas and resources for assisting our clients, both consumers and employers.
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10:00 - 11:00
Navigating Collaboratively through the implementation of WIOA
Since the implementation of WIOA the state vocational rehabilitation program (VR) has been adjusting, aligning and complying with the newer regulations. Change sometimes causes fear and uncertainty in moving forward. This presentation will focus on the case scenarios in which the State VR, Community Partners, Businesses and the Client Customers have worked collaboratively together to move forward to embrace the sprit of WIOA. Presenters will share their challenges, roles and responsibilities, and identify effective streamline processes for all stakeholders.
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10:00 - 11:00
Understanding What it means to have Benefits Counseling completed by a Certified CWIC
This session will explain the training that a trained CWIC goes through and the importance to connect with someone that has been through the Virginia Commonwealth University’s training. CWIC’s are required to maintain and have on-going training on both a federal and state level. In Michigan, it’s important to be aware of how a person who is providing Benefit Counseling is trained when referring a customer for Benefits Counseling.
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10:00 - 11:00
Can You Hear Me Now? Workplace Accommodations for Individuals with Hearing Loss
According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, approximately forty-eight million Americans report some degree of hearing loss. Of these, sixty percent are either in the workplace or an educational setting. This presentation will address some of the barriers in the workplace facing individuals with hearing loss and share case scenarios highlighting accommodations, strategies, and technology to overcome those barriers. The presentations will also give the participants an opportunity to problem solve through a case scenario and network with other participants in attendance.
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10:00 - 11:00
Supported Employment as a Step to Long Term Vocational Success
This session is going to look at the benefits of supported employment programs as a lunching point for future vocational success. We will explore client goals, an overview of supported employment, a customized approach to the rehabilitation process along with the benefits of client participation within supported employment. We explore the benefits of client centered planning and a work program designed to meet client specific needs. We wrap up with an interactive review of case study examples.
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10:00 - 11:00
The story of transitions: A leadership perspective
This interactive presentation will guide participants to explore transitions in the context of leadership. The topic will be explored from a practice informed perspective. Participants will discuss the similarities and differences between traditional transition program focus, caregiver, and consumer expectations. They will also examine seven principles for successfully navigating the transition and will be asked to share their own guiding principles and the implications for their practice.
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11:00 - 11:30
Microenterprise Marketplace
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11:30 - 1:00
Lunch with BOOM Awards
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1:15 - 2:15
Improving your workplace satisfaction and performance despite all the demands and distractions.
Your work environment and performance need not suffer because of the demands of your job. This interactive workshop will help you develop constructive strategies for providing vocational rehabilitation services in an ever changing regulatory environment. Whether you are working with a new supervisor, co-workers or customers, learn how to avoid common pitfalls that can zap your energy and diminish your delivery of good customer service.
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1:15 - 2:15
Living Well in Michigan: An Evidenced Based Intervention
Individuals with disabilities are at a higher risk of developing secondary health conditions and struggle with participating in health promotion programs. That changed with the actualization of Living Well with a Disability. With a 30+ year history and now recognized as an evidenced based chronic disease self-management tool; the 10-week curriculum focuses on goal setting, health living and self-advocacy. The program was designed with and for people with disabilities and has shown to be an empowering and cost-effective intervention. For Centers for Independent Living, it has been a great way to make first contact with individuals and often resulting in follow up contacts regarding food assistance, insurance and accommodations.
With funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Living Well is now in Michigan focusing on seniors and individuals with disabilities in low-income housing along with caregivers. This year a new partner; health care providers joined the efforts. The team will discuss their roles, outcomes and the future; including sustainability options.
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1:15 - 2:15
What are ACEs and Why are they Important?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are hyper-stressful, traumatic events experienced in a child’s or adolescent’s life. ACEs very common and most Americans have at least one, they can happen to anyone. The experiences and environments during our childhood and developing years have a tremendous, lifelong impact on our health, ability to learn and the quality of our lives – as they can alter the architecture of our developing brain and body. The ACE Study showed dramatic links between adverse childhood experiences and risky behavior, psychological issues, serious illness and the leading causes of death. Looking upstream, the science also positively affirms what is predictable is preventable! Each of us has the potential to reduce ACEs and build Resilience that will lead to better lifelong outcomes. Together, we can grow a thriving and healthy community family tree for generations to come.
