FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Oct. 21, 2013

CONTACT: Patrick Baker, DHS communications officer, (605) 773-5990 or patrick.baker@state.sd.us

Fall Conference Focuses on Veterans, Disability Employment, Transitions

About 200 attend three-day vocational rehabilitation conference in Pierre

PIERRE, S.D. – People interested in public vocational rehabilitation gathered in Pierre last week for the Fall Conference, an annual symposium with a near 20-year history.

The Fall Conference is a collaboration of agencies providing presentations in the areas of vocational rehabilitation services, community employment services and transition services for students with disabilities. With the theme “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon,” the 2013 conference focused on working with veterans with disabilities when they return home as well as working with students with disabilities as they transition to employment or adult services.

About 200 people from across South Dakota registered for the Oct. 15-17 conference, which was put on by the South Dakota RehabACTion Network. The network focuses exclusively on the programs established and funded under the federal Rehabilitation Act to assist people with disabilities to become employed and live independently.

“We were pleased to have so many people attend who are committed to assisting people with disabilities reach their vocational potential and independence,” said Eric Weiss, director of the state Department of Human Services’ Division of Rehabilitation Services. “That’s partly because of the conference’s top-flight presenters, but it’s also a testament to the strength of South Dakota’s vocational rehabilitation network.”

Nationally renowned presenter Dr. Richard Pimentel, whose life was portrayed in the award-winning feature film “Music Within,” provided the keynote speech “Wounded Soldiers Returning to Work.” Other featured speakers included Melissa Johnson, a former Aberdeen teacher and current full-time caregiver, who presented “Living with a War-Related Injury”; Dr. Dawn A. Rowe, project coordinator for the National Post-School Outcomes Center at the University of Oregon, who presented “Are You Implementing Transition Based Practices?”; and internationally known Stuart Ellis-Myers, a Canadian with disabilities including Tourette syndrome who has worked in senior director positions in multiple industries, who presented “Twitching Yourself to Rehab Success.”

Several other presenters spoke at the 2013 Fall Conference, including S.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Larry Zimmerman and future S.D. Department of Human Services Secretary Gloria Pearson. Break-out sessions included a wide array of topics, from job development and work therapy to post-traumatic stress disorder and ethical considerations. Entertainment was provided by Dueling Duos the opening evening, with the performance helping to raise funds for programs that work with veterans with disabilities.

The Fall Conference, held this year at the Best Western Ramkota in Pierre and in various other communities in the past, is held in October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

About DHS

In partnership with its stakeholders, the South Dakota Department of Human Services’ mission is to optimize the quality of life of people with disabilities through the programs and services offered by its divisions. Learn more by visiting the department’s website, dhs.sd.gov, and viewing the 2013 DHS Strategic Plan.

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