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$59 per workshop or $149 for all three

Wednesday, April 7

Driving the Future in Good Health

1. Fueling A New Marketplace of Residential & Community Options

Discover how pioneering leaders are raising the bar on a new marketplace of options and ensuring that a diagnosis of autism or other neurodiversities does not stand in the way of friends, jobs, supportive communities—and homes. Through a broader and more robust marketplace, individuals will better match their needs and interests with homes they choose, combined with natural supports and long-term support services. Together, we can and will inform outcomes demonstrating what works, what needs to work better and how supportive policies can better align all sectors.

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First Place Global Leadership Institute

2. Empowering Our Future by Understanding Our Past

See firsthand how the new documentary, In a Different Key: The Story of Autism, is positioned to change culture in the same ways such consciousness-raising, transformative movies as Roots, Philadelphia and Rainman resulted in greater awareness and acceptance. Be inspired by the courageous battles waged through the decades that continue today—and how they can empower you and your team for where we need to go next.

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3. Advancing Your Plans: A Place in the World Study & Tools You Can Use

Get a firsthand look at the groundbreaking report, A Place in the World: Fueling Housing and Community Options for Adults with Autism and Other Neurodiversities, providing essential terminology for housing and service delivery models that further define market segments, establish best practices and guiding principles, and help drive crucial partnerships that address pressing needs resulting from the current housing crisis.

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4. Moving the Needle on Outcomes: What Matters Gets Measured

With all the investment in early identification, intervention and education it is unconscionable that people with autism and I/DD slide backward after high school. Most people on the autism spectrum have some difficulty in the areas of physical and mental health. Because autism has been considered a childhood disorder for decades, the number of healthcare professionals currently trained to treat adults on the autism spectrum is limited. Rast shares more about the voids in our healthcare system and what must be done so that together we can move the needle on better life course outcomes for all. Rast’s work also addresses access to health and mental health services throughout the lifespan and the effect access—and lack of access—has on quality of life.

Learn about the NIMH research portfolio of studies on the delivery of mental health and related services across a spectrum of settings, as well as the development and testing of autism services across the lifespan. Benefit from information on ways to approach and advance research enabling us to demonstrate better results.

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5. Health Starts at Home: Advancing New Health & Wellness Initiatives

Our vision is to build a healthcare equity model where no one goes untreated or is medically misunderstood because of autism and other related disorders in Arizona…and beyond. You’ll be introduced to the First Place Virginia G. Piper Health Spot operated by Dignity Health, Creighton Medical School’s new elective and the 360 Health & Wellness curriculum. This powerful triumvirate is designed to improve the continuity of care for adolescents and adults to positively impact life course outcomes for this underserved, underrepresented and far too often underestimated cohort of patients.

6. Panel Discussion: Pioneering Leaders Share What They Wish They Had Known

Right turns, left turns and U-turns are all part of the visioning and development process. Hear firsthand from pioneering leaders what they wish they had known when they started the process. Don’t miss it!

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Thursday, April 8

The Power of Our Examples

1. The Power of Our Examples: Tri-Sector Leadership

Lead from wherever you are! Find out how First Place and the Global Leadership Institute are leading and helping others do the same through curriculum, toolkits, research, collaborations and counsel. First Place–Phoenix is also featured and exemplifies the impact of working together with public, private and nonprofit sector leaders.

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First Place Global Leadership Institute

2. Leading Affordable Housing 2.0: National & Local Initiatives

Home Matters® is uniting America around the true concept of home by building awareness and raising funds for more affordable homes and better communities across the nation. Empowered by a coalition of more than 350 partner organizations—corporations, government agencies and nonprofits—working together on ambitious but necessary goals over the next decade to make the new American Dream a reality for all. Dave and Denise share details about the first statewide Home Matters initiative in the nation focused on a new generation of affordable housing, connected communities, and healthier individuals, families and economies—for individual success, education, health, public safety and a strong economy—and how special populations can be part of a community’s diverse housing portfolio.

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3. Successes, Pain Points: Lessons Learned & Navigation Tips

This panel of pioneers shares their experiences with various models, as well as approaches to recognizing there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

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4. Speaking the Same Language: Applying the New Narrative/Nomenclature

A Place in the World is designed as a user-friendly resource to enable you to better express your needs and interests using terms others representing the private, public, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors will understand. Tools are featured to help you formalize and refine your plans, ensuring that the home you want or want to develop is the best fit for the people who will live there. As marketplace leaders, we’re eager to understand better what’s working and what needs to work better.

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5. Exploring Your Next Steps: Case Study on Transition Programming

At the residential First Place Transition Academy, we utilize a structured curriculum and targeted support for real-time learning—a combination critical for student success. The 32-course Learn4Independence® curriculum provides the structure for learning, while daily application led by our sister nonprofit, the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), helps students build crucial independent living and career-readiness skills. Outcomes include 81% employment at graduation and 84% living in their community of choice, with roommates or on their own. Join Brad and Paige to learn more about Transition Academy operations and the comprehensive Learn4Independence curriculum, including licensing and an implementation toolkit.

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6. Building Healthy Communities: Asset Mining in Your Own Backyard & Community

Denise reflects from the trenches on what it took to build “the most autism-friendly city in the world” with collaborating partners from the public, private, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. Benefit from tips and strategies for creating authentic, inclusive communities: