Last updated: 4/17/08

**information subject to change** Key to Available Continuing Education: CLE -- Legal (Continuing Legal Education) CRC -- Rehab Counselors (Certified Rehabilitation Counselors) NASW -- Social Work (National Association of Social Workers) PAL (Passport to Advocacy Learning) COM -- Communications Skills ORG -- Organizational Skills COS -- Community Organizing Skills ADV -- Advocacy Skills SLS -- Substantive Legal Skills CC -- Cultural Competence TECH -- Technology

 

Monday, June 2, 2008

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

  

School to Prison Pipeline Reform   Studio 6

 

Courtney Bowie, Staff Attorney, Mississippi Youth Justice Project/

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

James E. Comstock-Galagan, Southern Disability Law Center

Daniel Losen, Consultant

Ronald K. Lospennato, Director, School to Prison Reform Project

Marlene Sallo, Attorney, Education Team, Advocacy Center for Persons with

Disabilities (FL P&A)

Jeffrey Spitzer-Resnick, Managing Attorney, Disability Rights Wisconsin

Judith ("Judie") Storandt, Senior Staff Attorney, National Disability Rights Network

Steven C. Teske, Judge, Clayton County Juvenile Court

 

Participants will learn about the School-to-Prison-Pipeline (STPP) that contributes to the disproportionate number of children and youth with disabilities coming into contact with juvenile and criminal justice systems. Contributing factors to this problem and a variety of advocacy strategies to address it will be discussed, including leveraging special education rights via group administrative complaints, systemic litigation, push-back strategies in juvenile courts, legislative advocacy, and other approaches. Throughout the day participants will engage in activities focused on drafting an Action Plan specific to their jurisdictions for engaging in targeted initiatives to combat the STPP problem. Participants should possess basic knowledge of special education and related rights of children with disabilities (e.g. have completed the TASC IDEA 101 webcast series available at http://www.ndrn.org/TASC/issues/edu/Default.htm).

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the scope of the STPP problem and contributing factors in their jurisdictions.
2. Identify a range of strategies that their P&A might use to combat the STPP problem in their jurisdiction.
3. Apply this knowledge to specific circumstances in their jurisdictions through a series of guided exercises focused on drafting an Action Plan that can be implemented by their P&A.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, June 2, 2008

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

  

PAIMI Advisory Council Training   Studio 7

  

Lance Baker, PAIMI Council Member, Iowa Protection & Advocacy (IA P&A)

Arthur Cutler, Organization Development Manager, National Disability Rights Network

Carrie Czerwinski, PAIMI Chair, Office of the P&A for Persons with

Disabilities (CT P&A)

Gretchen Rohr, Staff Attorney/Jail Advocacy Project Director, University Legal

Services (DC P&A)

Nainan Thomas, Public Health Advisor, CMHS

Sakena McWright, Outreach Advocacy Specialist, National Disability Rights Network

Tyrone Waters, Oregon PAIMI Advisory Council, Oregon Advocacy Center

Susan Werboff, PAIMI Program Director, Office of P&A for Persons with Disabilities

Tracie Zavatsky, Former PAIMI Vice Chair, Office of the P&A for Persons

with Disabilities (CT P&A)

 

The PAIMI Council Training provides a forum for PAIMI Chairs, members of the Council and Coordinators to come together to discuss those issues affecting the PAIMI community. This year’s training will focus on criminal justice and the varying aspects as it relates to the PAIMI Community. Through activities, presentations, and discussion participants will have the opportunity to look at different and exciting initiatives being done by PAIMI Councils around the country.

 

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand of the roles and responsibilities of a PAIMI Council.
2. Develop knowledge of best practices in engaging your PAIMI Council in connecting with the community.
3. Recognize the disparities in the Criminal Justice System in relation to individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

 

 

Monday, June 2, 2008

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

  

Investigative Interviewing   Studio 9

 

Julia Barker, Consultant, National Children’s Advocacy Center

Jane Hudson, Senior Staff Attorney, National Disability Rights Network

Linda Steele, Consultant, National Children's Advocacy Center

 

This training is specifically designed for child interviewers who have responsibility for initial investigative interviews. In this course, the attendee will experience immersion in the latest research-based information on interviewing techniques, taught by nationally recognized trainers from the National Children's Advocacy Center. The workshop will include training on the NCAC Forensic Interview Structure, basic interviewing skills, maintaining rapport, and interview strategies with respect to active and reluctant disclosure.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn basic forensic interviewing skills, including questioning, maintaining rapport, developmental stages, and both active and reluctant disclosure.
2. Apply these skills to interviewing youth with mental illness in abuse and neglect investigations.
3. Improve interviewing skills with an emphasis on interviewing young African American children.

