This coming February, a newly revised Canadian Health and Wellbeing in Developmental Disabilities Conference marks the launch of a new nationally focused conference, building on the work of two prior programs held separately in B.C. and Ontario.
Kicking off online on February 9-10, 2022, the digital conference is focused on improving health and wellbeing across the lifespan for persons with a developmental disability.
The Conference Program Committee is now accepting abstract submissions for 60-minute interactive workshops and for poster presentations. We encourage submissions from clinicians, direct support professionals, health care providers and organizations, and from students doing new and innovative work. The submission deadline is Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, by 11:59 p.m. EST.
The complex needs of people with developmental disabilities have been associated with increased health risks. For instance, a 2020 article published in the Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities found that adults with with intellectual and developmental disabilities often present to the specialized psychiatric settings in emergency departments. The authors found that, “many of these patients are inadequately supported and need stronger connections to community-based resources.”
The importance of improving outcomes for people with developmental disabilities is at the heart of February’s interprofessional conference, where health care providers and community partners can connect to share educational and informative updates and practical, innovative, promising and effective practices.
Participants will come away better able to discuss innovative and effective practices that contribute to positive physical and mental health outcomes, identify solutions for core issues and challenges faced by people being supported and their families and community partners. Other program goals include discussing the role of community healthcare in quality of life and how to develop, maintain and grow interprofessional partnerships to provide effective supports.
To learn more about abstract submission, registration and other details, please see the conference website: https://www.healthandwellbeingindd.ca/