Practice and Policy Lecture Series topic focuses on family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Supporting family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) is the topic of the September Practice and Policy Lecture Series presented by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS). "Reframing Change at All Levels to Support Families across LifeCourse" will be held Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Oklahoma is one of 17 states participating in the National Community of Practice for Supporting Families which seeks to enhance policies and practices that impact families with members with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The work is guided by Charting the LifeCourse framework which was developed to help individuals and families at any age or stage of life think about what they need to know, identify how to find or develop integrated supports, and discover what it takes to create a "good life." The presentation will introduce the Charting the LifeCourse framework as a foundation for working with individuals with I/DD and their families, exploring the effect of past and current policies and practices, and the significant role families play across the lifespan. Real life examples of implementation of the framework will be shared. 

Crystal Bell is the mother of Peyton, a 13-year-old diagnosed with Down Syndrome; Conner, a 12-year-old diagnosed with autism; and Lilly, an energetic, "typically-developing" two-year-old. Bell was a volunteer at the Missouri Family-to-Family Information Center, housed at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development before joining LifeCourse in 2013. She is a trained Sharing Our Strengths peer mentor and family leader within the Missouri Family-to-Family organization, as well as a 2016 graduate of the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council's Partners in Policymaking Program, a leadership and advocacy training program for parents of children with developmental disabilities as well as adult self-advocates. Bell is a lifelong learner whose education and trainings span all life stages and domains, including Wrightslaw, Tools of Choice, and Care Coordination and Advocacy.   

The Practice and Policy Lecture Series has been developed to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices. The series is sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Office of Planning, Research and Statistics and the University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management with the goal of providing the best educational opportunities available in a forum that offers participants an opportunity to question, share and learn from each other. 

To register for the lecture, call (405) 521-3552 or email  DHS.LectureSeries@okdhs.org.