Employment Summit Registration

The Employment Summit provides the opportunity for employment professionals with any experience level, people with disabilities and their families, and others interested in improving employment outcomes to:

• Identify and navigate unique employment barriers

• Deploy proven strategies for quality placements

• Spark creativity using assistive technology and natural supports

• Unpack the relationship between poverty, employment, and benefits

This is your chance to network with your colleagues, learn from industry professionals, and hear from people with disabilities about their lived experiences.

Cost: $75 per person

Registration fee includes continental breakfast & networking luncheon.
Register 3 people from your organization and get 10% off!

Dates and Time:

December 6, 2023 (9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ET) AND

December 7, 2023 (9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET)

Location: 502 East Event Centre
502 E. Carmel Drive
Carmel, IN 46032

Employment Summit Highlight

Karyn Harvey has worked as a clinician in the field of intellectual disabilities for over 35 years. She has her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Maryland. She has written three books: Positive Identity Development, Trauma – Informed Behavioral Interventions and Trauma and Healing. She currently does individual and group therapy with people with intellectual disabilities. In addition, she regularly conducts trainings on trauma-informed support for people with IDD, trauma-informed leadership, and trauma-informed behavioral interventions for both state and individual organizations throughout the US and Canada. She will be giving the keynote address in the summits open plenary session.

Dr. Harvey will also be hosting a concurrent session, this session will explore the aspects of trauma that directly affect many individuals with disabilities. It will talk about the effects of that trauma and key ingredients for healing. Finally, there will be an emphasis on post traumatic recovery and growth through employment and employment supports.

With 16 concurrent sessions, every attendee will find new strategies to navigate barriers that people face when securing competitive integrated employment. We are also offering opportunities during continental breakfast to meet colleagues and share your experiences during a networking lunch. Check out our website to register via PayPal or invoice.

Here are just three of the sessions available over the 1.5 days of the Employment Summit!

Discovery Debunked: Making the Discovery Process Work for You

• Kara Critchlow 

Providers have found multiple ways to approach discovery. There are many meaningful ways to gather information in creative ways! Kara Critchlow will share an “Informal Discovery” approach with activities not formally arranged with an employer and how they can often be more informative and much easier to access.

Assistive Technology: The Missing Link to Success in the Workplace

• Josh Anderson 

This presentation offers a spectrum of information to assist employment specialists in identifying assistive technology interventions that could successfully support individuals on the job. Attendees will then be shown free apps, programs, and resources that they can utilize with individuals they support. All attendees will be challenged to work together to solve the complex needs of individuals with disabilities in their jobs. From someone who has never heard of assistive technology to experienced veterans, all attendees will leave the presentation with new information and skills and be empowered to better serve their consumers with assistive technology and accommodation interventions.

Acquired Brain Injury 101

• Wendy Waldman 

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a lifelong chronic condition that is frequently unrecognized, and the total incidence is unknown. The epidemiology of brain injury and common issues that happen after brain injury including cognitive, physical, and emotional/behavioral effects will be discussed. We will also focus on strategies, accommodations, and interventions specific to the most common challenges individuals with brain injury face, especially in the community and in the workforce.  Participants will learn about appropriate access to supports, services, and professionals that can minimize and treat complications and optimize function in these individuals. We will explore strategies for supporting individuals and assisting them to return to school, work, and reintegrate back into their community. 

October Lunch & Learn

Join the October Lunch & Learn

Friday, October 20th 11a.m. - 12 p.m. EST

“Navigating Emotions at Work: Self-Management and De-Escalation Strategies” 

There are many factors that can contribute to emotional reactivity. For example, autism and ADHD can affect emotional regulation in unique ways. For some people, it can be especially difficult to regulate their emotions and it can have significant impacts on their life. Angry outbursts, self-harm, substance use, and depression are some examples of how emotional dysregulation can look. Disorders related to emotional dysregulation include bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this webinar, participants will learn about the importance of differentiating between whether emotional reactivity is related to a symptom or trying to communicate needs through behavior. Additionally, participants will learn about:

• Self-regulation strategies for managing our own emotions

• De-escalation techniques for when someone else is in distress

• Accommodations and considerations related to emotional dysregulation in the workplace