This year’s Disability & Mental Health Summit will have more to check out than ever before!
Three special events are brand new this year:
Festiv-ALL
Thursday, April 18th
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Join us for a celebration of art and music created by local artists from our disability and mental health community! Featuring Band Together Pittsburgh, Creative Citizens Studios, and more! See something new, break down stigma, and have some fun!
Student/Parent Transition Panel
Thursday, April 18th
5:30 – 6:30 PM
We are pleased to offer a unique opportunity for parents and students who are currently working through the process of transition to learn from their peers. For the first time, the Summit will host a transition-focused panel discussion facilitated by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. The panel will be made up of individuals and families who recently completed the transition from school age to adult services who will provide information and share insights about their unique experiences.
Futures Fair – Not-Your-Typical Transition Fair!
Thursday, April 18th
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
We are so excited to team up with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) and Mt. Lebanon, Keystone Oaks, Upper St. Clair, Baldwin-Whitehall, Bethel Park, and South Fayette school districts to offer an evening Futures Fair, a transition fair focusing solely on the needs of high schoolers and young adults as they work hard to transition into adulthood, greater independence, and greater opportunity! This fair will feature an assortment of educational and training options, employment possibilities, service providers, recreational and social opportunities, and so much more. Join us and begin to chart a path to your future!
We are also excited to feature these returning special events:
Legislative Panels
Always a favorite event, we will once again gather a couple dozen elected officials from both sides of the aisle (and typically from across the state) to talk about disability and mental health issues that are currently on the agenda in Harrisburg. This year, we will host legislative panels in the afternoon on both Thursday and Friday.
Thursday, April 18th
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Access to Quality Assurance Checks for Complex Wheelchair Users
Mental Health and Foster Care: Unmet Needs and Untapped Opportunity
Friday, April 19th
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Mental Health Staffing 101: Building for the Needs of Tomorrow
Disability and Mental Health Needs of Incarcerated People
Additional details about these Legislative Panels may be found on the Sessions tab.
Provider Alliance Membership Meeting
Friday, April 19th
11 AM – Noon
Members of the public are invited to attend this meeting of the Provider Alliance, a nonprofit
association that represents organizations relating to disability and mental health services, to hear about their latest efforts in Harrisburg to strengthen their essential services which are so dependent upon government support.
Free IEP/504 consultations
Have a question about IEPs or 504 Plans?
Special Education attorneys will be available to answer your questions at the Summit with free virtual and in-person consultations available on both days.
Some areas of concern may be…
✓ Identifying your child as eligible for special education services under the IDEA
✓ Obtaining the specialized instruction needed to provide FAPE (a free and appropriate public
education)
✓ Your child’s school not following his/her IEP or 504 accommodations/goals
✓ Securing necessary supportive services, such as one-on-one aides or behavioral supports
✓ Pursuing reimbursement for private school placements.
Reserve your spot using the registration link.
Note: The Disability & Mental Health Summit is for informational purposes only. Representative Miller neither endorses nor approves of services provided by our partners and sponsors and takes no responsibility for the value of their advice. We suggest you do your own due diligence in researching your issue.