FEATURED GUEST PRESENTERS

It has been our goal to raise disability and mental health issues throughout the halls of government – in Harrisburg, Allegheny County and DC. Increased opportunity and support is often left to the whim of well-intentioned elected officials who simply may not have a lot of experience or expertise on the topic. That’s why we are extremely excited this year to feature a fantastic collection of bipartisan presenters who do have that experience and who are committed to making a difference in this arena!

Joining Rep. Dan Miller will be Governor Josh Shapiro (speaking on 4/18) and County Executive Sara Innamorato, Lt. Governor Austin Davis, and state Senator Devlin Robinson (all speaking on 4/19)!

Our two Legislative Panels will also be full of bipartisan, bicameral participants, so look for more information coming soon!

ABOUT THE SUMMIT

Our free Disability & Mental Health Summit is a one-of-a-kind event in Western PA that brings hundreds of people and participating organizations together to share information on a wide range of topics in the disability and mental health arena.

Now in its 11th year, our Summit has touched thousands of lives, educating legislators from both sides of the aisle, while helping to inform families and working to increase opportunities for self-advocates across the board. The Summit, as conceived by Rep. Dan Miller, was designed to bring resources and experts out of their offices and into an easy-to-access environment, where people can meet face-to-face to better solve problems. This would never have been possible without the countless volunteers, community partners, and our fantastic hosts at the Beth El Congregation who have always opened their doors to us!

Each year the Summit differs in form and content. We offer free informative sessions but rotate the topics and presenters. We never stay focused on any particular diagnosis as we believe the challenges of stigma, funding and greater opportunity unites all.

This year we are back to a two-day event with sessions and resource fairs on both Thursday and Friday. Each day will feature a keynote speaker, and both will have a Legislative Panel. We are also teaming up with the AIU and a number of area school districts, including Mt. Lebanon, Keystone Oaks, Upper St. Clair, Baldwin-Whitehall, Bethel Park and South Fayette, to host a transition fair for high schoolers on Thursday evening. This will be a busy night, as we have another special event that will also be on Thursday starting at 4:00pm – Festiv-ALL! Join us for a celebration of art and music created by local artists from our disability and mental health community!

Remember you can also keep up with the latest information on our Summit on Facebook at @MillerDisabilitySummit!

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, APRIL 18
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM – Summit Kickoff and Legislative Review

Breakout Sessions

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Choice of:

• Protections for Individuals with Disabilities Under the Law
• Dating for People with a Diagnosis
• #NotAshamed: PRIDE in the Intersectionality of Mental Health and LGBTQ+

Breakout Sessions

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Choice of:

• Your Child’s First IEP
• Transportation: Issues, Advocacy, and Resources
• The Loneliness Epidemic: Embracing the Power of Social Connection

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM : Special Guest Speaker – Governor Josh Shapiro

Resource Fair

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Breakout Sessions

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Choice of:

• Don’t Count Me Out! Reducing Early Childhood Suspension and Expulsion
• An Early Reach into Transition
• “Normal Nerves,” Anxiety, or OCD?

Legislative Panel

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

• Access to Quality Assurance Checks for Complex Wheelchair Users
• Mental Health and Foster Care: Unmet Needs and Untapped Opportunity

Festiv-ALL: A celebration of art and music created by local artists from our disability and mental health community!

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Student & Parent Transition Panel with the AIU

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Futures Fair – Not-Your-Typical Transition Fair!

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
FRIDAY, APRIL 19
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM : Keynote Speaker - Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive

Breakout Sessions

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Choice of:

• Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Veterans
• Navigating Technology in Mental Health Treatment
• Waivers 101: An Overview of ODP IA/A Waivers

Breakout Sessions

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Choice of:

• The Provider Alliance Member Meeting
• Diagnosed as an Autistic Adult
• Individual Advocacy and Systemic Change in Healthcare

Resource Fair

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Legislative Panel

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

• Mental Health Staffing 101: Building for the Needs of Tomorrow
• Disability and Mental Health Needs of Incarcerated People

11th Annual Disability & Mental Health Summit

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