SE4A Spotlight Newsletter - 2024 September Edition

SE4A Spotlight Newsletter September 2024

SE4A President's Address:

Dear SE4A Members:

We are already in fiscal year 2025! Most of us are busy dealing with budgets, new contracts, procurement, database systems, advocating for additional funding, trying to understand the 2024 OAA Reauthorization bills, working on Area Plans or updates, hiring in a tight labor market, wrapping up ARP, and conducting our everyday activities.

Did we even have time to fit in a summer vacation?

Our SE4A conference, which will be held in Gulf Shores, Alabama on October 20 – 23, 2024, will give us the opportunity to learn best practices from each other. We are not alone in this climate of growing population, inflation, and stagnant funding! We will gather information from networking with other AAAs, listening to speakers, sponsors and exhibitors, attending the array of break out sessions, and understanding how to serve our communities better by the innovative ideas of others.

We must continue to focus on the community that we serve – those with disabilities, and seniors and their caregivers. Our participation in SE4A helps us keep that focus. It is worth our effort to make those many lives better!

Throughout the year, a member state of SE4A hosts an informative, monthly webinar, which is free to any member. Look for emails describing the various topics.

I am so excited to be seeing you all at the 2024 SE4A conference in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Dress comfortably and casually. Come and enjoy the beach, the food, and each other.

Sincerely,

Tim

Tim Womack

SE4A President

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General Presenter Line Up

Opening Session 10/20 - Kristen Scroggins – founder/owner of genWHY Communications

Monday’s General Session 10/21 - Paul Greenwood - Former Elder Abuse Career Prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney - San Diego; Owner, Greenwood Law Corp

Tuesday’s General Session/Panel Discussion 10/22 - Sandy Markwood - CEO, USAging

Tuesday’s General Session/Panel Discussion 10/22 - Constantinos Miskis - Regional Administrator @ U.S. Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department for Health & Human services

Tuesday’s General Session/Panel Discussion 10/22 - Robert “Bob” Blancato - President of Matz, Blancato & Associates in Washington, DC.; Executive Director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, National Coordinator of the Elder Justice Coalition, and the National Coordinator for Defeat Malnutrition Today coalition

Tuesday’s General Session/Panel Discussion 10/22 - Jessica Johnston – Senior Director of The Center for Economic Well-Being (CEW) at NCOA

Wednesday’s Closing Session 10/23 - Jenny Nolen – Keynote Speaker/Trainer

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SE4A Webinar Series

Join us for the September 18 Session on Zoom! The SE4A Webinar Series has been developed to offer monthly tools and training in a virtual Zoom format to our member/non-member network.

Each month, one SE4A member state will select a presenter to host the webinar on a different topic that is applicable to all and impacts our aging network.

Session Description: Heather Lawrence and Joyce Nussbaum will present on Valley Program for Aging Services’ (VPAS) Caregiver Support and Dementia Education programs provided utilizing Title III-E funding. In addition to describing the varied and beneficial services VPAS offers, the presentation will focus on successes, challenges and lessons learned while designing and implementing these programs.

Joyce Nussbaum, VPAS Director of Senior Services for Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, graduated from the Adult Degree Program at James Madison University in 2010 and has a degree in Social Sciences with a concentration in Gerontology and Family Studies. Joyce has worked for VPAS since July 2010 and is the Director of Senior Services in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Joyce is a Master Trainer for several evidence-based programs including Chronic Disease Self-Management Education, A Matter of Balance, and Dementia Friends and is a certified instructor for the Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention, Tai Chi for Memory, and Dealing with Dementia programs.

Heather Lawrence, VPAS Caregiver Support Coordinator, graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Social Work in 2021. Heather joined VPAS in 2022. Heather is a certified instructor for Tai Chi for Memory, Dealing with Dementia and a trained facilitator for the Virtual Dementia Tour.

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Webinar Registration

(If you plan to attend the webinar, you must complete the online registration to access the zoom link and information. This information will be sent out the day prior to the event. Please register as soon as you can so we can prepare our presenter for the number of attendees.)

September 18 Webinar Host: The State of Virginia