 

 

Monday, June 2, 2008

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

  

Legal Directors Meeting   Studio 4/5

 

Nancy Alisberg, Legal Director, Office of P&A for Persons with Disabilities (CT P&A)

Curt Decker, Executive Director, National Disability Rights Network

Janice Johnson Hunter, Deputy Executive Director for Legal Services,

National Disability Rights Network

Archie Jennings, Legal Director, Disability Rights Center of Virgin Islands

Steven Schwartz, Executive Director, Center for Public Representation

Barry Taylor, Legal Director, Equip for Equality (IL P&A)

James Tucker, Litigation Director, Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program

Nachama Wilker, Deputy Executive Director for Training & TA, National Disability

Rights Network

 

This full-day meeting provides a forum for legal directors to connect with their peers through facilitated discussions and workshops on legal issues unique to P&A practice and management skills training to enhance leadership capabilities. Hear what new challenges lie on the horizon for P&As across the country. Strategize about working effectively with Legal Services programs.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of the issues associated with use of organizational standing.
2. Identify new ideas in collaboration with legal services programs, as well as supervision of a diverse workforce.
3. Participate in discussion about collaborative P&A projects.

 

 

P&A/CAP Annual Conference

Contractor: NDRN

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

  

  

Emerging Issues in VR   Studio 6

 

Jim Doyle, V.R. Program Specialist, U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration, DOE

David Hutt, Staff Attorney, National Disability Rights Network

Rita Martin, Deputy Director, Council of State Administrators of V.R.

Nancy Sciabarrasi, Office of Employment Support Programs, SSA

 

This session will address new initiatives and challenges faced by state VR programs, provide an update on the status of reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act, and report on issues and other requirements for CAP agencies. Speakers will address the business partnership initiative sponsored by the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), the review of state VR programs by RSA, monitoring of CAP agencies, and the reporting requirements of CAP agencies.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Provide VR advocates with information on the major topics, initiatives, and legal developments impacting VR services which have occurred during the past year.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

  

  

Wage Reporting at Social Security   Studio 7

 

Cheryl Bates-Harris, Senior Disability Advocacy Specialist, National Disability

Rights Network

Nancy Sciabarrasi, Office of Employment Support Programs, SSA

 

Learn how SSA goals enhance return-to-work efforts and what the agency has done to improve wage processing and work activity reports.  Similarly, learn how advocates can assist in reducing overpayments by advising and assisting beneficiaries with wage reporting responsibilities.  

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how wage reporting supports SSA goals of supporting beneficiaries return to work efforts.   

2. Learn how SSA has improved mechanisms to receive and respond to work report through automation. 

3.  Learn about the improved public information platform at SSA including wage receipts.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

  

  

Termination of Parental Rights   Studio 9

 

Daniel Atkins, Disabilities Law Project Legal Director, Community Legal Aid

Society, Inc. (DE P&A)

Marianne Engelman Lado, General Counsel, New York Lawyers for the Public

Interest (NY P&A)

Elizabeth Priaulx, Senior Disability Legal Specialist, National Disability Rights Network

 

People with disabilities sometimes find themselves fighting to keep custody of their children or to prevent their parental rights from being terminated. Often, these parents are ill-served by the child welfare system because family preservation services are not designed to meet their specialized needs. This session will discuss recent ADA cases and advocacy on behalf of these parents.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify ways the child welfare system could accommodate specialized needs.
2. Understand recent ADA cases relevant to this topic.
3. Recognize some advocacy opportunities on behalf of these parents.

