Good Morning:
The IARF Education Committee is pleased to announce that our Call for Presentations is now open for the 2024 IARF Educational Conference & Expo. This year’s conference will be held on August 28 – August 30 at the Bloomington – Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Bloomington, Illinois. The IARF Conference provides an opportunity for community-based service provider teams to connect with each other and colleagues from around the state to learn from one another and share best practices together!
We invite individuals and teams interested in presenting at the 2024 IARF Educational Conference to submit a presentation proposal for review. The Education Committee is seeking presentation proposals for the event that will accomplish the following:
- Provide relevant content for an audience with the range of responsibilities described below;
- Stretch current thinking and provide new approaches with specific "how-to" takeaways;
- Share best practices in person-centered services and supports, provider administration, etc.
- Advance the use of data to achieve value-based outcomes and allow for agency benchmarking;
- Deliver content in an engaging and interactive way that draws on the experience of attendees;
- Utilize case studies to advance discussion of lessons learned from the experience.
Audience: Community-based I/DD and Behavioral Health Service Provider professionals serving children and adults in the State of Illinois, including but not limited to:
- QIDPs and Frontline staff, including Frontline Supervisors and Direct Support Professionals in Developmental Disabilities Services and Supports
- QMHPs and Mental Health Professionals
- Management and Administration
- C-Suite and Executive Management
New in 2024: Direct Support Professionals Track
For the 2024 conference, IARF plans to focus a full day of sessions targeted specifically to Direct Support Professional (DSP) attendees. Given the limited ability of DSPs to attend multiple days of a conference, we believe Thursday, August 29th provides an incredible opportunity for DSPs to access a full conference day of educational content while networking with peers and other professionals in disability services. Based on data we’ve previously collected from a survey of over 400 DSPs, IARF is requesting submissions specific for DSPs in the following areas:
Self-Care – presentations that can help DSPs:
- Avoid burnout;
- Mitigate conflict in the workplace;
- Manage stress;
Services and Supports – presentations that can improve DSP skillsets:
- Provide more meaningful days to individuals receiving services and supports;
- Gain better understanding in serving individuals with behavior support needs;
- Learn more about the range of intellectual/developmental disabilities DSPs may serve;
Professional Development – presentations that can help DSPs grow as professionals:
- Current and emerging technologies to help individuals receiving services obtain more independence;
- Improve communication skills with coworkers and supervisors;
- Potential career paths for DSPs in service
Please be sure to indicate in your submissions that your proposal is targeted to the DSP track.
2024 Conference Theme
The theme of this year’s Conference is The Value of You: Inspire – Ignite – Connect. Our aim is to provide an environment where learning professionals can discover practical solutions and strategies they can use to solve challenges faced in our field. A space where our attendees can explore new ideas, learn from one another, network with colleagues and leave feeling inspired and encouraged! The IARF Educational Conference & Expo is a community building event, connecting folks who have a passion for the work they do helping others and improving their communities. With this year’s theme, we encourage educational presentations focused on, but not limited to, leadership and professional development, recruitment and retention of all levels of staff, innovative and emerging service models, and overall proposals aimed at improving services and supports systemwide.
Presentation Focus
In addition to our theme, we encourage presentation proposals that share lessons learned, evidence-based results and replicable approaches and practical tools that advance the ability of I/DD and Behavioral Health service providers. Research suggests that interactive sessions increase attendees’ experience, opportunities to network with peers, and retention of the information that is presented. When submitting a proposal, please consider formatting your presentation for such interaction. We realize that not every subject is conducive to this presentation style, so you should not be dissuaded from submitting a proposal if that is the case.
We hope you will consider joining us and presenting at the conference! We are looking forward to sharing more details on the event soon. The schedule-at-a-glance, tradeshow & sponsor information, and registration will be available shortly!
Submission Overview
You do not need to be a member of IARF to submit a proposal. Commercial content, product or service-related advertisements are not permitted. Session content must be educational. Presenters selected for the conference will also receive a discount on registration.
Submission Deadline
All presentation proposals must be electronically submitted by no later than May 3, 2024.
Please feel free to share this with other colleagues who may be interested in presenting at this event!
Please take this link to access the CFP form!
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Josh Evans
President & CEO
Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities
Springfield IL
217-725-7859
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