The Boggs Center and NJ APSE Host Annual Facing the Future Conference
Thursday, October 24, 2024
The Boggs Center and NJ APSE hosted their annual Facing the Future Conference highlighting best practices in supporting people with disabilities in career planning, supported and customized employment, and transition from school to work on Friday, October 18th in New Brunswick. With a theme of Investing in Employment, this year’s conference featured 18 workshops on topics including transition, support strategies, job coaching, and job development.
The day began with a welcome from Stefanie Rinaldi, MAT, President of the NJ APSE Board of Directors and Assistant Director of The Center School, and Margaret Gilbride, JD, CT, Director of Transition, Employment, and Aging & Disability at The Boggs Center. Margaret Gilbride also delivered a plenary presentation entitled “What Investing in Employment Means.”
Boggs Center staff presented several workshops at the conference. Jessica Short, BA, Senior Training and Consultation Specialist, co-presented “Job Seeker Showcases: Networking Events for Providers to Highlight Those They Support.” Nikkilee Pedersen, MA, Training and Consultation Specialist; Valentina Arango-Correa, EdM, Training and Consultation Specialist; and Robert Kimmel, EdD, BCBA, CESP, Training and Consultation Specialist, presented “Exposing Invisible Walls: Understanding Transition for Students with Disabilities and Undocumented Immigration Status.” Jocelyn Muse-Taylor, EdM, Training and Consultation Specialist, and Jessica DiPane, MA, Training and Consultation Specialist, presented “My Dream, My Vision, My Future: Leveraging Charting the LifeCourse Tools for Person-Centered Planning.” Michael Steinbruck, MA, Senior Training and Consultation Specialist, co-presented “Supported Decision-Making as a Critical Person-Centered Practice in Employment Supports.” Bethany Chase, DSW, LSW, CESP, Training and Consultation Specialist, presented “Aligning Aspirations: Navigating Differences in Employment Goals Between Job Seekers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Their Families.”
NJ APSE Award winners were announced during an awards luncheon. Honorees included: Ameedah Smith from Catholic Charities as Employment Specialist of the Year; Banana Republic, represented by Manager Ciara Struszkiewicz, as Employer of the Year; Steven Kryspin, Physical Therapy Aide, as Supported Employee of the Year; Lisa Jarusiewicz from Piscataway School District as Transition Educator of the Year; and Dr. Christopher Manente, Executive Director of the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, whose efforts were recognized with the Rebekah Novemsky Advocacy Award for Competitive Integrated Employment.
The event culminated with a keynote presentation by Delaina Parrish, Co-Founder and CEO of Fearless Independence, LLC, which helps businesses, brands, and organizations develop strategies that capitalize on the future of inclusion. Presented with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Delaina Parrish’s “A Star Gazer’s Guide: How to Help People with Disabilities Navigate Inclusive Employment” promoted entrepreneurial thinking, hypercreative solutions, and a focus on the personal strengths of each individual as tactics for disability employment professionals to successfully launch many future careers.
The Boggs Center and NJ APSE thank the Facing the Future Conference Committee, conference volunteers, presenters, and exhibitors for making the event a success!