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1:15 - 2:15
Hiring People With Disabilities: The Tangible and Intangible benefits
Hiring people with disabilities can be a win-win situation for employers. Besides acquiring trained and motivated employees, organizations can reap other benefits as well. Increased employee morale, positive PR and coaches to assist in task management are just a few examples. This presentation will look at real life examples from the world of sports and entertainment.
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1:15 - 2:15
Challenge Accepted: It really does take a village! When partners work together, students succeed.
Can a government agency, non-profit, for-profit, and university successfully work together? Yes! Come and find out how! This presentation will share how all these entities have come together to create and provide programming and services for transition students. This will focus on the strengths and challenges of collaboration, how to implement, how to maintain a positive relationship between all these partners, and ultimately how to help our students. Information will be provided on how we came together to create a new and exciting program covering all five required pre-ets categories. Discussion about your own collaborations will be welcomed so ideas can be shared with all participants.
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2:30 - 3:30
Why Mentoring Matters
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2:30 - 3:30
Employment First in Michigan: 2019 Update
An overview of the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Network 2019 report will highlight detailed data summaries and descriptions of initiatives undertaken since 2014. While the environment is improving for Michigan adults with developmental disabilities and/or dual diagnosis, employment remains persistently low despite marketable skills and a true desire to work. Data will be available to compare PIHP and CMHSP performance in this area.
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2:30 - 3:30
Sole Proprietorship for People with Disabilities
Exploring Sole Proprietorship from an Autistic Individuals perspective. Sharing What Michael's experience in Sole Proprietorship has been like. Will be discussing what individuals with disabilities (Autism) may gain by venturing into a Sole Proprietorship, as opposed to seeking an occupation from traditional means.
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2:30 - 3:30
Agriculture: A work option for people with disabilities
Agriculture can be a viable work option for people with disabilities. The AgrAbility program is a non-profit that helps farm workers statewide who have disabling injuries or illnesses. We provide direct services at the farm site to research and develop assistive technology solutions that will enable workers to continue their gainful employment. In other situations we provide assistive technology planning services to veterans returning from the services or other people with disabilities who would like to start farming and need to know how they could do the work.
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2:30 - 3:30
MRS Innovation Projects Highlights
In fiscal year 2018/2019, the MRS Innovation Unit made available case service dollars to local MRS offices that submitted proposals addressing at least one of these strategic focus areas: Maximize the Integration of Business and Consumers as Our Dual Customers, Provision and Expansion of Pre-Employment Transition Services, Consistent Achievement of Competitive Integrated Employment Outcomes, and Collaboration and Alignment with Core, Essential, and Primary Strategic Partners. The approved projects included promoting small business, pre-employment transition services, ex-offender re-training, post-secondary supports and business outreach. The Innovation team along with field staff currently implementing the projects will be part of the panel for this presentation. Project highlights and intended outcomes will be shared. Join us for an interactive discussion with time allotted for audience questions and answers.
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2:30 - 3:30
Pre-Employment to Competitive: Connecting the Dots to a Job with Michigan Rehabilitation Services
Do you need to learn about how Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) can lead to successful Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) outcomes? The Ann Arbor Transition Team will begin with a quick review of the basics, including review of the Prior-to-Application (PTA) case type, how to enroll students, identifying needed services and creating plans for next steps. From there, the team will dive deeper and attendees will learn about establishing an effective team concept that works to highlight meaningful Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) that supports the students' transition to individualized services. This presentation hopes to give insight on how counselors make their collaborative effort work in conjunction with the multitude of stakeholders to help youth with disabilities secure competitive, unsubsidized employment in communities throughout Michigan.
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3:30 - 4:15
Exhibitor Finale with Prize Drawings
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4:30
MRA Annual Meeting
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5:00
MARO Leadership Academy Event
12:00 - 2:00Ethics and Mental Health Diagnosis
12:00 - 2:00Rate Restructuring- Employment FirstA national perspective on VBP and Michigan-specific info Recognition of the trend toward outcome oriented reimbursement models in healthcare in general, including behavioral health; and then refining the focus to emphasize employment. An outline of the CMHs that have received TA, an update on the status of implementation, including incentives for acuity, wage levels, and hours worked - and close with Lisa's perspective on how this initiative will advance the goals of Employment First.
2:30 - 4:30Building a Dream, Making it Yours - Person Centered Planning and Dream NightThis session will provide the audience with an overview of person centered planning, how to get involvement from focus individuals and their support team, and a step-by-step walkthrough on how to conduct a "Dream Night" using an adapted version of the Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH) process.
