Posted on November 17, 2025

By Mary Kay Rizzolo, CQL President & CEO

Last month, we hosted the 2025 CQL Conference: Go The Distance! The event brought together nearly 400 participants from 37 states/provinces. It featured a pre-conference session from the National Leadership Consortium, 5 keynote addresses, 23 breakout presentations, 22 sponsors and exhibitors, numerous networking opportunities, a film screening, and more. We also had the honor of recognizing our 2025 Awards of Excellence recipients during a luncheon ceremony.

In this Capstone article, we’re sharing just a handful of takeaways from the conference. These include a sampling of action steps, strategies, and information that event attendees experienced in the keynote addresses and breakout sessions. We of course couldn’t highlight every single presentation in this article – it’s intended to give you an idea of the cutting edge solutions shared over the course of four impactful days.

Meaningful Employment Opportunities

We had really positive feedback about the keynote from Dr. Steven Hunt of Briggs & Associates. One attendee described that “I truly was motivated by the concept of supported employment with a zero exclusion policy.” Dr. Hunt challenged everyone that instead of asking “Can they work?” you should ask “What will it take?” with a focus on Systematic Instruction in employment. This helps reframe our outlook that any challenges are not indicative of someone’s inability to learn, but the need to explore different teaching strategies.

There was also a breakout session about employment by Michelle Sparling from Networks For Training And Development and Charlotte Wroton from the Philadelphia’s DBHIDS. One resource they shared was Phila On The Job, which links to numerous employment resources that are applicable across the human services field, even outside of Philadelphia.

Embracing Innovative Technology

There were numerous presentations that showcased different types of technology – both low-tech and high-tech – and the benefits for people with disabilities. A keynote panel from the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (DDA) set the stage with eye-opening data. For every $1 they invest in enabling technology, they’re saving more than $13!

There was also a session from Gerald Bernard of Charles Lea Center Inc., a provider that offers innovative technology for the people they support, with the development of an Individualized Technology Plan. Those participating in the session learned about exploring technology use through ‘The Four H’s,’ which you may want to consider in your efforts:

• How is this going to help the person achieve their goals and / or personal outcomes?
• How is this going to impact quality of life?
• How is this going to meet the rules, mandates, regulations, etc.?
• How is this going to be paid for?

In a breakout from Gregg Kelinson of KenCrest and Kellie Smith of Camphill Soltane, there was a lightning round of KenCrest’s different enabling technology solutions. This includes items like smart appliances, video doorbells, environmental sensors, automated medication dispensers, and more. Attendees were able to learn exactly how the organization puts those into place.

A Positive And Inclusive Organizational Culture

Confronting the issue of tokenism, Tommy Heller of AHRC New York City and Michael Lettman, a Subject Matter Expert, presented about the agency’s efforts to improve representation and meaningful involvement of people supported on organizational committees. This resulted in their Subject Matter Expert (SME) Model, which expands diversity, ensures inclusive decision-making, and puts people receiving services in a leading role to influence operational change. As part of the presentation, they shared ‘4 Beliefs’ of the SME Model, which may help create a foundation for other agencies to implement the SME Model.

1. Intentionality – Make a plan early with a clear agenda and be sure to listen to people with disabilities from the beginning.
2. Accessibility – Make sure everyone can understand the work by using different ways to help and meeting accommodations.
3. Equity – Make sure everyone has a fair chance to join and participate by removing barriers for people with disabilities.
4. Creativity – Use new and fun ideas to make meetings and projects work for everyone.

Another session that aimed to promote an inclusive culture was presented by CQL’s Angela Rapp Kennedy. The breakout detailed solutions that are relevant to the human services field, sharing concepts like Appreciative Inquiry and Humble Inquiry, describing the importance of Person-Centered Thinking, listing tips for inclusive practices, highlighting the value of inclusive boards and committees, and more.

And how can well-being be fostered in people’s personal and professional lives? That’s exactly what Trinity Services’ Stephanie Behlke Leigh and Anne Ward covered in their session, detailing the beneficial impact of positive psychology. Through the ‘Small Groups Experience,’ a structured 26-week positive psychology program from Trinity Services, employees and people supported take part in mindfulness exercises, reflective conversations, relationship-building activities, and more. If organizations are interested in implementing a similar program, they could check out the workbook titled ‘Move from Surviving to Thriving: The Positive Psychology Workbook for Challenging Times’ by Dr. Bruce Smith.

Promoting & Protecting Rights

There were also a few breakouts that addressed rights, including a presentation from our partners at the National Leadership Consortium. In the session, they shared a lot of data, with insight into how leadership practices can impact rights practices. That research could help you identify gaps between organizational priorities and real-world implementation.

In another presentation, Elizabeth Garretson and Lora Barlow from Opportunities for Positive Growth focused on rights and time-limited restrictions. One of the key strategies they shared is to identify the ‘finish line’ at the very beginning stages of considering restrictions. If agencies know what the intended goal is from the onset, there is more emphasis on progress towards that goal, instead of just a continuation of the restriction.

Digestible Data To Drive Change

During a presentation about using data in strategic planning, AHRC Nassau presenters Bridget M. Cariello and Susan Gill-Orange laid out replicable, practical information about using data to spark transformation, with specific examples. They also highlighted the importance of building investment in your data-driven initiatives, with tips such as:

• Engage self-advocates first to co-present data and voice priorities
• Share simple, non-technical summaries of data findings with families
• Inspire staff ownership, connecting data to their daily work
• Create cross-departmental agency teams for collaboration
• Make data personal and relatable with real stories and visuals
• Keep data fun and engaging, with interactive games, workshops, etc.
• Build continuous feedback loops, with simple ways to gather feedback

To learn more about making data understandable and explore how it can be used in action planning, attendees took part in a session by Joana Weaver, Victoria Blankenship, and Amber Rose of Liberty Healthcare Corporation. The presenters shared a lot of tools, real-life stories, and lessons learned. One example is when they described some common data challenges and workable solutions:

All About Outcomes

After participating in a breakout, an attendee shared their takeaway that “We have got to write better, functionable plans that are all about what the person really wants.” In that breakout, the presenters Bob Sattler of Support Development Associates, LLC and Courtney Kelly Chapman of CQL provided insight into the development of person-centered plans based on outcomes that are both individually meaningful to people and regulatory compliant. During the session, they shared resources and guidance such as leveraging tools for building person-centered skills, utilizing the Personal Outcome Measures® (POM), incorporating SMART Goals, and more.

A different presentation from Sean Switzer of Access: Supports for Living and Thomas Schacor from New York Families for Autistic Children also covered the POM. They focused on how you can use POM findings to influence key performance indicators. One tip they shared is for agencies to compare their own data to CQL’s POM Benchmarks Report as a way to identify outcome areas where there is an opportunity for improving supports and services.

Continue To ‘Go The Distance’ In Your Work!

We want to sincerely thank the attendees, presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, and award recipients who all helped make the 2025 CQL Conference a positive, enlightening, and inspirational experience! As one attendee put it, “From keynote speakers, to breakout sessions, to exhibitors and networking, this was packed full of great learning opportunities.” That is exactly what we set out to do with the conference, but it wouldn’t have been possible without all our partners who continue to pursue ongoing organizational transformation so that the people they support can live vibrant and fulfilling lives!