Conference Registration  

Exhibits Open

Breakfast

Sponsored by The Choice Group

Opening Keynote

Sponsored by DARS, Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and Didlake

Session Open
Senator Angelia Williams Graves

Opening Keynote: Courageous Presence: Leading in a Moving Landscape
Amy Armstrong, PhD, CRC, Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Counseling at Virginia Commonwealth University

How do we show up with courageous presence in an ever-changing landscape? Navigating challenges and change can be daunting. It requires us to meet uncertainty with self-awareness, confidence, adaptability, persistence and care. It requires us to push through our fear to a transformative place. During our time together we will explore how we can open ourselves to courage in this moment.

Break Out Sessions

Sponsored by ABLEnow

Peer Mentoring for Blind and Vision Impaired Youth: Fostering Relationships for Positive Outcomes

Michele Franklin, Pre-ETS Facilitator, VCU’s Rehabilitation Research and Training
Center
Dr. Rachel McDonald Hurford, Pre-Employment Transition Services Facilitator, VCU
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Becky Keller, Pre-Employment Transition Services Specialist on the Student Services Team, Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI)

Join us for a glimpse into our innovative peer mentoring program for blind and visually impaired youth, where blind and visually impaired mentors develop relationships that improve the future of mentees as they make their journey from high school to life. Through partnership with the Virginia Department of Blind and Vision Impaired and VCU’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC), this program has successfully built community relationships, engaged mentees to career development and self-advocacy strategies, and fostered learning amongst all roles. In this session, we will share the big picture of our program, and then hone in on strategies for building positive relationships with mentoring pairs, explore our program’s learning design and curriculum, and engage the audience with a virtual Q&A with a mentor pair from the
program.

Award Winning Day Services Innovation – Hydration Stations and Special Interest Clubs

Shirley Lyons, M.S., Employment and Day Services Manager
Henrico Area MH/DS - Hermitage Enterprises

Day Support programs often grow stale and seem like the same old stuff day after day.   Come listen how one Day Program energized both the participants and the staff using Special interest clubs and through the “Hydration Station”, which promotes good use of hydration for health improvement. Both won an award for innovation from the National Association of Counties (NaCO). Enough details will be shared to do this within your own day program.

Virginia's State-Contracted Brain Injury Services Providers: An Overview

Donna A. Meltzer, CEO, Brian Injury Services

Representatives of up to nine state-contracted brain injury service provider organizations serving Virginia will join a panel, answering questions and providing information on brain injury support provision across the Commonwealth. Speakers will represent a broad range of service providers in the Commonwealth. People who are brain injury survivors and receive services/supports will be a part of our panel. Services covered will be case management, Club House, Day Services and programs with returning citizens.

Awards Luncheon

Break Out Sessions

Sponsored by Career Support Systems

TBS and Success: How TBS (Therapeutic Behavior Support) Can Create Success for Your Most Difficult Cases

Cynthia McNanley, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) 
Mike Thorton, Founder, People First Services 

Have you ever had a client who can get a job but can’t keep a job? Perhaps, a client that you’ve helped get a job over and over again for the job to be lost? Often, the true barrier is challenging behavior. Join Mike and Cynthia as they discuss Therapeutic Behavior Services (TBS) and how TBS has helped them have a 90% success rate for their most challenging cases. In this session, you’ll learn how to recognize when behavior is the barrier to success as well as gain some understanding of typical challenging behavior patterns.

Bridging the Divide: Integrating Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Services

Catherine Stacey, Chief Operating Officer, Dominion Care
Sandra Ward, Director, Waiver Services

The integration of behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse) and intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) services seeks to meet the complex and intersecting needs of individuals accessing both systems of care. This session will examine existing system challenges and identify opportunities to improve outcomes for persons served, increase access to care, and strengthen support for individuals and families. By addressing systemic barriers and implementing innovative strategies, it is possible to bridge service gaps and ensure that individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and co-occurring behavioral health needs are provided with comprehensive, coordinated care.

Confident Conversations:
How to Talk about Benefits & Working When it's Not Your Specialty

Sarah Storck, MS, CRC, WIP-C, Benefits Planner, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Founder and Owner, Next Step Success, LLC

This session aims to help providers in all spaces understand what they can or can't (and should or shouldn't) talk to their clients (or each other) regarding Social Security and other public benefits, work, safety nets and work incentives. We will talk about where you as the provider can go for help, when to enlist a certified professional, and how to limit the damage. We will cover 101 benefits information, rumors and myth busting, and have key takeaways for providers in a format that is digestible and dare we say, maybe even fun!

