2008 Strategies and
suggested workshop topics

The 2008 Minnesota Age & Disabilities Odyssey will focus on four dynamic, practical strategies. We have identified possible topics appropriate to each strategy, although many topics are appropriate under multiple strategies. You may also think of other topics related to these strategies for which you would like to propose a session.

Strategies to:

• Achieve real empowerment: person-centered approaches that:
  • Help people meet their basic needs
  • Maintain true personal choice
  • Support what people want and enhance autonomy
  • Provide information and tools that empower
  • Reduce barriers to access via public information tools
  • Obtain knowledge to make informed choices
  • Learn to navigate complex systems
• Use data and measure relevant outcomes that:
  • Establish and use performance measures and standards
    • - To promote health and safety
    • - To strengthen provider performance
  • Construct a quality architecture
  • Design progressive measures for progressive times
  • Institute proven models and rely on evidence-based practices
  • Use data to improve practices and drive policy formulation
• Strengthen community-based approaches that:
  • Build communities to support multiple constituencies
  • Promote community participation
  • Champion return to community and build support systems
  • Enhance responsiveness through communication, technical assistance and leadership
  • Respond to geographic differences and offer solutions for various community types, such as deep rural, urban, ex-urban
  • Create empowering environments
• Break down silos and foster collaborations that:
  • Invite stakeholders to coordinate at regional gatherings
  • Create connections and invest in planning
  • Become partners in information
  • Contribute to informed and responsive policy development
  • Find multiple good routes for aging and disability services
  • Create and exploit opportunities
  • Transfer knowledge across generations and across silos

The deadline to submit presentation proposals has passed