Concurrent Session Schedule

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Monday, October 4
Concurrent Session A [10:20 - 11:35am CT]

Achieving results by collaborating with internal/external stakeholders
Increasing workload demands, hiring/retaining qualified workforce and achieving your agency mission are issues every organization struggles with.  This session will share lessons observed & learned in achieving positive organization results.
Presented by: Alfred Johnson

Understanding Child Care Licensing Regulations across States
Every state has distinct licensing regulations and currently there is not a mechanism to understand the national landscape of how states are using licensing regulations to keep children safe. To address this need, CCAoA has developed program and oversight benchmarks using research-based criteria. To date, we have collected data on how licensing regulations of over 9 states compare to the benchmarks and how COVID-19 has impacted licensing regulations of these states.  During this session, participants will:   acquire knowledge about the specific components of benchmarks topics that are important to children’s health and safety. Program benchmarks address the following topics: background checks, provider qualifications, professional development, healthy and safety procedures, developmental guidelines and learning activities, group size and ratio, and family engagement. The oversight benchmarks address topics such as licensing, inspection reports, program/staff ratio, licensing staff qualification, and professional development.  understand the trends that have emerged from the current sample of states in how much they are meeting these benchmarks. Special attention to how states are dealing with equity within licensing systems will be discussed.
Presented by: Dionne Dobbins, Dr. Johayra Bouza 

The Effects of COVID-19 on Assisted Living
In this session participants will learn how the pandemic effected assisted living in Oklahoma as well as throughout the United States.  Items we will discuss will include:  (1)  Myths & Truths about Government Help  (2)  Collaboration with OSDH  (3)  The difference between Nursing Home mandates from CMS vs Assisted Living guidance  (4)  Essential Caregiver  (5)  Lockdown & Visitation  (6)  Financial Impact  (7)  Infection Control  (8)  Moving Forward.
Presented by: Melissa Holland, Lori Morton

Keeping Children Safe: Child Care Licensing During the Coronavirus Pandemic
During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic child care licensing agencies have faced many challenges in supporting child care providers and assuring that children remain healthy and are cared for in safe environments. This interactive session will be a discussion of the current trends in child care facility requirements and licensing agency policies and how state licensing systems have responded and adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected by the National Association for Regulatory Administration and National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance will be presented. Participants will be encouraged to share their states’ practices during the pandemic and any lessons learned that will impact their licensing policies and practices going forward.
Presented by: Sheri Fischer, Tara Lynne Orlowski, Ed.D.


Monday, October 4
Concurrent Session B [1:15 - 2:30pm CT]
 

Compliance 2.0: How agencies are evolving from inspecting to monitoring
An inspection is an essential process for determining compliance, but it is only a snapshot-in-time and it only provides a cross-sectional look at compliance. Compliance monitoring, which includes an inspection phase, is a multi-phased process that assesses compliance throughout an entire licensing period; as a result, it provides a more comprehensive view of compliance. By using longitudinal data collected throughout the Compliance Monitoring Cycle, regulatory agencies can better anticipate the needs of providers and more effectively prevent non-compliances from occurring in the future.    During this session, participants will learn about the Compliance Monitoring Cycle and how the inspection, correction, and prevention phases work together to deliver better outcomes for providers and for the communities they serve.
Presented by: Mark Parker 

The Joint Commission’s New Accreditation Program for Assisted Living Communities
The Joint Commission is launching its first new accreditation program in over 20 years – the Assisted Living Community Accreditation Program. With over 30,000 assisted living communities serving more than 800,000 residents across the country, demand for these services has grown in both size and complexity. Providers have gradually shifted from a mostly hospitality-based environment to a more health care-focused setting, highlighting the need for national, consensus-based standards. As care in these settings become more complex, the Joint Commission developed accreditation standards that focus on areas critical to quality, safety and resident experience including the environment, staffing, emergency management, dementia care, medication management, provision of care and services, process improvement, and more. In this session, we will discuss the impetus for creating the program, our development journey, and the ways in which a state can use accreditation as a regulatory tool to address quality of care concerns in assisted living settings.
Presented by: Mary Wei, Beverly Belton, Debbie Holzer, RN, MSN, CRRN 

