Upcoming Workshops

ICPN team members have been providing onsite-learning opportunities since the inception of the program. In 2015, ICPN launched the Professional Development Initiative to benefit members of the community and provider agencies. Since this time, both members of ICPN and outside speakers have offered Professional Development Workshops and Learning Experiences throughout the state of Illinois. All topics are based on observed trends in the field in an effort to provide support to staff and community members working with adults and children with challenging behaviors and/or medical difficulties. Goals of this initiative include increasing the education to those who take care of and provide services, providing relevant tools, and attempting to shift the focus of treatment away from crisis, and work towards prevention.
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Clinical Considerations for Working with Transgender People within the IDD Population

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

A unique aspect of the human experience is the variability of identities between each individual person and how these differences form diverse communities. Within the field of human services, it is vital to take into account the different characteristics and identifying factors that each person associates their true self with. While recognizing the differences that make a person who they are, it is important to acknowledge that those characteristics can increase challenges that they face in daily life with the potential to create barriers for receiving adequate support. In this training, we will explore how sex, gender, and transgender identify affects people diagnosed with an intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD). With a focus on the intersectionality of the transgender and IDD identity we will discuss how, as clinicians, we can provide maximum support while being mindful of each person’s individual experiences.
Register Here
Trauma Informed Care: Supporting Individuals with Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

Thursday, September 30, 2021

A person’s behavior is shaped and learned through their experiences and interactions with others in their environments. Challenging behaviors that are difficult to manage may emerge when that person’s behavior has been shaped by traumatic experiences. For people with developmental disabilities traumatic experiences may be hidden and only show signs of existence when challenging behavior emerges. This training will discuss trauma and how it may present in people diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Moreover, this training will discuss strategies for supporting people touched by traumatic experiences including current and relevant situations such as natural disasters and pandemics.
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Building Therapeutic Environments

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Therapeutic environments are the basis of ensuring everyone is safe and well cared for in any setting. But to take a step further, this concept encompasses understanding the impact our daily interactions have on providing psychosocial support to people with intellectual disabilities. By not engaging in thoughtful interactions, we can inadvertently create invalidating environments. During this workshop, we will discuss how we can provide simple strategies that will assist in supporting the physical, social, and psychological domains of one’s life through environmental interactions. The goal of this training is to enable the people we support to live their best lives while being fully supported by the environment around them. This can help eliminate unnecessary stressors for all, while making your agency more supportive by creating a culture of caring for not only persons with disabilities, but for staff, families, and the community.
Register Here
Clinical Considerations for Working with Transgender People within the IDD Population

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

A unique aspect of the human experience is the variability of identities between each individual person and how these differences form diverse communities. Within the field of human services, it is vital to take into account the different characteristics and identifying factors that each person associates their true self with. While recognizing the differences that make a person who they are, it is important to acknowledge that those characteristics can increase challenges that they face in daily life with the potential to create barriers for receiving adequate support. In this training, we will explore how sex, gender, and transgender identify affects people diagnosed with an intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD). With a focus on the intersectionality of the transgender and IDD identity we will discuss how, as clinicians, we can provide maximum support while being mindful of each person’s individual experiences.
Register Here
Prader Willi Syndrome: A Basic Overview

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Prader Willi Syndrome is a genetic disorder that not only affects a person’s physical development but impacts a person’s cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric functioning. This webinar will provide participants with an overview regarding Prader Willi Syndrome and will discuss how the syndrome is diagnosed. In addition to this, common internal and external features of the syndrome will be identified. The webinar will conclude with a discussion regarding treatment considerations and resources to provide further education regarding the topic.
Register Here
Building Therapeutic Environments

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Therapeutic environments are the basis of ensuring everyone is safe and well cared for in any setting. But to take a step further, this concept encompasses understanding the impact our daily interactions have on providing psychosocial support to people with intellectual disabilities. By not engaging in thoughtful interactions, we can inadvertently create invalidating environments. During this workshop, we will discuss how we can provide simple strategies that will assist in supporting the physical, social, and psychological domains of one’s life through environmental interactions. The goal of this training is to enable the people we support to live their best lives while being fully supported by the environment around them. This can help eliminate unnecessary stressors for all, while making your agency more supportive by creating a culture of caring for not only persons with disabilities, but for staff, families, and the community.
Register Here
Differential Diagnosis of Genetic Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

This presentation will compare and contrast Autism Spectrum Disorder with the most prevalent Genetic Disorders. Specifically, we will compare the physical characteristics, co-morbid medical conditions, and issues, along with the behavioral presentations of ASD with these syndromes. The presentation will emphasize the unique characteristics and issues associated with each condition that may assist in the differential diagnosis of these conditions. Case studies will be presented to exemplify the similarities and differences between these conditions. The presentation will also review current treatment recommendations for different genetic disorders and highlight current research on promising treatments for those disorders. Participants will receive a tool to aid in the differential diagnosis of genetic disorders along with links to resources for support.