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

  

  

IEP Meeting Skills   La Galerie 6

 

Roger Nellist, Attorney, Western NY Advocacy for the Developmentally

Disabled (NY P&A)

 

A hands on session focusing on strategies to handle IEP Team meetings, including preparing for the meeting, how best to present your position, dealing with difficult meetings and people, and negotiating skills. This session will be geared to the advocate as well as the attorney.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Enhance IEP meeting skills to present positions, deal with difficult meetings and people.
2. Practice negotiation skills.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

  

  

Connecting to Communities: Internal and External   La Galerie 5

Considerations in a Changing Environment

 

Pamela Hoopes, Legal Director, Minnesota Disability Law Center

Stephanie Patrick, Director of Outreach and Training, Advocacy Center (LA P&A)

 

This workshop will explore how a changing environment can influence the need for P&As/CAPs to examine internal resources and their relationship to outreach approaches to "underserved" communities in order to establish stronger relationships to improve both awareness of community needs and access to services. The presenters will discuss the processes their agencies are using to meet these challenges. Learn how such varied efforts as diversity initiatives and “social" networking can be part of your organization's outreach toolkit.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain a greater awareness of the relationship between the organization's culture and outreach to underserved communities.
2. Identify nontraditional strategies for reaching out to underrepresented communities.

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

  

Detecting and Preventing Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Facilities   Studio 2

 

Alison Hirschel, Elder Law Attorney, Michigan Poverty Law Program, Univ. of Mich. Law School

Laurie Peller, Staff Attorney, Advocacy Center (LA P&A)

 

P&As are involved in two types of nursing facility work: advocating for community placements and protecting residents from abuse and neglect. This workshop will focus on how P&As can detect and prevent abuse and neglect of individuals in nursing facilities. Presenters will help P&As spot abuse and neglect and discuss legal and other tools for preventing abuse and neglect. Including ways in which P&As can enhance their collaboration with long-term care ombudsman programs. The presenters will also provide P&As with some models for setting up programs to prevent abuse and neglect in nursing facilities. The workshop will not cover the Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASARR) Program, which is covered in the next workshop.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the role of the long-term care ombudsman and explain why P&As may want to focus their nursing facility advocacy on residents with disabilities.
2. Develop a checklist for detecting abuse and neglect of nursing facility residents. Distinguish abuse and neglect from issues relating to frailty and age.
3. Name the laws that P&As can use to protect nursing facility residents from abuse and neglect.
4. Identify the tools that P&As can use to investigate abuse and neglect of nursing facility residents and understand the higher risk of illness and hospitalization of African-American nursing facility residents.

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10:30 am – 3:00 pm

  

ADAAG: Up Close and Hands On   Studio 4/5

 

Jonathan Martinis, Managing Attorney, Virginia Office for Protection & Advocacy

 

ADA-AG: what is it, how do you actually determine whether a public accommodation is or is not accessible. This will present an overview and provide a hands on demonstration of measuring for and recording an accessibility evaluation

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the ADA Accessibility Guidelines and the requirements for new construction including the removal of architectural barriers in older construction when readily achievable.
2. Learn how to find specific requirements and develop an enforcement campaign.
3. Practice applying an ADA AG survey.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

  

Ticket Regulations   Studio 7

 

Nancy Sciabarrasi, Office of Employment Support Programs, SSA

 

Congress directed SSA to study how the Ticket Program was serving beneficiaries with high support needs. The Adequacies of Incentives work group suggested changes that would synchronize the Ticket with VR and other supported employment services. The new proposed rules for the Ticket program incorporate these changes. In this session, a social security representative will review the revision in the ticket regulations and discuss a number of approaches to Maximizing the value of the Ticket program.

 

 

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify new aspects of the Ticket regulations.
2. Recognize advocacy strategies to maximize the value of the Ticket program.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

  

Fair Housing Act: Design and Construction   Studio 9

 

Christine Woodell, Consultant

 

In 1988, Congress passed the Fair Housing Amendments Act. The Amendments expand coverage of the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discriminatory housing practices based on disability and familial status. The Fair Housing Amendments Act established design and construction requirements for multifamily housing built for first occupancy after March 13, 1991. The law provides that a failure to design and construct certain multifamily dwellings to include specific features of accessible design will be regarded as unlawful discrimination.

 

Learning Objectives:

 

1. Describe the Fair Housing Act, its seven requirements, and its enforcement, as well as other federal accessibility laws that govern housing.
2. Identify what kinds of housing is "covered" and not covered by the Fair Housing Act and other disability laws.
   