Equipping Regulators to Advance Equity in Childcare
Embracing diversity, celebrating differences, and ensuring that all children are treated fairly are key components of providing safe and equitable childcare.   Child Care Regulators, those who are responsible for monitoring regulatory compliance, are on the frontlines in ensuring that the programs they monitor embrace the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  It is now more important than ever, to provide our Child Care Regulators with training and tools they need to promote these concepts within the programs they monitor.  Properly trained Regulators can provide necessary technical assistance to providers and programs and work collaboratively with them to ensure the children and families they serve experience a welcoming, inclusive and equitable childcare setting. This session will focus on the importance of training for Regulators, the trainings being offered within the New York State (NYS) Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), and some of the tools being offered to our Providers.
Presented by: Tina M Cook, Heather Robinson, Shaka Bedgood 


Monday, October 4
Concurrent Session C [3:45 - 5:00pm CT]
 

Culturally Competence Regulatory Agency Guidelines
Culturally competent practice is based on cultural humility and respect. It recognizes the fundamental role of culture to inform and shape worldview, beliefs, values, and attitudes, including those pertaining to providers of out of home care, and the children and families they serve. Regulatory agencies invested in regulatory practices such as rule writing, provider and shareholder training and conducting inspections need to take the time to become self-aware and to genuinely respect and understand the providers and children, adults and families they serve and their perspective from their unique cultural, familial, and community experience. Use of culturally competent practices can enhance a regulatory agency’s credibility, display caring and understanding, and promote trust. For minority individuals who may have experienced hardship, acknowledgement of the importance of their cultural norms can promote the development of positive relationships, consistent participation in the regulatory process and improved licensing compliance. This session will provide a broad overview of techniques on how a regulatory agency can create an institutional framework for culturally responsive regulatory practices and procedures.
Presented by: Donna Sabo 

Assisted Living Forums: Regulatory Response to COVID-19
Learn how Wisconsin effectively navigated and collaborated with all assisted living provider types state-wide during the COVID-19 pandemic.  With weekly, interactive Forums, the regulatory agency brought real time updates from the CDC, local public health, long term care state Ombudsman and other stakeholders, advocates and agencies.  Providers were allowed to interact virtually, ask questions, and navigate pandemic related crisis and concerns with the regulators from the state agency. By using various types of technology, online surveys, videos and polls, the state agency engaged the audience and maximized resources, experts and services to deliver critical information to all assisted living provider types.  This session will share tips and tricks to creating a successful forum, will share lessons observed and learned through this process, and will give the audience an overview of how the Wisconsin Assisted Living Forum: Regulatory Response to COVID-19 became a "life line" of sorts to it's providers as well as local agencies, family members and even some residents during such a difficult and trying time in the history of health care. This format of collaborating with an all hands on deck approach, no matter what our titles or roles were, proved to be a model example of resilience, strength, creativity, innovation and collaboration even though the "plane was built while we flew it." This concept can be created and used at anytime or can be packaged in your emergency planning toolkit.
Presented by: Kathleen D. Lyons, Jerry Riederer, Alissa Iwanski 

Wholehearted Journey to Ethics and Compliance
Regulating bodies have a hard job to ensure quality and safety in the programs they oversee.  Building an ethical and compliant workforce and organization requires a focus on individuals, team and cultures that promote compliance in all areas.  Using the framework of Brene Brown's Dare To Lead program, we will explore how regulatory professionals can support these efforts.
Presented by: Maeve O'Neill, Steve Hertig 

 