Networking Break

Break Out Sessions

Sponsored by CARF International

Leveraging Instructional Strategies to Maximize the Impact of Pre-ETS

Michele Franklin, Pre-ETS Facilitator, VCU’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Patti Hodge, Statewide Transition Specialist for Staff Development, Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
Dr. Rachel McDonald Hurford, Pre-Employment Transition Services Facilitator, VCU's Rehabilitation  Research and Training Center
Diara Seruby, Pre-ETS Facilitator, VCU’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center

Effective Pre-ETS delivery is about meeting students where they are and providing them with the tools and supports they need to grow. This interactive session will supply Pre-ETS providers with practical strategies they can use to design Pre-ETS instruction and workplace readiness activities to meet the needs of students with a range of learning styles and ability levels. Participants will learn how to apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and incorporate assistive technology to reduce barriers to participation and promote active engagement. The session will also discuss the use of student artifacts and digital portfolios as a means of tracking student progress and communicating growth. Hands-on activities will help participants leave with ideas they can implement to better engage and support all students.

Pathways to Inclusion: Navigating the Alternative Hiring Process

Sandra Phipps, DARS/DHRM Liaison through the DARS Pathways to Careers Grant and Point of Contact, Alternative Hiring Process

In alignment with the Commonwealth’s dedication to diversifying its workforce and setting a standard as a model employer, the Alternative Hiring Process was developed to expand employment opportunities and accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Vocational counselors will discover how to guide their clients in successfully securing public sector jobs through this process. Employers will gain insight into adopting similar strategies to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Redesign of Medicaid Health Rehabilitation Services

Heather Norton, Deputy Commissioner for Community Services
Virginia Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
Lisa Jobe-Shields, Behavioral Health Division Director, DMAS

Behavioral Health Redesign is a two year project that began July, 2024 and is part of the Right Help. Right Now. Plan to transform Virginia’s mental health system. In July 2026 DMAS will retire legacy community mental health rehabilitative services (CMHRS) and new services will be implemented to replace them with evidence based, trauma informed approaches. The services that will retire are Mental Health Skill Building, Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Intensive In Home Services and Therapeutic Day Treatment. These services will be replaced with Community Psychiatric Support and Treatment which is a multi-component service including assessment, planning, crisis support, care coordination, skill building and skills practice for both Youth and Adults in homes and community settings including schools. Other services that will be implemented are Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis. This session will give an overview and timeline for the project and ways to get involved. There will be open Q&A and time for audience members to provide their feedback to Medicaid on the new services.

Break Out Sessions

Sponsored by Moms in Motion

Striking Out Stigma in Mental Health

Anna Fierro, Program Supervisor, Pre-Employment and Transition Services, RSVP, Inc.
Emily Van Sickle, M.S., CRC, LPC, Counseling Program Coordinator, Therapeutic Counselor, RSVP, Inc.

This presentation stresses the importance of taking a proactive approach to addressing mental health services for students and adult clients. By addressing concerns and implementing strategies, the student or client will be better prepared to handle obstacles they may encounter during employment. The student or client will learn how to manage their mental health symptoms appropriately in a professional environment, leading to higher success rates in maintaining employment. 

The presenters will share information on funding sources, how to make a referral, various services that can be provided, and how services can be utilized by the student or client’s treatment team. Success stories will be shared that will provide examples of how this unique approach has had a positive influence on individuals’ success in gaining independence. The presenters will pose questions and implement breakout sessions to work with providers on how to bridge the gaps in mental health services for individuals with disabilities.

Utilizing RPRJ EPIC's Paid Work Experience to Help Individuals with Significant Disabilities Access Competitive Integrated Employment

Christi Altizer, Manager, Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
John Stewart, Project Manager, Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services’ Real Pay for Real Jobs an EPIC Model

Come learn how DARS’ Real Pay for Real Jobs EPIC model Paid Work Experience service can better inform individuals, their care-givers and support teams about Competitive Integrated Employment, help them access this kind of employment, and move beyond sub-minimum wage and sheltered employment outcomes.

From Practice to Participation: Building Community and Employment Readiness Through Center-Based Opportunities

KJ Holbrook, Chief Clinical Officer, Mount Rogers Community Services
Becca Martel, Director of Behavior Specialty Services, Mount Rogers Community Services

How do we help individuals with disabilities gain the confidence, skills and support they need to truly participate in their communities and pursue meaningful employment? This breakout session will explore how one service provider transformed its approach by developing innovative, center-based opportunities that serve as stepping stones to real-world engagement.

Attendees will learn how mock environments, structured in-house activities and pathways for people to build social, functional and job-readiness skills in a safe and supported setting. We’ll examine how these efforts have reshaped staff roles, increased confidence among support teams and improved outcomes for individuals.

Through real-life stories and examples from both staff and people in services, participants will leave with actionable ideas to implement similar opportunities in their own settings. You'll also have the chance to reflect on how to move from simulated skill-building to authentic community involvement—and how to bring staff and individuals along on that journey.

Trivia Night

Sponsored by Virginia APSE