Although we at ICPN would have loved to have an in-person conference this year, we recognize the need to keep the people we support and agency staff as healthy as can be. For our upcoming conference, we will be broadcasting sessions live through the zoom platform for all across the state of Illinois.  We believe this is the next best thing, allowing access and participation for anyone interested.

Please view and register for each session you wish to attend. Our goal of this conference series is to bring fresh new topics from a variety of speakers to you all with a special focus on how our communities have worked together to adapt services and continue the quest to provide the best supports available for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Each session 2.0 Continuing Education Units will be provided to:

Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP), Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA), Licensed Occupational Therapist (OT), Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), Licensed Physical Therapist (PT), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP), Advanced Practice Nurse (ANP), Registered Nurse (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Speaker Lineup

Mathew Meier, LPC

Programming

April 27 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Trauma-Informed Supports and Coping with COVID for People with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

Karyn Harvey, Ph.D.

COVID has had a profound impact on all of us. People with intellectual and development disabilities are even more susceptible to the trauma of COVID.  Karyn is a dynamic and energetic speaker.   Join us as she shares her insight on the impact of COVID and the broader scope of trauma in the lives of people with IDD.  Karyn will explore the key ingredients for healing and how to develop resiliency, ending with a message of hope as we move into the future.

May 4 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Behaviors that Challenge Our System

Jason Buckles, PhD., LPCC

How might changing the language and phrasing we use when describing people help us to re-align and re-define our services? What key element is missing from much of our work in behavioral analysis and supports? What are the inherent problems with punishment? How might we re-commit towards helping people build lives via non-aversive supports and the practice of dignity of risk? In this session, Dr. Buckles will address the above topics while providing examples of individual stories of personal and professional change.

May 11 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy & Functional Analytic Psychotherapy: But I am not a therapist… 

Tyler Demers, Psy.D. & Mathew Meier, LPC

Building strong therapeutic connections with the people we support should be at the core of each organization. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) are evidence-based therapeutic interventions use by clinicians to treat mental illness. Research supports the use of these models in treating those dually diagnosed with intellectual/developmental disabilities. In this session, we will review the core tenants of both ACT and FAP. We will explore the important role these models play in understanding the internal, private events of the people we support which in turn can help us better understand their behavior. One does not have to be a therapist to understand and incorporate the principles of ACT or FAP into their relationships, either professional or personal.  Our goal is to provide concrete ideas of how all disciplines can implement these strategies for better, more therapeutic relationships and more positive interactions, no matter what role you play.

May 18 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Healing Presence: Listening to Ourselves and Others in Challenging Times

Lara Palay, MSW, LISW-S

How do we meet the challenge of being available to others when it seems we barely have enough energy for ourselves? Sometimes we blame ourselves when we can’t attend to others, and self-care seems to be just another item on a checklist that we’re not doing, and many of us are in a position in which we have to be present for others. I’ve learned that I feel more nourished after interactions with others if I’ve been truly present—and that spending time alone feels more restorative if I’ve been present with myself instead of just checked out.  In this presentation we’ll look at techniques for being intentionally present with others, lessons learned from years of private practice. And we’ll discuss deep states of interiority—how we connect with deep parts of ourselves to find meaning and hope. We’ll touch on the stress and grief so many of us have experienced over the past few years, and how we can support that in others.