FROM THE DESK OF ANN: AN UPDATE ON UCP'S 2023 FAMILY SUPPORT CONFERENCE

From Ann Coffey, UCP Oregon’s Executive Director
 
Last weekend (November 3-4, 2023), UCP Oregon held our 19th Family Support Conference.
 
The conference theme was “Reunited,” and that’s exactly what happened—dozens of people (parents, families, caregivers, professionals, and vendors) gathered together. They learned. They connected. They brainstormed and problem solved. They shared their joys and successes.
 
Katherine Ball, UCP’s Family Support Director, coordinated the entire event. As Katherine shared in the conference program, “Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and let the magic of being ‘Reunited’ happen! This is your chance to visit old friends and make some new, too. You’ll be able to meaningfully discuss the issues we face every day with folks who understand.”
 
Our Keynote Speaker was Lauren Lowery, a trauma-informed life coach. Lauren assists families of children experiencing disabilities and medical issues to “get out of survival mode and start living a life that is better than they imagined.”
 
The conference included two days of workshops, on topics such as:

• Entitled to What? How Organizations and Communities Benefit from Inclusion
• Radical Wellness for Caregivers
• Hiring Staff: How to Find, Hire, and Retain Great Caregivers
• Ableism
• Complex Access & Communication: An Approach for Emerging Communicators
• IEP’s
• Life Planning
• And so many other topics!

 
There was a teen/young adult panel; a parent panel; a sibling panel; and moderated sessions for moms and dads.
 
Although it’s said that “many hands make light work,” the following people deserve a huge shout out for their dedication and ongoing effort:

• Katherine Ball, UCP Oregon’s Family Support Director & the Fearless Leader for this event.
• The members of the Family Support Task Force.
• The volunteers, speakers, vendors, families, and attendees.
• And numerous others who had their hand in the event’s success. There are just too many to list. THANK YOU TO ALL!