2026 Positive Support Conference

Welcome to the Minnesota Positive Supports Get Together

Rachel Freeman and Dupree Edwards

Minnesota Leading Forward: Re-imagining Systems That Work for Everyone

Meaningful systems change happens when our values are translated into action. This keynote panel brings together leaders and practitioners representing positive support efforts at the local, regional, state, and national levels. Through real-world examples, panelists will share how they use information, data, and lived experience to guide decision-making, strengthen implementation, and improve outcomes for the people and communities they serve.

Participants will hear diverse perspectives on building systems that reflect the core values of positive supports while exploring practical strategies for turning vision into action. Whether working directly with individuals, supporting organizations, or influencing policy, attendees will gain insights into how information can be used purposefully to advance positive change at every level.

Rachel Freeman, Stacy Nonnemacher, Stacy Danov, Rebecca Lambert, Beth Johnson,  and Brittany Wood

Systems Navigation: Accessing Care for Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities and Behavioral Needs Across Systems, Services, and Positive Supports in Minnesota (Room 2360)

Accessing needed care, supports, and services for children and adults with developmental disabilities and behavioral needs often requires navigation of multiple systems and processes. Barriers to care access can prevent or delay when people access services and supports, with disparities in wait times and care access in rural regions in Greater Minnesota and for racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse populations. The current presentation will discuss evidence-practices and current initiatives, such as Project Extension for Community Healthcare (Project ECHO) models, to promote regional capacity and systems navigation in Minnesota. Jessica Simacek and Danelle Dunphy

Category: Systems

People Planning Together (Room 2370)

People Planning Together is a type of Person Centered Training that is focused more on people with disabilities/self-advocates than professionals like typical Person-Centered trainings are. It is taught by a person with a disability, and the audience is people with disabilities. Participants talk about the things that are important to and for them, their strengths, and their hopes for the future. They come away with a plan to make that happen, and more confidence to advocate for it. This session will be an overview of the People Planning Together Curriculum and will highlight strategies that support meaningful collaboration, elevate the voice of the person, and ensure plans reflect what is important to and for the individual.  Cortney Cressin, Randall Oldenburg, Brittany Wood, and Ray Simpson

Category: Practice

Key Principles and Practices in Trauma-informed Supports (Room 2380)

This presentation targets both the principles involved, and core effective practices used in developing trauma-informed supports. The presenter addresses the features of self-regulation and intentionality as key to understanding what safety feels like and means for the individual. Building that safety involves being prompted by what you are seeing, and responding to the trigger and the context, rather than responding with a strict behavioral procedure. Tips and tools on building effective trauma-informed supports are presented.   Margaret Moore

Category: Practice

Regional Capacity Building for Positive Supports (Room 2360)

The purpose of Regional Capacity Building is to promote and share information about Positive Supports regionally and share recommendations with state leaders. We have Regional Quality Councils in the Arrowhead, Metro, West Central, and Southern areas of Minnesota that are made up of people who have disabilities, family members, and professionals. These Regional Quality Councils have Workgroups/Communities of Practice who focus on promoting Positive Supports. These groups then share their regional information and recommendations with each other and at a statewide level with DHS / state leaders. Come to this presentation to learn about how people with lived experience are involved in our work, our projects that promote Positive Supports across regions, and how you can get involved. Cortney Cressin and Rebecca Lambert

Category: Systems

Pathways to Understanding Workbook: An Introduction

Discover a new tool designed to help people better understand each other’s preferences, needs, and daily experiences. The Pathways to Understanding Workbook encourages meaningful conversations about the factors that influence well-being. Learn how this developing resource can strengthen relationships, support person-centered practices, and improve quality of life for both those receiving support and those providing it. Dupree Edwards, Margaret Moore, Adele Dimian (Room 2370)

Category: Practice

Understanding Trauma and Its Impact on Behavior: Key Considerations for Behavioral Support

This session moves beyond an introduction to trauma-informed care to explore how trauma can shape behavior, relationships, and support needs. Participants will examine practical considerations for integrating trauma-informed principles into behavioral assessment, intervention, and ongoing support. Karyn Harvey & Stacy Danov

A Box Lunch will be provided for those attending in person. 

