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CEUs
Conference participants seeking Nursing Home Administrator, Social Worker, QIDP, Clinical Professional Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, Professional Counselor, Occupational Therapist and Assistants, Physical Therapist and Assistants and Licensed Professional Counselor Continuing Education Credits must complete this CEU form and email to kim@thearcofil.org. Your certificate will be emailed (or mailed by request) to you after the event. We will use the reporting from Zoom to verify attendance.
There are a total of 6.75 CEUs available..
Speakers
Charlene Bennett, EdD
Dr. Bennett has an extensive background in the field. She is the Co- Founder and CEO of IAG. Among the many programs that she created she is most proud of the establishment over 23 years ago of the customized individually controlled small person homes for people that have complex needs. These supports and services are provided in over 25 counties in Illinois and Washington DC.
She also created customized small living arrangements for DCFS’ most complex youth 18 and older including returning those youth from out of state.
Dr. Bennett also fought the discriminatory ordinances that were in violation of the ADA and the Fair Housing Act.against people with disabilities that were living in the community. A Federal lawsuit was filed and joined by the United States Department of Justice. The case was won and provided new case law prohibiting discriminatory local ordinances.
Dr. Bennett had many other leadership positions prior to Co-Founding IAG.
Tamara (Tammy) Besser
Tamara (Tammy) Besser, LCSW, NCG, QIDP is a Clinical Supervisor at JCFS Chicago and has worked with people with disabilities and their families across the lifespan for over 35 years in direct support, clinical, management, administrative and consultative roles.
Amie Burke, BCBA
Amie received her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University. Amie is currently serving as the Clinical Director and oversees the Rockford, Springfield and Chicago offices. Amie has been with ICPN for over 8 years and has been in the field of ID/DD for 30 year. Her experience is with all levels of disabilities across the lifespan. Amie provides training on evidence-based practices such as Dealing with Challenging Behaviors, Data Collection, Management & Leadership, Caring for the Caregiver, and Empowering DSP’s. Outside of work she likes to sew, walk her dogs and spend time with her husband and daughter.
Meg Cooch
Meg Cooch recently joined the IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities as the Deputy Director of the Ligas Consent Decree on April 5, 2021. Meg is leading the work to meet requirements of the Ligas Consent Decree. She served for four years as Executive Director of the Arc of Illinois, a statewide coalition working to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can fully participate in community life through informed choices. Prior to this, Meg spent 20 years in local, state and national nonprofits focused on policy, advocacy and community organizing with people with disabilities of all ages, families and community organizations. Meg worked on federal health and disability policy in Washington, DC and long-term services advocacy in San Francisco, CA. Meg has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two children.
Sarah Hall
Dr. Sarah Hall is a researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI). She is a Fellow and Board Member of the AAIDD. Dr. Hall has published research about the social inclusion of adults with IDD, their siblings, and ways to include them in research. She is working on projects about retirement, sustainability of self-directed supports, and inclusion in 4-H programs for people with IDD as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on direct support professionals, supervisors, and people supported. She is also a sibling of a brother with multiple disabilities.
Jennie Marble
Jennie Marble, MA CCC-SLP. Jennie is the Director of Integrated Pediatric Therapies at JCFS Chicago who has experience working with infants through adults. She enjoys learning about the brain and helping individuals gain new skills. Using a joy mindset when approaching her work has helped to decrease burnout as a clinician, increase clinical problem solving, and help clients attain their goals.
Sarah McKenney
Rev. Sarah VanderZee McKenney is the Creator and Coordinator of Spiritual Support Program at Stone Belt Arc in Bloomington, IN. Stone Belt Arc is a nonprofit and community based service provider that serves people with I/DD and their families in south central Indiana. McKenney is working on her Doctorate of Ministry (DMin) in Disability and Ministry at Western Theological Seminary in Holland Michigan. She has written articles that can be found in Frontline Initiative and Presbyterians Today , on various topics but centered around the inclusion and belonging of people with I/DD in faith communities and ways to help make that happen. She serves as President of the nonprofit organization Presbyterian, Health, Education, and Welfare Association (PHEWA), which is an umbrella organization that supports various networks that work on justice issues. One of these networks is Presbyterians for Disability Concerns, where McKenney has served as past chair and is still an active member. McKenney is involved in other various organizations such as the Religion and Spirituality Interest Network of American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and Fallen Walls Ministry (which suppports people with disabilities in ministerial leadership. Back in 2012 McKenney recieved her Masters of Divinity and was ordained by the Presbyterian Church USA. She lives this busy life being a self advocate, herself, having Dyslexia and ADHD.
David Morstad
David Morstad, M.Ed., is the author of the book, “Whole Community: Introducing Faith Communities to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities”. He is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and was the 2010 recipient of AAIDD’s Henri J.M. Nouwen Award. For more than 38 years, he was with Bethesda Lutheran Communities in roles that included educational resource development, corporate director of staff training, Vice President for Communications, and was the Executive Director and Senior Fellow of the Bethesda Institute. David is widely published and has lectured to professional organizations across the US, Europe, and the Baltic nations. He is currently a member and past chair of the Governor’s Committee for People with Disabilities in Wisconsin and serves on a number of boards including the Faith Inclusion Network of Virginia, and Creative Community Living Services in Wisconsin. His blog can be found at www.LargerTable.com.
Roger Stancliffe
Roger J. Stancliffe is a Senior Research Associate at ICI and Professor Emeritus of Intellectual Disability at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Disability Research and Policy. As a researcher in the IDD field for over 45 years, he has internationally recognized expertise in community living, community social inclusion, self-determination, retirement, ageing, and end of life issues. He has over 210 academic publications on disability and has presented papers at research conferences in five continents. Professor Stancliffe edited the Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability from 2003 to 2008, was the recipient of the 2011 AAIDD Research Award, and the 2019 Centre for Disability Studies Lifetime Achievement Award.