Reinventing Quality Conference
Holiday Inn Minneapolis Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota

July 30 - August 1, 2003

A 21st Century Architecture for Quality:
Building for the Future

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Program Theme
Meeting Objectives
Meeting Format
Preliminary Schedule
Hotel Information
Transportation Information
Registration Information

Program Theme

State systems of services for people with developmental disabilities are changing rapidly in response to calls from people with disabilities, families, and policymakers for a greater variety of flexible, self-directed alternatives for support and assistance. The shift toward consumer controlled community-based services is being fueled in part by a range of new federal proposals accompanying the New Freedom Initiative, Real Choice System Change projects and Independence Plus waivers. Increased resources bring calls for greater accountability and a number of parallel efforts are being supported to assure, improve and maintain high quality services by: (a) upgrading federal oversight of waiver programs; (b) raising expectations regarding quality assurance and quality management capabilities of individual states, and; (c) providing technical assistance, training and guidance to strengthen state's capacities for assure the quality of services offered.

Expansion at the federal level, however, is occurring within a languishing national economy and a state context challenged by fiscal restraint, workforce reductions, and a dwindling capacity to provide community services. State policy makers, as well as people with disabilities, families, and providers have to make hard choices regarding the nature and scope of the supports offered and received. All groups need specific, timely and accurate information regarding the current state-of-the-art of service delivery, cost effective support alternatives and the most effective approaches being used to assure and improve support quality.

For the past three years, the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services has combined efforts with the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota and the Human Services Research Institute to hold a national conference on Reinventing Quality in developmental disabilities services. Each year, the theme of the conference has been selected to showcase innovative services, supports and programs that effectively involve people with disabilities, families, providers and state policy makers in the design and implementation of quality community systems of care. In 2001, the Reinventing Quality Conference, Quality - It's Everyone's Business, demonstrated "best practices" in promoting and maintaining high quality, person-centered supports. Presentations provided a wealth of information on twenty-four distinct best and promising practices quality management/quality improvement practices used by states and organizations throughout the country. Over 350 workshop attendees had the opportunity to interact with presenters in what turned out to be a very active participatory learning experience. In 2002, the focus of the conference was on Balancing Freedom and Safety, and examined the ability of systems to effectively balance the need to respect personal freedom and autonomy of those served, while protecting them from abuse, neglect and maltreatment. Sessions covered rights, responsibilities, risk, and the capacity of quality assurance systems to weigh the need to protect people against the provision of too little support, increasing the risk of being neglected, against the provision of too much support, with the system taking over the life of the individual.

The title of the 2003 Reinventing Quality Conference is A 21st Century Architecture for Quality: Building for the Future. Under this theme, we will explore methods of integrating the rapidly developing technology into DD service delivery; discuss approaches to collecting, managing, and using information effectively, and highlight how information can be made available and accessible to consumers and families to enable them to make their own decisions regarding service quality during periods of fiscal restraint, budget cuts and economic down-turns. Sessions will additionally identify specific initiatives that are effective at the local level to increase consumer and parent control.

This year the conference looks to the future to address the key infrastructure components that must be in place if people are to be able to support individuals severe disabilities in nonrestrictive community settings by drawing upon best and promising practices from across the nation. Conference sessions build upon the pivotal policy issues that were the focus of the meetings held in 2001 and 2002, and incorporate many of the suggestions and recommendations offered by participants. Nationally known speakers have been invited including Thomas Hamilton to join Coleen Weick, Robert Gettings, Val Bradley, and Charlie Lakin in presentations on the challenges of the future and on practical, hands-on tools that can be readily used to improve the quality of personal supports. In keeping with the past practice, the conference will bring together people with developmental disabilities, family members, direct support professionals, administrators of community support agencies, advocates, state and federal officials to identify collaborative strategies for building personal support networks that afford participants a chance to live safe and secure lives of their own choosing.

Sessions are designed to support state's efforts to develop an enduring architecture for quality services by focusing on four broad themes:

This intensive, two-day conference will be held from July 30 - August 1, 2003 at the Holiday Inn Metrodome in the heart of Minneapolis Minnesota.

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Meeting Objectives

The conference program emphasizes hands-on techniques for building A 21st Century Architecture for Quality with each session constructed to encourage the active involvement of participants in discussions addressing a wide range of ideas, proposals, initiatives and plans. Workshop sessions are designed to:

As always a chief goal of the conference is to:

Support active discussion between people with disabilities, support staff, families and bureaucrats on the relationship between the quality of the support provided with the quality of life the person is able to access.

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Organizational Format

Day 1

Welcome Reception. The conference begins with an early evening informal reception to give participants an opportunity to "meet and greet" new and old friends alike in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Day 2

The conference will begin with a plenary session that will set a framework for the meeting by identifying some of the key trends in support design, social policy, and human services funding that can be anticipated to have an impact on people receiving support in the years ahead. This presentation will be followed by two people with disabilities who will discuss the implications of the future trends in terms of how they will assist or hamper efforts of people with disabilities to become productive, active members of their communities. This will be followed by a focused presentation on the meaning of quality in developmental disabilities services as seen from different perspectives: the relationship between the quality of supports an individual receives and the quality of life he or she is able to enjoy; the impact of measurement itself on the lives of those being measured; the implications of self-determination / self-direction on the process of assessing quality; and the need for direct consumer participation in the process of quality improvement.

The afternoon will include several breakout sessions that address the challenging issues currently being faced by states as they attempt to balance the need to respond to budget cutbacks and funding limitations with the desire to expand and improve services consistent with the goals and objectives of the new CMS emphasis on quality and community living.

Day 3

The second day of the Conference will begin with plenary sessions from Thomas Hamilton (invited) on the future roles and responsibilities of the Medicaid program, Bob Williams (invited) on the implications of Medicaid changes on the future of services, and Bob Gettings providing the perspectives of state DD agencies on the current and future changes in the Medicaid program. Following the plenary sessions breakout sessions will provide continuing coverage of the DD issues of the future as described above.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Reinventing Quality Conferences is the opportunity to make new contacts and renew old ones. At times some of the most fascinating discussions take place in the hallway, over a meal, in the bar, or as people walk from one presentation to another. In response to requests from conference participants, we have included time in the program for people to visit with friends and to make new acquaintances among participants from other states to discuss topics of mutual interest and concern. Unstructured "talk time" is scheduled into the conference during the reception, during breaks and in the evening and activities are included to focus and highlight the issues under discussion during breakfast on the second day and throughout the entire workshop.

As those of you who attended previous years' events know, the Reinventing Quality conferences offer unparalleled learning and networking opportunities for individuals interested in building high quality community support networks that honor the principles of consumer choice and control.

A full program schedule will be available soon. Don't miss this outstanding opportunity to expand your knowledge and awareness of the most innovative thinking on quality improvement, quality assessment, and the real meaning of quality assurance.

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Preliminary Schedule

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Hotel Information

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Transportation Information

Registration Information

The registration fee is $250 for all meeting attendees. If you are unable to access the registration form or if you need additional information, please contact the NASDDDS staff at 703-683-4202.

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