Using Coaching Strategies Across Tiers: Supporting Staff by Creating Career Pathways in Positive Supports (Room 2360)

This presentation will highlight the key elements of coaching in positive supports across different implementation tiers. Different types of coaching strategies will be shared with examples from Minnesota organizations. Coaching staff in positive supports involve attending to social well-being, providing learning opportunities that work for each person, relationship building, and ongoing positive learning opportunities. Come learn more about how one organization in Minnesota is piloting a career pathway for direct support staff to learn more about positive supports to encourage professional growth and development within their jobs. Heather Wilford & Rachel Freeman

Category: Systems
Level: Not Introductory

What’s the Status of Seeing the Vision Fulfilled: Where Have We Come From and Where Are We Going? (Room 2370)

This session will review the originating vision of a person-centered support system, and the history of what has transpired in Minnesota in the shift from a system-centered, agency-centered system to a more person-centered one. Participants will have a chance to evaluate where we are now in this transition, and identify some key directions to both maintain where we are and to identify what needs to expand in the future. Angela Amado & Stacy Danov

Category: Practice

Integrating Positive Behavior Support with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Anxiety in Individuals with Autism and IDD (Room 2380)

Despite the high risk of anxiety disorders in autistic individuals, few clinical services address this need, especially for those with Intellectual Disability (ID). This presentation will explore how to treat anxiety in individuals with autism and/or IDD using a multicomponent framework that integrates Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). We will demonstrate how to blend traditional CBT strategies (like gradual exposure and cognitive restructuring) into a PBS Prevent-Replace-Respond framework. Attendees will learn actionable PBS strategies to minimize anxiety triggers, replace anxious behaviors with approach/coping behaviors, and positively reinforce approach/coping behaviors.  Lauren Moscowitz

Category: Practice
Level: Not Introductory

Learn More About How Organizations are Implementing Systems Change and Positive Supports in Minnesota (Room 2360)

Moving beyond “one-shot” workshops to implement positive support practices that are person-centered and provide people with lived experiences with services they can choose from as they build on their dreams for the future can be challenging. This presentation will include multiple examples from greater Minnesota describing how organizations are implementing systems change to improve their services and set the stage for positive supports to be sustainable over time. Rachel Freeman, Melanie Eidsmoe, Amber Bryant, and Danelle Dunphy

Category: Systems

Promoting Positive Supports with Systems & Teams

Helping teams use positive supports to support good outcomes can be very rewarding.  It also can be very challenging, especially when the situation is high-risk or when there is disagreement about how best to support the focus person.  After a brief overview of how state-operated Community Support Services (CSS) approaches this work, this session will center on a panel discussion with seasoned CSS consultants sharing lessons learned for working through barriers to promoting person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive positive supports.  The discussion will also provide participants opportunity to ask questions of the panel and share feedback to foster effective collaborations for positive outcomes. David Blom, Genna Kalland, Danelle Hartman, and Steve Dahl

Category: Systems

The Impact of Medication on Functional Analysis Outcomes (Room 2380)

Psychotropic medications are prescribed for challenging behavior in over 50% of autistic children (e.g., Mandell et al., 2008) and nearly 80% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (e.g., Yoshica, Lunsky, Muller, & Desarkar, 2025). For many individuals, psychotropic medications are used alongside behavioral assessments and interventions. A series of studies in which a functional analysis was conducted prior to and during medication trials will be presented. The studies looked at the effects of antipsychotic medication (e.g., Risperdal) as well as stimulant medications (e.g., Adderall) on a variety of interfering behaviors. Results demonstrated that outcomes of functional analyses were affected by dosage, timing, and reductions in medications across 22 participants. Whether medications have a function-specific effect or not, will be discussed. In addition, a case example will be presented and particpiants can provide suggestions about next steps for the individual described. Jennifer Zarcone

Category: Practice
Level: Not Introductory

Closing Session

Recognizing Achievement and Renewing Our Commitment – Rachel Freeman, Stacy Danov, Heidi Hamilton