The “Convening” took place at the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Annual Conference, Denver, Colorado on August 19, 2019. The Convening was provided through a partnership between National Peer Support Leaders, Building Partnerships for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities Initiative (BPI), Massachusetts Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC), California Board Resource Center (BRC) and the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA).
The Convening was an opportunity for stakeholders from various disciplines including disability services, advocacy groups, social services, adult protective services, law enforcement, health care providers as well as state and federal agencies to take part in a national conversation to address the complexities of sexual abuse against persons with disabilities; discuss strategies to prevent, identify and support sexual assault victims with disabilities; learn about trauma-informed care and innovative Peer Support practices; generate ideas how to move trauma-informed care forward; hear about promising practices and join self-advocates in developing a national network to address sexual violence.
The event was a great success with almost 300 people attending both in-person and live streaming. The event generated a great deal of input which will strengthen and help shape the future direction of this shared vision. During the upcoming year, the Convening Committee will be disseminating links to the Convening live stream recording, publishing and releasing a White Paper, sharing information about the development of a national Peer Support Network, conducting webinar(s) for national viewing, locating a venue for the 2nd annual Convening and continuing to share updates on the ‘project/initiative’ as it moves forward.
For more information about the Convening, please contact BPI at Jennifer.edwards-hawkins@massmail.state.ma.us