Highlights from the
APDDA 2005 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
held in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

FEBRUARY 13 - 16, 2005

This year's conference title was "KEEPING PACE WITH CHANGING NEEDS AND SUPPORTS" and included a keynote address on "Changes and Choices" from James Conroy, Ph.D., President and CEO, The Center for Outcome Analysis.

A few of the speakers and their topics:

• Robert Fletcher, founder of NADD, - "Current Trends in Dual Diagnosis"

• Robert Prouty, Research Fellow and Co-Director of the National Residential Information Systems Project, University of Minnesota, - "annual update from the National Survey of Public Residential Facilities"

• Martha Johnson Mead, Director of Legislation and Public Relations for the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, - “Tips for Working with the Media.”

• Kevin Ann Huckshorn, Director of Office of Technical Assistance, NASMHPD, - "The Reduction of Restraint & Other Restrictive Measures"

• Bill Schatz, PT, Chief Physical Therapist, Central New York Developmental Disabilities Service Office, - "Bedrail Entrapment"

• Thomas Kelly, MD, Chief Physician for the Community Services Section of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services in the state of Delaware - "Improving Health & Demential Care to Older Persons with DD"

• Kevin Ann Huckshorn, RN, - "The Reduction of Restraint & Other Restrictive Measures"

• Mark Boley, Program Services Director for Woodward Resource Center in Iowa, and Jamie Stevens, Residential Services Manager at Frances Haddon Morgan Center located in Bremerton, WA, - "CMS Surveyor Training"

Conference Evaluation Summary

Based on the 22 evaluations completed, the following overall ratings were obtained (unsatisfactory to excellent; 1-5):

Accommodations - 4.38 Environment - 3.95 Exhibits - 4.15 Format - 4.29 Presentations - 4.33 Organization - 4.65

For specific event ratings and their score ranges please open APDDA 2005 Conf evals summaries and suggestions (Word).

Suggestions for Next Year's Program:

• P& A updates from other states or national update. What are their relationships, what are they doing, topics of support, etc…

• State and facility updates

• How to interview and select good direct care staff.

• Staff retention issues

• Are regulatory/oversight groups good or bad?

• A national DOJ update. What states/facilities have been affected and how. And what are the feelings of DOJ interactions with states/facilities in the future.

• Ask Bob Gettings to give more information about legislative bills, rather then just numbers.

• Acuity measures and systems to help determine staffing issues.

• Restraint reduction

• Positive Behavior Support

• Presentation from Direct Support Professional national group

• Budget and staffing challenges and creative ideas to meet those needs during tight fiscal times

• Experiences with downsizing and closures at developmental/training centers

• Antone Aboud and risk management issues

• Brian Iwata and functional analysis

Suggestions for Future Conference Sites:

On To Phoenix in 2006.....