MAKING CONNECTIONS
SOUTH TARRANT
Saturday, February 1, 2020
9 A.M. - 1 P.M.
Bill R. Johnson Career & Technology Center
1033 McCart Avenue, Crowley, TX 76036
Exhibitor/Sponsor Registration
Caregivers/Attendees Registration
SibShop Registration
Breakout Session Details
Tentative Schedule of Events
9 A.M.
Check-in
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On-site Registration and check-in begins. Check-in, drop the kids at the SibShop and Home Depot workshop, then make your way to the breakfast and keynote presentation.
9:10 -11:45 A.M.
SibShops
Home Depot Kids Workshop opens
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SibShops is a fun program just for brothers and sisters (ages 5-8) of kids with IDD. These workshops for "typical" siblings combine fun activities with discussing the good (and not so good) parts of having a sibling with special care needs. Advanced Registration Required
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Home Depot will join us to assist kids ages 5-13 with a DIY project while parents/caregivers attend Breakout Sessions and visit with Resource Providers. Each Child will leave with their very own creation.
9:15 - 10:15 A.M.
Keynote Panel Presentation: "Thinking About You. Thinking About Me."
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Join us for a complimentary breakfast and keynote panel presentation to discuss essential social skills and social thinking for people with disabilities across ages and stages.
10:15 A.M.
Exhibitor Hall Opens
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Visit with a variety of Exhibitors providing services and resources for people with disabilities and their families.
11 - 11:45 A.M.
Breakout Session 1
Breakout descriptions
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Choose to attend a breakout session on:
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Creating IEP's and ARD's
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Sexual Health Education and Puberty
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12:15 - 1 P.M.
Breakout Session 2
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Choose to attend a breakout session on:
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Guardianship and Supported Decision Making
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Creating IEP's and ARD's
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Sexual Health and Puberty
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1 P.M.
Exhibitor Hall Closes
SibShops Ends
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Please thank Exhibitors for the wonderful information they've provided.
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Siblings will have had so much fun, they'll want to come again!
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Future SibShops will be scheduled throughout 2020.
Download Flyer
in English
en Español
Breakout Sessions (subject to change):
Sexual Health Education and Puberty
Going through puberty can be just as challenging for parents and caregivers as it is for their children. This session will offer information to help parents and youth develop supportive bonds during the physical and emotional changes brought on by puberty. By Dr. Michael J Parker, PhD, Senior Clinical Director, My Health My Resources of Tarrant County
IEP's and ARD: Successful Building Blocks
Understanding the development of IEP's to be a more meaningful participant in your student's ARD meeting. By DaNell Johnson, MSSW, Special Education Coordinator, Crowley ISD
Guardianship and Supported Decision Making Alternatives: Respecting Rights and Supporting Choices (Most useful for families with children over 14)
An overview of the laws applicable to guardianship in Texas, the evidence and standard of proof needed to obtain a guardianship and the importance of Supported Decision-Making agreements in respect to the many alternatives to guardianship. By Tarrant County Probate Court #2 Jeff Arnier, Court Investigator/Attorney, and Derelle Walker, Assistant Court Investigator/Social Worker
Our Presenters
Dr. Michael J Parker, PhD
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County
Dr. Michael Parker is Senior Clinical Director of MHMR Tarrant Disability Services and Director of IDD Eligibility. He chairs the DS Clinical Team and belongs to a variety of agency committees. Dr. Parker is a graduate of Northwestern University, holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Fisk University and obtained his doctorate in School Psychology at Texas Woman’s University. He has 40 years of experience in private practice, community-based settings, such as Child Study Center, and the school districts Dallas ISD and Fort Worth ISD. His preferred populations included individuals with emotional, intellectual and behavioral issues. Professionally he enjoys consultation, supervision, program development, and public speaking. Dr. Parker is a former adjunct with the University of North Texas. He has been interviewed by CNN, NBC and CBS news as well as quoted extensively in Time Magazine. He contributed to writing the Texas HHS Commission’s Determination of Intellectual Disability: Best Practice Guidelines. Dr. Parker is a licensed Psychologist, a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology, and a certified mediator.
Dr. Laura Golden, OTR, OTD
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County
Dr. Laura Golden, OTR, OTD, is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist in the state of Texas. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Areas of expertise include intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, feeding impairment, and movement disorders. She has provided clinical therapeutic intervention to individuals from birth to adulthood with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Heidi Angel
Kelly Hart, Attorneys at Law
A former teacher and current attorney, Heidi Angel practices law in the areas of Estate Planning, Probate and Guardianship (including guardianship alternatives) and serves on the board of the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas. In her spare time she runs, hikes, bikes and generally likes to be outside.
Judge Brooke Allen
Tarrant County Probate Court #2
Judge Brooke Allen was appointed by the Tarrant County Commissioners to serve as Judge of Probate Court No. 2 in October of 2016, and elected for a full term in 2018.
Judge Allen has presided over hundreds of bench and jury trials in the areas of estates, guardianship, mental health and litigation related to estates and guardianship. Prior to taking the bench, she litigated complex cases through Texas and in Federal court. For her work as an attorney, Judge Allen was voted a "Top Attorney" by Fort Worth Magazine and a "Rising Star" by Texas Lawyer. She was also named "Attorney of the Year" by the Fort Worth Paralegal Association.
In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Allen is an active speaker on guardianships and preventing fraud on our senior citizens. Her staff of 12 often joins her or speaks on her behalf when she is in the courtroom. Together, they have reached thousands of citizens.
James Turnage, M.A., LPC-S
Director of Supports Disability and Behavioral Health Services, My Health My Resources
James Turnage, M.A, LPC-S, is Director of Supports with Disability Services and Behavioral Health Services. He is also clinical supervisor for the supported employment program which serves disability and behavioral health programs. He directs a trauma-based services team for individuals who are victims of crime within the Disability Services division of My Health My Resources of Tarrant County. He also provides professional staff developmental trainings in MHMRTC and in the community related to understanding mental health issues in individuals with IDD.
DaNell Johnson, MSSW
Special Education Coordinator, Crowley ISD