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Building a new generation of housing and community options for people with autism and other neurodiversities is good for everyone.

Join us for the ninth First Place Global Leadership Institute Symposium Webinar. Hear from pioneering developers, researchers and healthcare leaders. Inform your big visions and foundational plans, community outreach and engagement, and more…

Learn about the nonlinear path to real estate and community development that can help you save time and money—and stay the course!

Discover opportunities for learning, coaching and collaboration on April 7 and 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (PST).

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, First Place is offering these webinars at a reduced cost.

We look forward to gathering on April 7 and 8 and working together to move the needle toward more supportive and sustainable housing solutions for those we serve. Please share this invitation with others!

Inform your plans through this comprehensive report with co-authors Denise Resnik and Desiree Kameeka Galloway.

Be inspired by new autism documentary and co-producers Caren Zucker and John Donvan.

Focus on health and life course outcomes with researcher Jessica Rast, MPH, A.J. Drexel Autism Research Institute.

Learn from pioneering leaders blazing new trails and expanding the marketplace of options.

Agenda

Wednesday, April 7

Driving the Future in Good Health

Fueling A New Marketplace of Residential & Community Options
Empowering Our Future by Understanding Our Past
Advancing Your Plans: A Place in the World Study & Tools You Can Use
Moving the Needle on Outcomes – What Matters Gets Measured
Health Starts at Home – How Do We Define Home?
Pioneering Leaders Share What They Wish They Had Known

Thursday, April 8

The Power of Our Examples

The Power of Our Examples: Tri-Sector Leadership
Leading Affordable Housing 2.0: National & Local Initiatives
Successes, Pain Points: Lessons Learned & Navigation Tips
Speaking the Same Language: Applying the New Narrative/Nomenclature
Exploring Your Next Steps: Case Study on Transition Programming
Building Healthy Communities: Asset Mining in Your Own Backyard & Community
Tools You Can Use: From Early Exploration Through Development & Operations

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (PST)

Transitions and Real-Time Learning

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 Learn4Independence^® curriculum’s 32 courses provide the structure for learning, while the 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 94% employment at graduation and 88% living in their community of choice, including with roommates or on their own.

Join Marci Muhlestein, First Place Director of the Global Leadership Institute Center for Education, Training & Employment and Managing Director of the First Place Transition Academy, and Paige Raetz, Director of Teen and Adult Services for SARRC, to learn more about Transition Academy operations and the comprehensive Learn4Independence curriculum, including licensing and implementation.

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (PST)

Firsthand Lessons Learned: Implementing the Vision for First Place–Phoenix

Denise D. Resnik shares a wealth of knowledge and experience on the following topics:

Beyond the Real Estate – Building community within the property and beyond
Celebrating Diversity – Creating a culture and an operational plan that support individual needs
Becoming Lifelong Learners – What we’re learning alongside our residents