Workshops

Supporting Healthy Relationships

Workshop Description

In this workshop, we will explore key aspects of relationship skills and how to facilitate learning. Topics include elements of healthy and unhealthy relationships, boundaries and consent, self-advocacy, and decision-making. Workshop participants will practice with the materials and activities in small groups and will take home a set of tools to use in their work.

Learning Objectives

1. Identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships
2. Strategies to promote healthy relationships
3. Ways to support establishing healthy boundaries

Caring for the Caregiver 

Workshop Description

Taking time to attend to you is the most important thing you can do as a helping professional or caregiver to sustain your energy, compassion, and ultimately your capacity to continue to help others. This workshop will include basic information on compassion fatigue, strategies used to counter this, and time for discussion and application.  Self-Care and Resilience are terms that capture many of the practices we integrate into our work and personal lives to help us sustain ourselves while supporting others.  Come discuss how you and others are making this happen in your day-to-day, as it is not easy. The goal is to walk away with new ideas or a renewed commitment to yourself.

Learning Objectives

1. Review the importance of prioritizing self-care in a helping caregiving role.  
2. Determine one thing they can do for self-care, wellness, or enhancing their compassion resilience.
3. Determine one thing they can do to help others to incorporate self-care, wellness, and compassion into their own lives.

Understanding Autism: Diagnosis, Sensory Supports, and Community Inclusion

Workshop Description

This one-hour workshop provides an overview of the diagnostic criteria for autism and offers practical strategies for supporting individuals with autism in both home and community settings. Participants will explore the sensory processing differences common in autism and learn how to implement sensory-friendly supports that enhance comfort and engagement. The session will also guide attendees to reliable resources and materials for ongoing support and education. Finally, we will highlight local organizations, businesses, and public spaces that are considered "Autism Welcoming". 

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) used in diagnosis, including challenges in social communication and the presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors.
2. Identify common sensory processing differences in individuals with autism and explain how these differences impact daily functioning in home, school, and community environments.
3. Apply practical sensory support strategies and tools, including environmental adaptations and individualized supports that enhance comfort and participation.
4. Locate and utilize reliable autism-related support resources, including the Autism Welcoming℠ website.
5. Explain the key features of Autism Welcoming℠ spaces and provide examples of inclusive community locations and programs.

Shared Living and the Fair Labor Act

Workshop Description

This workshop will cover how the Fair Labor Standards Act applies to Shared Living Programs by reviewing the history of the FLSA and the impact of Shared Living Programs on the newly proposed legislation. Participants will learn how to apply the FLSA principles to the different types of Shared Living arrangements. 

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how the Fair Labor Standards Act applies to Shared Living
2. Identify how the Fair Labor Standards Act works in different Shared living situations
3. Have knowledge of the proposed legislation

Shared Living 101– geared to new provider staff and DDS Service Coordinators  

Workshop Description

History of Shared Living in the last 50 years and where we are today. Told in part by the workshop co-leader who lived and worked during the early years of the program in the 1970's.  A discussion of the history of shared living, best practices, and a look toward the future of shared living.

Learning Objectives

1. An understanding of what shared living is and is not
2. Identify the benefits of shared living
3. An outline of some of the best practices for shared living

What is the Adult Foster Care Program (AFC), and what makes it different than Shared Living and PCA?

Workshop Description

We will discuss what the AFC Program is, as outlined by the Mass Health Regulations, and what is new for 2026. We will also explore how AFC differs from the Shared Living program.

Learning Objectives

1. Review of AFC Regulations and operations
2. Understanding of AFC updates as of 2026
3. Awareness of the basic regulatory and operational  differences between the Shared Living Program and the AFC  program

CARF 101 

Workshop Description

This interactive workshop provides a practical, step-by-step introduction to CARF accreditation for Adult Foster Care (AFC) and Shared Living programs. The session covers the essentials of CARF standards, accreditation requirements, and best practices for achieving and maintaining compliance. 

Learning Objectives

1. Understanding of CARF accreditation for AFC and Shared Living programs
2. Awareness of CARF standards and accreditation requirements
3. Introduction to best practices

Dementia and IDD

Workshop Description

In this workshop, attendees will learn what Dementia including the different types of dementia, along with strategies for working with individuals with dementia and dementia with IDD. 

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the types of dementia
2. Learn strategies for working with adults with dementia
3. Learn strategies for working with individuals with IDD and dementia

New Shared Living Assessment Tool

Workshop Description

This workshop introduces a streamlined, person‑centered approach to determine an individual’s level of support for shared living placements. Participants learn how to gather essential information through direct questions, professional assessments, observations, and input from individuals, families, and other involved parties. Emphasis is placed on understanding how each response reflects real‑world impact and on creating a complete picture of the person’s needs and their impact on daily life, safety, and service operations and delivery. 

Learning Objectives

1. Awareness of the new tool
2. Methods to gather essential information
3. Understanding the real-world impacts of the assessment tool

Estate Planning; Guardianship, alternatives to guardianship & ABLE Account

Workshop Description

This workshop will provide families with an overview of guardianships and alternative options for arranging care for a child or adult with special needs. 

Brief outline of workshop content: Workshop will cover the implications of emancipation at age 18, how to decide whether Guardianship is the best option, the pros and cons of Guardianship, properly structuring a Guardianship, and the duties of a Guardian. Alternatives to Guardianship will also be explored, including Conservatorship, Supported Decision-making, Roger’s Guardian, Trustee, Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Appointment of Advocate, and Representative Payee.