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

  

Addressing Violence Against Persons with Disabilities   La Galerie 5

 

Amy Judy, Project Coordinator, Disability Rights Wisconsin

Beth Metzger, Disability Rights Advocate, Kentucky Protection and Advocacy

 

Regardless of race, age, ethnicity, class or sexual orientation, persons with disabilities are more likely to be assaulted, sexually abused, and suffer domestic violence than persons without disabilities. In this session, the Kentucky P&A will share information about Project SAFE [Safety and Accessibility for Everyone] -- a multi-disciplinary collaboration, combining the efforts of professionals who work with people with disabilities and persons who have been sexually abused or subjected to domestic violence. It facilitates the provision of comprehensive person-centered services for individuals with disabilities who have victimized. The Wisconsin P&A will provide information about its End Violence Against Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women project. The project provides training, collaborative response protocols and technical assistance for agencies, providers and consumer advocacy groups that provide services to women with disabilities who have experienced sexual abuse, domestic violence or stalking.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify some unique dynamics of working with persons with disabilities who have been victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence.
2. Recognize the benefits of working in collaborative partnerships with organizations that focus on addressing domestic violence and sexual assault.
3. Know how to access resources that P&As can use when providing advocacy on behalf of persons who have been victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

  

Using Medicaid’s PASARR Requirements to Address Systemic   Studio 2

Deficiencies in Nursing Facilities, Including Abuse and Neglect

 

Roger Bearden, Staff Attorney, Disability Advocates, Inc. (NY P&A)

Bernadine Chavez, Coordinator, Protection & Advocacy System. (NM P&A)

Steven Schwartz, Executive Director, Center for Public Representation

 

As part of the phase down of state psychiatric hospitals and institutions for individuals with intellectual disabilities, states relied on nursing facilities to provide alterative segregated settings. Medicaid's Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review ("PASARR") Program requires states to conduct screening and to provide specialized services and active treatment to all persons with mental illness or intellectual disabilities who are determined to need such services pursuant to the PASARR screening process. Nursing facilities, however often do not provide these services, preventing rehabilitation and recovery and potentially resulting in abuse and neglect. This workshop will present a brief overview of the PASARR screening process and PASARR's requirements for specialized services, and then focus on strategies to ensure that nursing facilities are complying with these requirements and providing specialized services or active treatment for individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or mental illness.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the PASARR screening process and requirements.
2. Identify what active treatment and specialized services nursing facilities must provide to individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or mental illness.
3. Discover how the failure of nursing facilities to provide active treatment and specialized services to individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or mental illness may result in systemic violations, abuse and neglect.
4. Recognize how to use litigation and other strategies to ensure that individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or mental illness receive active treatment and specialized services in nursing facilities in accordance with PASARR requirements.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  

Partners in Policymaking   Studio 6

 

Eric Buehlmann, Senior Public Policy Analyst, National Disability Rights Network

David Hutt, Staff Attorney, National Disability Rights Network

Kathy McGinley, Deputy Executive Director for Public Policy, National Disability Rights Network

 

Partners in Policy Making is an interactive session between CAP and NDRN policy staff with the goal developing active partners with those who make policy. The program builds skills for influencing legislation and policy effectively and achieve a productive partnership between people providing, needing and using services and those in a position to make policy and law. The sessions will provide an update on the work of the Second Session of the 110th Congress, strategies and tools for educating elected representatives on CAP, an interactive discussion of tactics that have been used effectively in the past, and concrete steps to be taken following the conference.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Provide a brief history of the services for, perceptions of, and public policy concerning individuals with disabilities and the role of the Client Assistance Program in that history.
2. Discuss the goals of inclusion and choice as well outline current federal disability policy to achieve inclusion of individuals with disabilities on several issues such as education, employment, and independent living.
3. Provide strategies for coalition building to achieve the goals of the Client Assistance Program.
4. Understand how a bill becomes a law at the federal level and how to build a
   proper relationship with state and federal legislators.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  

Due Process   La Galerie 6

 

Matthew Engel, Senior Attorney, Disability Law Center, Inc. (MA P&A)

Roger Nellist, Attorney, Western NY Advocacy for the Developmentally

Disabled (NY P&A)

Ron Hager, Senior Staff Attorney, National Disability Rights Network

 

