[NYAPRS Enews] June 17th Orange Co MH & Wellness Conference: Register Now!

[Matt Canuteson]

NYAPRS Note: For the complete full color conference announcement and
registration form go to:

http://myindependentliving.org/pmwiki/uploads/Well09Reg.pdf

 

 

The 9th Annual Orange County Mental Health & Wellness Conference

June 17, 2009 8:30 am- 3:00 pm Anthony's Pier 9, Route 9W, New Windsor,
NY

Sponsored by Independent Living, Inc., the Orange County Department of
Mental Health and the Orange County Wellness Task Force

 

Embracing the spirit of true partnership, the Orange County Mental
Health & Wellness Conference brings together all stakeholders in the
mental health system 

in a cooperative forum that fosters mutual respect and stimulates the
discovery of creative solutions to common challenges. 

This year's conference focuses on personal stories in recovery and
includes workshops and panel discussions related to employment, benefits


and nutrition, and a special presentation on the System of Care for
children and youth.

 

7:30 - 9:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks Douglas Hovey, Executive Director,
Independent Living, Inc. & Chris Ashman, Commissioner, Orange County
Department of Mental Health

 

9:15  Keynote: "My Personal Recovery: The Importance of Advocacy,
Relationships, Peer Support and Hope"  Matt Canuteson, NYAPRS

Matt Canuteson will draw from a personal journey of recovery from the
challenges of being an adopted child, hospitalization, incarceration,
homelessness, psychiatric disability and addiction to become a husband,
father, homeowner, graduate student and policy specialist for the New
York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS). At
NYAPRS, Matt works to help support grassroots advocacy aimed at
advancing the recovery, rehabilitation and rights of New Yorkers with
psychiatric disabilities. Making the connection between personal,
system, and statewide advocacy, Matt gives real life examples of how
self-advocacy for an education, employment, and community integration
influences his current work in Albany.

 

10:00 Break

 

10:15  Concurrent Workshops

WE Can Work: Stories of Recovery and Employment Success  a presentation
and discussion facilitated by Oscar Jimenez NYAPRS 

People with psychiatric disabilities in New York State have been saying
for many years that we want to work, but the large majority of us are
still unemployed or underemployed. Why is that? Many of us have been
told we would not or should not work again and have come to believe it.
Many are afraid of not making it without public benefits. Many of us
just don't know about all the incentives and resources available or how
to get to them. This workshop will provide you with information,
advocacy tools, and most importantly, hope, for achieving employment.

The workshop will start with the exclusive viewing of a powerful 25
minute DVD with the inspiring stories of ten men and women who, despite
all the odds, said "we can work." Two people with psychiatric
disabilities will also share their stories and discuss how being
employed has supported, not hindered, their recovery process. This will
be followed by a discussion about the myths and truths about work
incentives available for people with psychiatric disabilities to
transition from public benefits to self sufficiency; and information
about our rights in the workplace. Finally, the facilitator will discuss
how people with psychiatric disabilities can support one another through
peer support groups to achieve our employment and career goals.

 

Eating Today for a Healthy Tomorrow Margaret Wright, MS, BSN, CNHP. 

Deciding what to feed yourself and your family can pose a challenge,
even to the most nutritionally savvy person. This presentation will
guide you through the process of planning meals that fulfill nutritional
requirements without necessarily breaking the budget. Participants will
learn about common food ingredients to avoid since they can cause
unwanted changes in your body and health status, and what the label
really says vs. what you think it says.

 

11:45 Lunch

 

12:45  Concurrent Workshops

Understanding How Employment Affects Your Benefits Ian Weinstein &
Jessica Andino. 

This workshop will address the impact of employment income on Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) benefits. Also discussed are reporting requirements, work
incentives, and NY State's Medicaid Buy-In for working people with
disabilities. Q&A will follow the presentation. Mr. Weinstein is manager
of Independent Living, Inc.'s Work Incentives Planning and Assistance
(WIPA) program and Ms. Andino is the Community Work Incentives
Coordinator (CWIC) for Orange County. They have over 10 years of
combined experience in providing benefits advisement and work incentives
assistance to residents of the Hudson Valley who receive SSDI or SSI
benefits.

 

Crisis and Hospital Diversion: A Peer Professional's Perspective Steve
Miccio, Executive Director, PEOPLe, Inc. 

Following his presentation, Mr. Miccio will facilitate a listening forum
to solicit ideas about needed system changes and what we can do as a
mental health community and as stakeholders to take better control of
our lives and organize to develop alternatives. Participants from the
audience will be invited to step up to the microphone to express what
recovery means for each of them, and share what they perceive to be
their greatest needs during difficult times.

 

2:15 pm Keynote: System of Care for Children and Young People  Angie
Kays-Burden, LMSW, Project Director for Orange County's new Child Mental
Health Initiative. 

As a 2008 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) grant recipient, Orange County has accepted the federal
challenge to transform the way we care for our children and youth with
social, emotional and behavioral challenges, and their families.
Building on a strong history of collaboration and cross-system
partnership, Orange County joins a nation-wide network of 144 System of
Care communities that have been funded since 1993. Ms. Kays- Burden and
key staff will provide an update on the initiative and share how you can
join the effort to further improve our System of Care for the benefit of
our children and young people. Hear first-hand from families and youth
as they share their stories.

 

3:00 Door Prizes and Close

 

Early Registration: $30-individual ticket; $250 - Group of 10

Late registration: $35 * Tickets at the Door: $45

Vendor Display Tables are available for $25.00 each

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Please make special needs requests known by June 1st to
bjudge at myindependentliving.org <mailto:bjudge at myindependentliving.org>  

For more information or questions: contact Bridget Judge, (845)565-1162,
Ext 242

 

Submit this form with your payment by June 8th, 2009

Early Registration Deadline: postmarked by June 5th, 2009

SEATING IS LIMITED - Early Registration Encouraged

ASL interpreters will be provided.

Please make checks payable to: Independent Living, Inc.,

Mail to: Orange County Mental Health & Wellness Conference,

c/o Independent Living, Inc., 5 Washington Terrace, Newburgh, NY 12550
ATTN: Bridget Judge.

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