Conference Agenda
2020 Keynote Presentations

Keynote Interview with Judith Heumann
Conference attendees will experience an interview with the internationally recognized Disability Rights activist, Judith Heumann, as one of two keynote sessions during the conference.
Read Judith Heumann's full biography here.
Judith Heumann International Disability Rights activist. Author (with Kristen Joiner), Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. Featured in Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, a 2020 American award winning documentary film, directed by James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham, produced by the Obama Higher Ground Production. Senior Fellow, at the Ford Foundation (2017-2019), wrote Road Map for Inclusion: Changing the Face of Disability in Media. Served in the Obama and Clinton Administrations.

Keynote Discussion Panel: Post Disruption – Rebuilding a Better Community
The last few years has brought disorder at all levels of our community - economic, social, political, environmental. Yet as old systems get torn down, social disruption can usher in radical transformation.
Three leaders discuss the past, present challenges and opportunities emerging that have the potential to reshape our landscape into a more equitable and cohesive future that allows people to thrive.
Workshop Sessions
Thursday, December 3, 2020
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM | Session 1
Making the Shift to Technology First: Critical First Steps
Provider organizations and state agencies have begun labeling themselves as "technology first" indicating a commitment to technology integrating as a natural support for community living. But what does "technology first" really mean, and what outcomes indicate a successful tech first model?
This presentation identifies standardized best practices while exploring how education and reskilling are vital to successful implementation. Learn how two organizations made the shift to Tech First and the overall impact it has had on the culture and health of their organization AND the individuals they support.
Cameron Kempson, M.Ed. Director of Education SimplyHome, LLC North Carolina |
Nick Filarelli Program Director |
Amanda Carroll |
Integrating Racial Equity Within Supportive Housing
A panel and audience discussion on structural racism and opportunities in New Jersey to strengthen racial equity policies and practices, with a focus on homelessness and housing systems. Leaders from across the state will share their knowledge and experience with anti-racist strategies that will inform future supportive housing development, operations and services. The audience will be encouraged to join in the conversation in sharing examples on how their organizations are integrating racial equity into their work.
Click here for additional resources highlighted in this workshop.
Cassondra Warney, Senior Program Manager from CSH will moderate a panel will the following New Jersey leadership:
Taiisa Kelly CEO Monarch Housing |
Dr. Nichole Nelson Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow & Policy Analyst from the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice |
Rebecca Rhoads |
Thursday, December 3, 2020
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Session 2
From Fee-For-Service to Value-Based Care; Demonstrating Value and Protecting Critical Programs
You’ve worked hard to develop the important programs that serve your community, and some regulated changes can feel like a threat to the quality and viability of your work. As the country moves from a Fee-For-Service approach to a Value-Based Care model, how can you identify and showcase the value of your services to ensure you receive the funding you need to continue supporting your community? In this interactive session, we’ll talk through four critical areas of consideration for survival in the new Value-Based Care world including the importance of accountability in your services, how to make sure your hard work is aligned with the priorities of the Value-Based model, and ensuring that the funds available will offer the highest possible service in the most cost effective manner. Through all of this, we will share what we’ve learned from our experience with the service world’s journey towards Value-Based Care.
David Bucciferro
|
Capital Investment for Special Needs Populations: How Other States Create Housing
For the last twenty years, moving people with disabilities away from institutional like settings and into homes integrated in the community have afforded people a greater level of independence and quality of life. But capital funding for supportive housing development is always in short supply, impeding this goal for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While New Jersey has made progress, more can be done. Stakeholders in New York and Connecticut share their State’s implementation strategies that show the variety of ways housing development investments are creating accessible, affordable homes and changing the lives of people with IDD.
Click here for Q&A responses created in this workshop.
This panel will be moderated by Ken Regan, Vice President, Regan Development Corporation.
Alexander Brooks Stephen Morris |
Patricia Downes Joshua Scalora |
Friday, December 4, 2020
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM | Session 1
Telehealth: The New Frontier, Achieving Superior Care for Vulnerable Populations
Quality medical care can be provided to vulnerable populations using a telemedicine service. This service can minimize risk and improve health outcomes for individuals during the health crisis and beyond. Immediate access to physicians 24/7, can create a safer, often superior, and far less disruptive medical solution than a traumatic trip to the ER, urgent care or doctor's office and enhance the value of care provided by an organization. During this session, learn the benefits of telemedicine and how one agency implemented a telehealth solution to support both the individuals under their care and support staff, and why it is likely to become the new normal going forward.
Kathy Cohen COO Arc of Essex |
Rebecca Lorusso Senior Director Residential Services Arc of Essex |
Dr. Maulik M. Trivedi, MD, FACEP StationMD |
Supportive Housing for Reentry Clients - Improving Success for People Transitioning from Prison
In order to successfully reenter the community many people leaving the correctional system will require permanent supportive housing and services. Re-entry housing is a cost-effective approach that can avoid homelessness and improve recidivism. This workshop will discuss the support open to people returning from incarceration. Challenges, gaps and recommendations will be explored to improve the outcomes of successfully transitioning people from prison to community.
Jacob Day Community Investment Business Development Associate Federal Home Loan Bank of New York Dan Lombardo |
Daniel Hafetz James C. Williams |
Friday, December 4, 2020
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Session 2
Managed Care Organizations Invest in Housing – Critical Partnerships in Health Outcomes
Understanding the strong connection in housing as a social determinant of health has led the way for insurance carriers to partner with service providers to improve successful outcomes for many years. But new and creative public/private partnerships are emerging that have expanded to include MCO investment in making housing affordable. The panel will discuss this exciting evolution and the strategies that are providing thousands of homes for peoples struggling with disabilities.
Brandi Calvert
Senior Director Housing Operations |
Jo Ellen McNamara National Housing + Health |
Anya Nawrocky |
Housing Navigator – What’s In A Name?
Many different venues across the country are rolling out Housing Navigator programs – SHA included! Housing navigators have been promoted across the spectrum of providers to find supportive housing for veterans, seniors, Medicaid recipients, and those who work in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Community. Housing Navigators from across the region will discuss their roles and the benefits, resources, and challenges in connecting people with housing opportunities and supports.
Maureen McCormick Lisa Roland |
William S. England Deborah Wehrlen |