This session will focus on the practical side of handling a due process hearing, including complaints, dispute resolution sessions, motions, discovery, preparation of witness testimony, direct and cross-examination, objections, and oral and written closing arguments. The session will include simulations and role plays of the major parts of a due process hearing. Prior to the conference, participants are encouraged to review the session on due process from the Special Education 101 webcast on the NDRN website at: http://www.ndrn.org/TASC/issues/edu/Default.htm.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Improve skills for a due process hearing, including pre-hearing investigation and witness preparation, including a parent with a disability or a parent from a difference cultural background through role plays and simulators.
2. Practice addressing procedural matters arising prior to the hearing, including drafting complaints, answers, dispute resolution sessions, motions and discovery.
3. Represent a student at an impartial hearing, through a role play, including objections, direct and cross examination of witnesses, and oral and written closing arguments.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  

Case Selection and Discovery when Litigating   Studio 7

Disability Discrimination in Employment Cases

 

Tom Crane, Staff Attorney, Advocacy, Inc. (TX P&A)

Kirk Lowry, Legal Director, Disability Rights Center of Kansas

 

Employment discrimination cases typically involve substantial discovery. Careful case selection and evaluation is critical for successful resolution of these cases. Detailed information must be solicited from the potential client, his or her medical professionals and other information may need to be obtained from co-workers and others to properly evaluate a case. Even if litigation is not initially contemplated and if the potential client is still on the job and is seeking a reasonable accommodation, developing a discovery plan from the outset is critical. Hear from two experienced employment litigators with considerable experience in disability discrimination on case evaluation including consideration of retaliation claims, developing a discovery plan and conducting discovery in the employment cases.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the extent of factual investigation needed to properly evaluate the merits of a potential disability discrimination case.
2. Develop skills to investigate and develop a discovery plan for a disability discrimination employment case

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  

Jails: Monitoring Mental Health Services   Studio 9

 

Nancy Koenigsberg, Legal Director, Protection & Advocacy System (NM P&A)

Michelle Michelson, Staff Attorney, Arizona Center for Disability Law

 

Our nation’s jails house a significant number of persons with mental illness and other disabilities, and typically are ill-equipped to meet their needs. P&As are well suited to advocate for improved conditions of confinement and discharge planning for this population. Presenters will share their experiences and lessons learned conducting investigations and monitoring in jails and advocating for jail reforms. The Arizona P&A will describe its non-litigation legal advocacy activities over the past several years in the Pima County Jail and the improvements that have resulted. The New Mexico P&A will discuss class action challenges to conditions and mental health services in a large metropolitan jail, settlement agreements that ensued, and challenges encountered in implementing the settlements, and another class action filed in 2007 against another jail. There also will be an open discussion to strategize among participates about jail monitoring activities, current and prospective, in their jurisdictions

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Articulate the need for P&A advocacy on behalf of persons with mental illness who are in jail, and how the advocacy issues in jails might be different from those in prisons.
2. Identify advocacy issues often confronted in jails and strategies to address them.
3. Understand the correctional culture in jail environments in order to successfully advocate for reforms.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  

ADA and Emergency Planning and Preparedness   Studio 4/5

 

Jeanne Abadie, Advocacy Center (LA P&A)

Roderick J. Macpherson, Staff Attorney, Minnesota Disability Law Center

 

The needs of people with disabilities have often not been incorporated into the Emergency Planning and Preparedness plans of local, county and state governments. Especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana P&A has been heavily involved with state and local governments as well as non-government entities to improve local planning and preparation for future emergencies.

In addition, P&As have initiated litigation in situations in which local government’s response to emergencies has discriminated against people with disabilities. The Minnesota P&A brought suit against local government officials when deaf residents were denied effective communication of emergency evacuation and disaster response information after a local hazardous materials contamination event.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify local government obligations to people with disabilities in emergency preparedness planning and response.
2. Discover how to become involved in local and regional emergency preparedness planning, reviewing local plans and providing input.
3. Describe a situation where local response discriminated against an individual with disability, the litigation that resulted and the remedies being sought.