Licensing and Registry working together for an equitable early childhood workforce
Collaborations are not all treated the same, so as we explore three different states and how the Statewide Registries support, collaborate, and inform Licensing about the early childhood workforce.  Registries provide in-depth demographics about the diversity of the early childhood workforce so that states can make informed decisions.  Additionally, a registry can be used to provide data during emergency situations, such as a global pandemic, by providing a lens for all stakeholders on diversity, equity, and inclusivity to address gaps in professional development and technical assistance as well as providing data access for licensors to use in compliance monitoring to streamline systems.  Join us to see how Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin registries provide “Insight” for the licensing divisions in those states.
Presented by: Jill M Soto, Kris Madden, Nicole Lopez Purkapile, Pam Palmer


Tuesday, October 5
Concurrent Session D [10:20 - 11:35am CT]

Beyond Training: Collaborative Professional Development for Childcare Regulators
Those in regulator positions are often not receiving the same type of targeted professional development that is required of the childcare providers they monitor. This presentation will focus on the creation of a comprehensive professional development initiative for childcare regulators, using the Key Competencies for Licensors of Child Care Programs and National Guidelines for licensor training as the foundation.  Presenters will discuss leaving behind the one-size-fits all approach to training, whether in person or virtually, and promoting equity and diversity in professional development while maintaining focus on the learner.  The discussion will include planning targeted, consistent, professional development, competency mapping, integrating practical knowledge with conceptual theory, and meeting the needs of both the participant and the regulating agency to support employee professional development.
Presented by: Candace Gilbert, Jennifer Bridgeman

A Successful Data Driven Approach to Quality Improvement in Assisted Living: Roadmap for Implementation in Your State
Do you worry about not having enough staff to regulate the growing number of assisted living communities in your state?  Are your complaints going up?  Is resident acuity rising?  Come to this session to learn about Wisconsin’s nationally acclaimed public/private collaborative approach to improving assisted living quality since 2009.  We will discuss how this model can be implemented in your state to improve resident quality outcomes, decrease complaints and reduce regulatory workload. 
Session goals:
-- Understand how the regulatory agency is a strong partner in the collaborative and how Wisconsin uses regulatory flexibility to promote quality and decrease workload.
-- Hear about the collaborative approach and imagine how your state, led by the regulatory agency, could start a similar initiative.
-- See the data and how members and sponsors use the reports to drive quality.
-- Learn about the coaching, mentoring and clinical resources available to members.
-- Hear how we have addressed diversity, equity and inclusion in assisted living.
-- Receive answers to your questions.
Presented by: Kevin Coughlin, Alfred Johnson, Susan E. Nordman Oliveira, WCCEAL Advisory Group Members 

What can your data tell you about equity in licensing?
Join the team from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation project, The Role of Licensing in Early Care and Education, for a discussion about using data to better understand equity (and inequities) in the child care licensing system. To help structure the discussion, we’ll first share a child care licensing framework that describes the culture (including equity), functions, and management of licensing as well as the partners, context, and outcomes of the licensing system. Child care licensing staff from Washington and Arkansas will offer examples of how they’re planning to use data to address equity. We’ll end by exploring questions related to licensing and equity that could be addressed by research.
Presented by: Nina Johnson, Brenda Miranda, Sonya Stevens, Tonya Williams

Being Intentional When Looking through the Lens
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical topics impacting our industry. We are tasked with initiatives to ensure we are following best practices. But where do we start? How do we authentically change behavior? This presentation will unpack these questions. It will define the terms and what they apply to. It will include strategies related to training, policy development, and providing technical assistance. This presentation will highlight how these initiatives align with the NARA Best Practices on Human Care Regulation. It will also talk about how leaders can support change behavior.
Presented by: Kathryn C Schmidt, Tara Lynne Orlowski, Ed.D.
 

