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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.
Continuum of Care: Mental Health & Substance Use Across the Lifespan
You are invited to join us for two days of professional education focused on the continuum of life. Our breakout sessions will be divided into six categories!
- Childhood and Adolescence
- Young Adult
- Cross Cutting Topics
- Substance Use
- Adulthood
- Older Adults
We will begin each day at 9:00am and end at 4:30pm. Continuing education credits are available for those who wish to earn them. Please select the registration option that fits your professionalism needs. Certificates of Attendance will be available for all categories of participants.
Opportunities for sponsorship and exhibits are available! Click here for more information.
Information for discounted rooms at the Four Points by Sheraton will be posted shortly. This hotel is adjacent to the conference location and will have state travel rate rooms.
Lunch will be provided both days.
Questions? Contact Team Dynamics – sharon@teamdyn.com or susan@teamdyn.com
REGISTER HERE
For over three decades, the APSAC Colloquium has been a cornerstone for professionals and researchers working to prevent and respond to child maltreatment. Now in its 33rd year, this go-to conference continues to bring together the field’s most respected voices and emerging innovators for a one-of-a-kind learning and networking experience.
The 33rd APSAC Colloquium brings together professionals, researchers, and advocates who believe that real progress happens when we connect across disciplines, solve with shared purpose, and bridge gaps in systems, communities, and understanding. Set in vibrant New Orleans, where collaboration and culture meet, this year’s gathering invites voices to come together -where various voices harmonize like jazz, creating bold, lasting solutions for children and families.
For the third year in a row, the Colloquium returns to New Orleans—a city where scholarship meets soul. Attendees don’t just come for the sessions—they return for the connection, culture, and community. Past participants have paraded in second lines, joined jazz-infused bar crawls, and built meaningful collaborations over beignets and bold ideas.
APSAC—the Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children—invites researchers, skilled trainers, and passionate professionals to submit proposals for the 2026 Colloquium. This in-person event offers high-impact, cross-disciplinary learning and showcases best practices, cutting-edge research, and innovative solutions to end child maltreatment.
Sessions should engage participants through content designed to support continued learning at every level—beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
APSAC invites submissions on all aspects of solving child maltreatment and is particularly interested in proposals on trauma-informed best practices and trends related to:
- Child Physical Abuse
- Psychological Maltreatment
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Welfare
- Online Crimes Against Children
- Substance Use and Abuse
- Forensic Interviewing
- Evidence-Based Interventions for Trauma Treatment and Recovery
- Addressing Prevalent and Key Risk Factors
- Groundbreaking Research and Trends
- Innovative Child Maltreatment Prevention Approaches
- Community Trauma-Resilience Awareness
- Best Practices in Child Abuse Investigations and Prosecution
- Mandated Reporting and Supporting
- Inspiring Solutions
This training session builds on the previous session, exploring the concept of sensory diets—individualized plans of sensory activities designed to support children in reaching and maintaining a “just right” state of arousal—and DIY sensory spaces within the home. Participants will learn how these tools can be tailored to meet the needs of over- and under-responders, integrating practical examples, case studies, and strategies for embedding sensory activities into daily routines. The goal is to equip caregivers and professionals with actionable strategies to improve a child’s participation in everyday activities like sleeping, feeding, play, and personal care.
Trainers:
Ira J. Chasnoff, M.D., an award-winning author, researcher and lecturer, is President of NTI Upstream and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He is one of the nation’s leading researchers in the field of child development and the effects of environmental factors on the developmental trajectory of children and adolescents. Dr. Chasnoff’s work encompasses community approaches to the integration of behavioral health services into primary health care, the schools, and the other multiple systems that serve children and families.
Christine Schmidt, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist who has specific interest and expertise in working with youth and families impacted by prenatal substance use and pre- and post-natal trauma. Most recently, Dr. Schmidt co-directed a three-year grant designed to help address the impact of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma on professionals working with youth in the child welfare system. Dr. Schmidt has been a member of NTI Upstream’s training faculty for over 15 years and provides consultative psychological services to administrators, caseworkers, and other professionals.
Amy Groessl, PhD, a licensed clinical social worker, brings extensive expertise in treating children and adults with complex trauma histories, neurocognitive challenges, attachment disorders, and adoption-related issues. She is based in Chicago and provides psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and consultation through her private practice. Dr. Groessl has been with NTI Upstream’s Training Faculty since 2016. She is also a Core Faculty member at the Institute for Clinical Social Work, where she teaches courses on qualitative research, trauma, attachment theory, and neuropsychology.
Sue Green, OTR/L, has practiced as a pediatric occupational therapist since 1987, culminating in over three and a half decades of knowledge. Currently, Sue is the Pediatric OT/PT supervisor at The Chautauqua Center, Inc in Jamestown, NY, providing early intervention, preschool and pediatric outpatient services to those who need it most. Sue has been a member of NTI Upstream’s senior faculty since 2023, providing education and training to healthcare and social service professionals who share a common goal of enhancing positive outcomes for the children and families they treat.