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  

Finding the Meaning in Measuring Satisfaction in the Network   La Galerie 5

 

Sakena McWright, Outreach Advocacy Specialist, National Disability Rights Network

Zena Naiditch, President\CEO, Equip for Equality, Inc. (IL P&A)

 

 

As organizations committed to supporting individuals with disabilities in advancing their human, legal and civil rights, P&As\CAPs advocate for publicly funded service systems which are responsive to and empower people with disabilities and which deliver quality services. An important component of the program evaluation process is solicitation of input regarding the satisfaction of people who have participated in program activities. A well conducted survey can have positive results for future users of services, the individual agency and the P&A\CAP system as a whole. This workshop will focus on strategies on how to effectively have the users of services evaluate the quality and outcome of the services delivered.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain an understanding of what it means to measure satisfaction.
2. Develop an awareness of how to get meaningful information from a satisfaction measurement process.
3. Describe ways to insure that individuals with a variety of disabilities and from diverse communities are represented in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  

Proving Your Community Integration Case   Studio 2

 

Roger Bearden, Staff Attorney, Disability Advocates, Inc. (NY P&A)

Elizabeth Priaulx, Senior Disability Legal Specialist, National Disability Rights Network

Steven Schwartz, Executive Director, Center for Public Representation

 

This session will demonstrate how to organize a systemic community integration case. The session will draw upon examples from cases involving various populations, claims, and service system. It will discuss various sources of data and experts P&As can look to support their case that community living is the most appropriate setting for an individual. It will also outline how to prove than an individual’s current living situation does not constitute community living even when a state might designate it as such or that it has a small number of housing units.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Discover best practices in how to identify and organize experts, gather relevant information on clients and programs.
2. Understand how to investigate, gather and incorporate research to best support your case.

P&A/CAP Annual Conference

Contractor: NDRN

 

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

8:30 am – 10:00 am

 

Mental Illness in the Context of VR   Studio 6

 

Mark Salzer, Associate Professor and Director, UPenn Collaborative On Community Integration of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities

 

Work is among the top three desires indentified individuals with psychiatric disabilities – as it is with the general population, and a desire that has been found to be highly achievable. This workshop will provide participants with information on the factors associated with employment of these individuals, and current evidence-based practices that support employment. Participants will share challenges they experience in this area and discuss solutions for overcoming them.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Comprehend current research as it pertains to the employment of individuals with psychiatric disabilities, the factors that limit employment and the challenges associated with advocating with individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
2. Articulate the importance of a “career” orientation to employment and
   current research on effective career-related (vocational and educational) supports.
3. Identify five specific solutions to these challenges.

 

 

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

8:30 am – 10:00 am

 

Legal and Policy Strategies to Close Sheltered Workshops   Studio 7

 

Kirk Lowry, Legal Director, Disability Rights Center of Kansas

 

Should states be supporting sheltered workshops when the people with disabilities working in these facilities could be working in integrated settings with the right supports? Our speakers will discuss legal and policy arguments for switching funding away from these segregated settings and toward more integrated employment options. Litigation over the improper use of 14C wage certificates will also be discussed.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify strategies to move funding toward integrated employment settings.
2. Understand the litigation strategy used by one P&A over improper use of 14C strategy.

 

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

8:30 am – 10:00 am

 

FHA - Reasonable Accommodations & Modifications   Studio 4/5

 

Lucia Blacksher, General Counsel, Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center

Susan Meyers, Managing Attorney, Advocacy Center (LA P&A)

 

The Fair Housing Act requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services when accommodations may be necessary to allow a person with a disability the equal opportunity to use and enjoy his/her dwelling. The Act also requires housing providers to generally allow people with disabilities to make modifications to their dwellings to make them accessible. Speakers from the Louisiana P&A and the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center will talk about the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and give practical examples of fair housing advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify federal laws that protect against disability discrimination in housing, as well as specific coverage and the very limited exceptions to coverage under the Fair Housing Act.
2. Describe what is unlawful discrimination under the Act.
3. Use practical example to understand how to provide reasonable accommodations and to permit reasonable modifications.

 

 

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

8:30 am – 10:00 am

 

Reentry & Aftercare from Jail   La Galerie 5

 

John Gresham, Senior Litigation Counsel, NY Lawyers for the Public Interest (NY P&A)

Gretchen Rohr, Staff Attorney/Jail Advocacy Project Director, University Legal Services (DC P&A)