Tuesday, October 5
Concurrent Session E [1:30 - 2:45pm CT]
 

Assisted Living and Technology – Are you ready for the Baby Boomers?
The next generation will soon be moving to Assisted Living along with their smart devices.  Society is becoming dependent on smart devices such as smart phones, lifeline, security cameras and smart home devices such as thermostats, lights and even water.  Let’s not forget how Google Nest and Alexa has changed everyone’s lives.  COVID-19 has proved how essential technology is to residents and staff in Assisted Living.  This session will discuss technology used in Assisted Living along with an open discussion on requirements within your regulatory environment.
Presented by: Margie Zelenak 

A Brave New World – Virtual Visits and the Digital Divide
This session will provide an overview of Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning’s (DECAL) innovative approach to changing normal regulatory and investigation processes during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Presenters will discuss how DECAL’s management team developed a protocol for licensing staff to follow in order for DECAL to continue to conduct visits, a critical responsibility of child care licensing agencies.  Participants will learn how DECAL utilized DECAL KOALA, the provider online administrative licensing application for licensed and exempt programs, to aide in the support of completing visits.  We will discuss how the protocol included those programs that had limitations of technology and DECAL’s efforts to ensure that the protocol was inclusive of all child care programs within the state.  Lastly, we will discuss what we’ve learned through these process changes and what DECAL may continue post-pandemic.
Presented by: Rhonda Parker, April Rogers, Dana Morrison 

Licensing Teams Supporting and Shifting Diversity and Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Settings
This inspiring presentation will be hosted by Niki Gill Adams, ECE Instructor and Executive Director of Culturally Responsive Community Based Child Care Licensing in 3 major Counties in Colorado. Niki is excited to share an innovative approach and method to deliver Licensing Services. This presentation is designed to create a paradigm shift in how Regulatory Agencies and early childhood professionals view and address inclusion, diversity, and equity in early childhood settings. Join this presentation to participate in an overview of the current inequities that exist in early childhood programs and learn strategies to balance the scales of justice within your Licensing Team while using the Culturally Responsive Community Based Child Care Licensing model founded by Dr. Rosemarie Allen.
Presented by: Niki Gill Adams 

Your Fault Again: Why Regulators are Blamed when Licensees Fail
Licensees are responsible for compliance with rules and regulations...but licensing oversight agencies are often criticized when compliance is not achieved, especially when people in care are harmed because of a licensee’s violations.  This session will explore why this is so, what can be done to prevent it from happening, and how to respond when it does happen.
Presented by: Ron Melusky
 

Tuesday, October 5
Concurrent Session F [3:00 - 4:15pm CT]
 

Wisconsin’s No Plan of Correction Initiative
Learn how Wisconsin transformed their survey process to eliminate the requirement of facility plans of correction (POC). From the start of Wisconsin's assisted living regulatory process, a POC has been required in response to the issuance of a statement of deficiency with violations. Over the years, Wisconsin's Bureau of Assisted Living has conducted thousands of surveys which require a POC and subsequent verification visits. Bureau data also reflects a steady increase in the time spent reviewing submitted POCs with limited positive impact on reducing reoccurring violations. As part of the Bureau's analysis of the survey process, a "No POC Initiative" was developed and successfully  implemented. Instead of reviewing submitted POCs, the Bureau now utilizes it's survey resources more efficiently to conduct meaningful surveys of assisted living facilities. This session will unveil the process the state agency utilized to leverage assisted living provider's and maximize their own ability to identify their  internal quality assurance methods to correct violations. This successful initiative put the responsibility back on the licensee to ensure quality and maintain continuous compliance. Presenters from the BAL NO POC Initiative team will give an overview of the initiative and the scope of the project. They will explain how they tackled an "overhaul" of all internal processes that this initiative touched and prepared and trained staff for a smooth rollout. Special focus in this session will be given on the internal enforcement review process changes that were necessary to manage and how "Operational Excellence" meetings ensured the quality of the initiative.
Presented by: Cari Gast, Lori Salzwedel, Hillary Holman 