Learning Objective

1. Overview of the available options
2. Guidance on how to decide which course of action may be best for their particular situation, and how to get started
3. Clarity on the relevant terminology
4. Participants should be able to leave the seminar with an idea of what to do next and why.

Community Integration

Workshop Description

This interactive workshop offers participants practical strategies to combat social isolation and strengthen their community connections and ongoing relationships. We will present both theory and real examples of successes.

Brief outline of workshop content: Assisting the people we serve to assume valued roles as active members of the community has been a long-standing challenge for us. The presenter will "lay out" a concrete methodology that includes specific strategies so staff can help individuals achieve this goal. Examples of success stories will be shared to illustrate the process's effectiveness. The presentation will be lively and challenging, encouraging participant involvement in discussion and problem-solving within their own organizations.

Learning Objectives

1. Have a greater understanding of the difference between people with disabilities living " in" the community as opposed to being members "of" the community
2. Understand a specific process for assisting individuals to develop meaningful community connections
3. Develop an understanding of where to "get started" with individuals served in their own homes.

Cultivating Space for GRACE: Building Resilience and Self-Care

Workshop Description

An interactive and supportive workshop in which participants will dive into Melody Vachal’s Space for GRACE framework, exploring how to cultivate gratitude, respond thoughtfully, acknowledge and accept challenges, communicate with compassion, and empower themselves and others. Through guided activities, reflection exercises, and group discussions, attendees will learn how to create their own “space for GRACE” to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and care. This session provides valuable tools to support personal well-being, promote healthier work environments, and cultivate community-wide compassion and resilience. Whether you’re a caregiver, a colleague, or a community leader, this session will help you show up with greater clarity, intention, and grace—without burning out.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the five elements of the Space for GRACE framework (Gratitude, Respond thoughtfully,  Acknowledge & Accept, Communicate with compassion, Empower) and apply them to their own personal and professional lives.
2. Recognize the signs of burnout and compassion fatigue in themselves and their environments,  and articulate at least two evidence-informed self-care strategies to address them.
3. Practice at least one mindfulness or reflective technique (e.g., gratitude journaling, thoughtful response pausing, or compassionate communication) during the workshop session.

See Me as a Whole Person: Sexuality and I/DD 

Workshop Description

If we told you this workshop is about supporting people to have a positive sense of their own sexuality, would you be tempted to say, “Oh, that’s not for me…the people I support don’t express an interest?” What comes to mind when you hear the word “sexuality?” If it’s being sexually active, that’s only one aspect. Since birth, sexuality is part of our personality, influencing our self-esteem, how we perceive ourselves, how others see us, and how we interact with the world.

Sexually interested or not, sexually active or not, our sexuality is part of who we are. The session will provide a working definition of “sexuality,” explore how it is an integral part of personality, and focus on how we can support people to develop a positive sense of their whole selves. 

Growing Older Gracefully

Workshop Description

Aging is a natural, ongoing process that everyone experiences, including adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. As support staff, it is vital to understand what healthy ageing entails to provide care tailored to the unique needs of this population. This training will prepare participants to recognize signs of aging and offer meaningful support. Emphasis will be placed on helping to navigate age-related challenges while maintaining social connections and fulfilling relationships, hence growing older gracefully.

Learning Objectives

1. Define “aging”
2. State three facts related to aging and aging with disability
3. List three interventions for helping people with IDD age gracefully
4. Practice developing an exercise snack
5. Describe three ways to assist someone with aging in place
6. List three types of assistive technology interventions

Assistive Technology: The Strive Clinic at Service Net 

Workshop Description

The use of the transdisciplinary model to support individuals with acquired brain injury and developmental disabilities through the use of AAC, treatment, and caregiver education.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding the transdisciplinary model
2. Benefits of the use of ACC
3. Future of Assistive Technology

Integrating Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) into a Shared Living Model. 

Workshop Description

The Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Initiative is a mandated component of Massachusetts adult services programs that receive DDS funding, ensuring that best practices are consistently implemented with our most vulnerable populations. A critical component of PBS is data-driven decision-making. Given that many adult service models, such as Shared Living, involve the provision of services by contracted caregivers, careful consideration must be given to the ongoing collection and submission of data. This workshop will review potential technologies to promote robust behavioral services within consultative models.

Learning Objectives

1. Define and explain PBS and Shared Living models
2. Identify existing organizational resources
3. Identify available clinical technologies for consultative models
4. Identify best practices for caregiver training

Trauma-Informed Care

Workshop Description

This workshop is aimed at increasing awareness around trauma and how challenging life experiences impact individuals.  It will enable the participant to develop a deeper understanding of how it shapes people's views of the world, their behavior, and their relationships with others. Participants will learn how strength and resilience can also result from trauma and difficult life events, and how we, as providers and caregivers, can help foster and build upon that strength and resilience in those we support, helping people flourish and thrive in their lives. You will also learn the importance of a holistic understanding of wellness and the necessity of regularly practicing self-care. 

Learning Objectives

1. Learn how strength and resilience can come from trauma and difficult events
2. Ways we can build upon that strength and resilience
3. Learn the importance of a holistic understanding of wellness and how essential it is to regularly practice self-care

Understanding and Embracing Gender Diversity

Workshop Description

This workshop focuses on creating understanding and respect around gender diversity. Our goal is to create an understanding of core gender concepts, recognize bias and its impact, use inclusive language, support colleagues through allyship, find a local support system, and access community resources in MA for people and their caregiver(s) we support in shared living.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand core gender concepts 
2. Recognize bias and its impact 
3. Use inclusive language 
4. Support colleagues through allyship 
5. How to find a local support system 
6. Accessing community resources in MA.