Autism Training: Current State of Services in Massachusetts

Date: Monday, June 29, 2015

Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Registration starts at 8:15 am)

Location: 

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Training Description:

As many of you are well aware, our community has achieved a huge victory when the Autism Omnibus bill passed in late 2014. One piece of the bill has broadened the definition of developmental disability to include autism, Smith-Magenis syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. This change will assist many individuals on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) whose functional needs are not reflected by their intelligence quotient (IQ) score and who were previously denied access to the Department of Developmental Services (DDS).

There is a lot to stay abreast of given the passage of the aforementioned bill. At this training, you will learn about the implementation phase of the bill, such as the expected number and service needs of individuals who now qualify for DDS services. There is a pressing need to serve hundreds of adults with ASD in which many have different service needs, such as "site-less" employment, and support needs, such as mental health services.

You will also learn about the goals and activities of ADDP's Autism Blueprint and Training Committees.  Members include representatives of the provider community, families, Arc of Massachusetts, and DDS working to address the urgent wave of service and support needs.

Furthermore, the May Institute's National Autism Center will present its nationwide research of the state of services for people with ASD and policies related to ASD. You will learn about the need for evidence-based practice standards and guidelines for how to make choices about interventions. The Center is the first to ever systematically evaluate services for adults with autism. Learn more about the National Standards Project here.

About the Speakers:

Janet George, Ed.D., is the Assistant Commissioner of Policy, Planning, and Children’s Services at DDS. She has been responsible for overseeing the Department’s efforts in designing new eligibility processes and service design for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. George is responsible for implementing system-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports within the DDS community. Her work also involves providing supports to children and their families, strategic planning and policy development, statewide learning, and development activities. Dr. George has more 35 years of experience in the field of human services, and she is a licensed psychologist and a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Massachusetts.

Michael Moloney is President and CEO of HMEA, a leading organization providing services to children and adults with autism. HMEA also operates the Autism Resource Center of Central Massachusetts. Mr. Moloney is a member of the ADDP Board of Directors and the Chair of the ADDP Autism Committee. Michael is actively seeking to establish “networks of sustainability partners” by leveraging leadership from both the non-profit and for-profit worlds. In this effort, HMEA is working with corporate sponsors for mutual benefit and for the benefit of the broader community in the areas of technology and autism/disability education and support.

Bob Putnam, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is the Executive Vice President at May Institute. The May Institute provides a wide range of exceptional community-based services for adults of all ages with autism and other developmental disabilities. He is the Director of Consultation at the May Institute’s National Autism Center (NAC) and was an Expert Panelist on the National Standards Project of the NAC. His research interests are in the use of function-based interventions to improve prosocial skills as well as behavioral support strategies with individuals with ASD. Dr. Putnam is a licensed psychologist and a certified health service provider. He has served on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Northeastern University's Bouve College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize service needs for people who are newly eligible for DDS services.
2. Understand who is considered to qualify at DDS given changes in its eligibility system.
3. Describe one intervention utilized across the country that is deemed an evidenced-based practice.

Audience:

Information will be geared to mid-level managers, senior directors and executives, and clinical staff.

Cost:
$75 for ADDP members

$115 for non-members