The Value of Acknowledging Systemic Bias in Licensing
When I worked as a licensor it was not uncommon to hear individuals say they were reluctant to go into a community "because they didn't feel it was safe".  Without any statistical evidence to back that up. Working as an advocate while representing providers at hearings I heard a licensor testify "that providers in certain communities are more apt to lie about who actually lives in their households, because there are more individuals in that community who may not be able to pass the CORI check.  This workshop will assist participants in identifying what constitutes systemic bias and how systemic bias adversely affects providers.
Presented by: Sharon Woodward 

Looking at Child Care Licensing Through an Equity Lens
This interactive session will focus on equity and cultural responsiveness in child care licensing in three areas:   Requirements: National data will be presented to show how states have incorporated cultural development of children in licensing requirements. Participants will be asked to share how they measure these types of requirements during when monitoring providers for compliance.  Policies and Practices: A set of questions will be shared for licensing agencies to examine their policies and practices and assess whether they support equitable participation in the early childhood system for all providers, children, and families.  Relationships with Providers: The relationship between licensors and providers are often contentious and based on distrust. The Culturally Responsive Community Based Licensing model will be discussed as a method for building caring, reciprocal relationships with child care providers. When providers feel valued and trusted in their work, children and families benefit.
Presented by: Sheri Fischer, Kelly Maxwell, Rosemarie Allen
 

Wednesday, October 6
Concurrent Session G [8:30 - 9:45am CT]

Transportation Safety… Encouraging the Safe Transport of Children
According to NoHeatStrike.org, Florida is listed as one of the top states that lead in hot car child deaths. In response to these tragic events, the Office of Child Care conducted a statewide campaign to train providers and licensing staff on proper transportation practices at child care programs. Through implementation of more stringent monitoring protocols and enforcement policies, including more stringent disciplinary sanctions, Florida has helped to raise awareness regarding these fatalities at child care programs.  This presentation will discuss basic transportation safety requirements, strategies implemented to monitor providers that offer transportation services, new polices, and legislation that Florida is utilizing to prevent future tragedies.
Presented by: Dinah Davis, Miatta Jalaber

Policy as a Love Language: Achieving Equity Through Purposeful Policy
Diversity, inclusion and equity may sometimes feel like social justice versions of corporate buzz words, like “circle back” or “synergy”. I assure you they hold much more meaning and are in fact key in crafting communities, workplaces and governments which are purposefully designed to fairly serve everyone they impact. In this session we will dive into what diversity, inclusion and equity truly mean and look like in practice. We will analyze how to measure where your program is now, what the data means and where to go from here. We will discuss how we can move past simply “meaning well” which keeps us standing still, to taking deliberate steps forward with comprehensive structural change. Historically, policies have been used far too often to exclude, intimidate and harm, which means we must be relentless in eliminating those policies when we encounter them. Then, we must create focused policies that deliberately include, welcome and heal.
Presented by: Kat Martinez

How agencies are using big data to predict non-compliance
Data visualization is a method of data mining that uses graphs and charts to drill down into large and complex datasets. By applying a series of filters, agency directors and supervisors can visually explore non-compliance data and identify critical trends and anomalies. With this insight, regulatory agencies can predict the likelihood of future non-compliance and provide focused training and technical assistance to providers.    In this session, participants will learn how the quality of data collected during inspections directly impacts the usability of data for visualization, and how government agencies are currently using data visualization to predict non-compliance. Participants will be provided practical steps to evaluate existing datasets and determine data visualization readiness.
Presented by: Mark Parker

The Quality Early Education System: A Collaboration in Care
This session will highlight a new, innovative program in Hillsborough County, Florida designed to streamline early learning professional development , promote high quality early learning, support early care educators and caregivers, and increase kindergarten readiness.   As one division of this system originated in the child care licensing office in Tampa, FL , participants will learn about the different approach that was taken with child care providers when offering technical assistance and obtaining compliance as well as other programs offered through this system all in a spirit of unity, compassion, and authentic support. Participants will also learn   about the child care provider led efforts that organically developed in Hillsborough County as a result.
Presented by: Angela Chowning, Marni Fuente