TN-NADD Conference 2023 Program

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 2023 TN NADD conference hosted by the TN-NADD Board, the Inn at Opryland, and the UT-Knoxville virtual team. Our theme this year is Dealing With Difficult Emotions: Come Walk With Me.
We all have experienced both day-to-day stressors and more significant one-time stressors which have left a lasting impact on how we function. These stressors happen in all types of environments including but not limited to home, school, and the workplace. Most of us have reached out to our own personal resources for help to cope when needed and developed systems to continue moving forward. But how have we prepared persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers for these same stressors? Within many systems, we are required to “protect” persons with IDD from harm but we cannot protect them from experiencing feelings of frustration, confusion, sadness, etc. Nor should we. These are feelings all persons need to learn how to manage. This year we are going to learn how to teach persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers how to develop systems of support. By providing open communication, sharing relevant information, and developing relationships with others; persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers can find safety, stability, and build resilience. They can build bridges and assemble personal toolboxes of practical self-care. These can be difficult conversations and persons may struggle along the journey. But it is necessary journey.

Hotel(s) offering a special group rate:

The Inn at Opryland, A Gaylord Hotel

for 155 USD – 165 USD per night
Click HERE to book your group rate for TN Chapter of the National Association of Dual Diagnosis (TN-NADD) Conference 2023

Complex Shuttle
Gaylord provides a complimentary shuttle for our guests. This shuttle makes a loop between the Inn at Opryland, the Gaylord Resort and the Opry Mills Mall and back. The shuttle begins at 7:50am until 7:00pm daily and runs every 30 minutes.

This event is relevant for clinical professionals (psychologists, social workers, case managers, certified developmental disability nurses, certified family support specialists, behavior analysts, etc.), residential providers, educators, caregivers, families, and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Frontier Health is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Frontier Health is committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists and maintains responsibility for this program and its contents. In this conference, there are a total of 12 possible trainings available; however, the maximum number of trainings any single participant can attend is 6 due to the overlapping schedule for breakout sessions. In order to receive 1 hour of CE credit for any training, the virtual participant must log in on time, remain logged in throughout the training, and complete the post-training evaluation afterwards. Technical challenges that prevent continuous access will be handled on a case-by-case basis with the emphasis being placed on ensuring that the participant was able to satisfy the learning objectives. The in-person participant must also check-in on time, and remain present throughout the training, and complete the post-training evaluation afterwards. Partial credit for any individual training is not available. For the whole conference, the maximum number of CE credits available for any single participant is 6. Therefore, participants may earn as little as 1 hour of CE credit and as much as 6 hours of credit. The same policy applies to the remaining professional disciplines regarding logging in and out of sessions virtually.

Frontier Health is also committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in continuing education activities. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If the program becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods. Please address requests, questions, concerns, and or any complaints to Lori J. Klinger, PhD. (Coordinator of Continuing Education) at 423 224 1065. If there are any immediate issues of concern, please let a TN-NADD Board member on site know so your concern can be addressed.

TN-NADD, the Inn at Opryland, and Frontier Health are happy to accommodate special needs requests. We ask that you contact us using the information below at least one week prior to the event to ensure sufficient time to make any necessary arrangements. The Inn at Opryland is a fully compatible ADA venue. Please ask an Inn at Opryland staff member or a TN-NADD Board member if there is an immediate need onsite during the day of the conference.

Your Feedback is critical to us. We want to hear from you regarding how we did. By providing feedback you help us know what worked and what changes are needed for future conferences. Please take a minute to complete the conference evaluation and completing the conference survey.

1. Demonstrate an understanding of how to prepare persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers for emotional stressors
2. Demonstrate how to develop systems of support by building relationships for emotional stressors
3. Apply the techniques learned to assemble personal toolboxes of practical self-care