"Our Reconnecting Experience"

Call for Speakers & Presenters “Our Reconnecting Experience” 

The Center’s 2023 2nd Annual National Service Coordinator Conference, Falling in Love with Service Coordination will take place in Panama City Beach, Florida September 20 – 22, 2023. This conference was created for Service Coordinators by Service Coordinators with an intentional focus on the training areas that we need to learn and explore. We are anticipating Service Coordinators from across the country to experience a training in the most interactive and dynamic way. We will offer at least 17 CEs for attendees. It is our commitment that this learning experience will further entice each of us into operating in excellence as affordable housing professionals enhancing our knowledge and skills in identified training areas.  

As Service Coordinators, we work every day to “prevent an unnecessary eviction, by wrapping supportive services and resources around our residents so they can safely and successfully age-in-place.”  At the heart of everything we do is the belief that our residents, their family, and the community we serve are deserving the highest quality of affordable housing living regardless of an individual’s race, ethnicity, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability level, geographical location, or any other identity.  

We also operate each day by not only advocating for our residents but also by staying current and relevant on issues and concerns regarding older adults, families, and persons with disabilities. We value and recognize the diverse professional expertise of each Service Coordinator. We want to ensure that together we grow professionally rooted in quality without compromise.  

The Conference Planning Committee and The Center staff contacted Service Coordinators around the country and the following training areas are the training areas for this year’s conference. We are looking for dynamic and enthusiastic speakers / presenters to make our learning segments fulfilling and enlightening. If you are an expert (i.e., credentialed via formal training or “life” university) on a topic that is in line with our conference theme and the desire to advance the skill set and knowledge base of our industry by providing a platform for intelligent discussions and exchange of resources, we encourage you to submit your proposal to lead one of our learning segments.  We will incorporate panel discussions and speaker lead formats.  

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides suggested training areas for Service Coordinators. In compliance with HUD’s suggested Required Ongoing  and Additional Recommended Training Areas and in collaboration with shared Service Coordinator training needs, The Conference Training Areas that we desire presentations to address are: 

• Federal & Applicable State Programs and Eligibility
• Communication Strategies in working with Older Adults
• Dealing with Cognitive Impairments
• Resident council / activity directors and Service Coordination  
• Legal Liability Relating to Service Coordination  
• Documentation Best Practices 
• Outcomes and program evaluation  
• Creative Newsletters & Flyers
• Mental Health and Aging
• Drug and Alcohol and Gambling use/abuse by elders
• Isolation & Older Adults
• Volunteerism

If you have any questions, please contact the conference planning committee at conference@qualitywithoutcompromise.org   

Speaker / Presenter Format 

Thank you for your interest in presenting at The Center’s 2023 2nd Annual National Service Coordinator Conference!  Conference Training Areas and information that we are asking to be included in your presentation are: 

1. Federal & Applicable State Programs and Eligibility  

• Availability in specific areas 
• Resources for those residents 62 -65 

2. Communication Strategies in working with Older Adults

• Cultural responses – how to address residents “Mam” 
• Pronouns (Her & Him)
• Partnerships (Dating, courting, “..shipping”) 
• Sharing constructive feedback   

3. Dealing with Cognitive Impairments  

• Brain changes / dementia 
• Resident responses and the community / family  

4. Resident council / activity directors and Service Coordination 

• How we create collaborative relationships
• How we decrease residents having to “pick sides”  

5. Legal Liability Relating to Service Coordination  

• Ethical dilemmas 
• Eviction process
• Resident violations
• Family Outreach (Advocacy) 
• Am I supposed to do that (SC)  vs All other duties assigned (Staff)? 

6. Basic Documentation

• Electronic & Paperless vs Paper office 
• Speak to all the daily log areas 

7. Outcomes and program evaluation  

• program effectiveness
• surveys with residents 

8. Creative Newsletters & Flyers

• Readability
• Literacy
• Fonts/ colors

9. Mental Health and Aging

10. Drug and Alcohol and Gambling use/abuse by elders

• What is it 
• Resources to support
• How it effects residents and other residents 
• SC perception 

11. Isolation & Older Adults

• Causes of 
• Increasing Resident Involvement

12. Volunteer Programs 

• Residents
• External Support
• Liability Forms / Waiver 
• How to solicit / Thank you 
• How to document

WORKSHOP FORMAT  

• To be considered, workshop presentations must: 
• Align with one of our conference themes 
• Be interactive, thought-provoking, and action-oriented  
• Allow time for group discussion 
• Fit within a 90-minute timeframe including a questions and answer segment  
• Be conducted with no more than three presenters. 
• Inclusive of lived experiences voices  
• Laptop will be available for powerpoint presentation, audio  and video clips  

COMPENSATION  

The Center for Affordable Housing & Resident Services, Inc values the time and expertise of our speakers. At this time, we are not able to provide compensation, however we have wonderful incentives for those who will lead these segments!  

DECISION / NOTIFICATION  

• Deadline For Submission – August 1st 
• You will receive an e-mail confirmation once the proposal has been successfully submitted.  
• Notification of the status of Proposals  – August 15th 
• If your workshop is accepted, the email you receive will also confirm the details of your workshop