Calendar
This fun and interactive workshop helps young people with disabilities get ready for work. Together, we’ll talk about why having a job is important and how working can help you earn money, meet new people, and become more independent. You’ll learn what employers look for, practice important workplace skills like communication, teamwork, and problemsolving, and explore jobs that match your interests and strengths. Practice real-life skills such as building a simple resume, preparing for job interviews, and learning how to ask for help or accommodations at work. This workshop is designed to help you feel confident, prepared, and excited about your future at work!
As part of the Transition to Adulthood Workshop Series, this interactive session will provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families with essential information about waivers and how they can support independent living. Participants will learn practical tips for navigating waiver programs, accessing available services, and advocating for their needs. Through real-life scenarios, hands-on activities, and guidance, attendees will gain confidence in utilizing waivers to enhance their quality of life. Join us for this engaging workshop and take home easy-to-understand resources to support your transition to adulthood!
Taking Action Against Abuse is a hands-on workshop to help you stay safe. In this training, you will learn: What abuse and neglect mean; signs that someone may be hurting you or not treating you right; how to speak up for yourself; who you can tell if something feels wrong; & what steps to take to get help. We will use simple examples, group activities, and practice exercises to help you understand what to do. You will have time to ask questions and talk about real-life situations. This workshop helps you build confidence, learn your rights, and know how to protect yourself and others. Families, caregivers, and community members are welcome too, so everyone can work together to create safer spaces. You have the right to feel safe.
When we learn the signs and take action, we can make positive change. Join us and be part of the solution.
This workshop is for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families who want to understand how to access services and supports for adult life.
In this interactive session, participants will learn what a Medicaid waiver is, why people may need one, and how waivers help pay for important services that support independent living. We will talk about different Louisiana waivers, how the application process works, what the SUN score means, and who can help along the way.
Participants will also explore how waiver services can support housing, daily living needs, employment goals, and overall health and wellbeing. We will review how to access healthcare services, understand basic insurance concepts, and identify helpful community resources and professional contacts.
This workshop breaks down complex information into simple, practical steps — empowering individuals and families to understand their options, ask the right questions, and take action.
Your future starts with knowing what supports are available to you.
This workshop is for youth and young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and their families who want to explore options and prepare for independent adult life.
In this interactive session, participants will learn about different housing options such as living with family, supported apartments, or group homes. We will discuss how to think about future living arrangements, what supports may be needed, and who can help with making housing decisions and finding local resources.
Participants will also explore the skills needed to live more independently, including managing daily routines, understanding personal responsibilities, and planning for long-term support. Through guided discussion and activities, learners will practice identifying questions to ask when considering housing choices and how to plan for the future with confidence.
This workshop provides practical information and simple tools to help individuals and families start meaningful conversations about housing, independence, and long-term planning.
Planning today helps create a strong and supported future.
Taking Action Against Abuse is a hands-on workshop to help you stay safe. In this training, you will learn: What abuse and neglect mean; signs that someone may be hurting you or not treating you right; how to speak up for yourself; who you can tell if something feels wrong; & what steps to take to get help. We will use simple examples, group activities, and practice exercises to help you understand what to do. You will have time to ask questions and talk about real-life situations. This workshop helps you build confidence, learn your rights, and know how to protect yourself and others. Families, caregivers, and community members are welcome too, so everyone can work together to create safer spaces. You have the right to feel safe. When we learn the signs and take action, we can make positive change. Join us and be part of the solution.
Sharon Delvisco, DSW, has over 30 years of experience supporting, educating, and providing technical assistance to people with disabilities to live and work in the community, their families, their service providers. She has received the Mentorship Award, the Humanitarian Award, and the Education Award from the American Association of Intellectual Disabilities Louisiana Chapter. She also received the Professional Advocate Award from the Advocacy Center in Louisiana. She has served on FPHSA Regional Advisory Committee and State OCDD Advisory Committee. Sharon is the parent of a young man that has IDD. She has lived experience as a person with long-term, persistent, chronic mental illness. Sharon is also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Dr. Rebecca Mandal-Blasio is the Clinical Director in Louisiana for Autism Spectrum Therapies and is a BCBA-D. She leads a team of BCBA Supervisors and Behavior Interventionists serving families in and around the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Florida Parishes areas. A Louisiana native, Dr. Mandal-Blasio received her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as part of the Neurobehavioral Outpatient Unit and Pervasive Developmental Disorders Clinic. She also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill’s Center for Development and Learning where she studied mental health issues in people with developmental disabilities across the lifespan.