About this Event
Symposium on Adults, Aging & Disabilities
This two-day symposium will be held April 7–8, 2026. Registration covers both days.
Hosted at Bismarck State College’s Bavendick Stateroom, the 2026 North Dakota Symposium on Adults, Aging & Disabilities is a statewide gathering centered on dignity, access, and person-centered services.
Through keynote presentations and breakout sessions, participants will explore ethical practice, neurocognitive change, housing, adult protective services, human trafficking awareness, mental and behavioral health, compassion fatigue, and professional well-being. The agenda emphasizes meeting people where they are—across systems, generations, and lived experience—while supporting the workforce that serves adults, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. A dedicated Lunch with Vendors session provides an additional opportunity to network and connect with community partners across North Dakota.
Designed for professionals across health care, human services, aging, disability, housing, advocacy, and community-based systems, this symposium offers continuing education, peer connection, and space for reflection, learning, and renewal.
Join colleagues from across North Dakota to strengthen practice, share insight, and advance services grounded in care, connection, and humanity.
Agenda - Day 1
🕑: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026 – DAY 1
Info: Leadership, Ethics, and Reflection
🕑: 08:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Registration & Morning Refreshments
Info: Coffee, tea, water, whole fruit, granola bars
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:05 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Info: Lindsay Welsh, Emcee
🕑: 10:05 AM - 11:15 AM
Commissioner’s Address: Lead with Light
Info: Pat Traynor, Interim Commissioner
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Managing Compassion Fatigue in Human Services
Info: Benjamin Parker, LCSW
Northern Plains Children’s Advocacy Center
🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch
Info: Make-Your-Own Sandwich Bar, Soup, and Salad
🕑: 01:15 PM - 03:15 PM
Keynote Address: Ethics, Autonomy, and the Dignity of Risk
Info: The Honorable Michael A. Gillette, Ph.D.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:30 PM
Refreshment Break
Info: Snacks and beverages
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Thinking Art: Strengthening Critical Thinking Through Art Observation
Info: Daphne Johnson-Clark
🕑: 04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Day 1 Reflection and Closing Remarks
Info: Lindsay Welsh, Emcee
Note:
Info: The symposium agenda, session titles, speakers, and schedule are subject to change. Any updates will be communicated through the event webpage and/or email.
Agenda - Day 2
🕑: 07:30 AM - 05:00 PM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026 – DAY 2
Info: Practice, Systems, and Resilience
🕑: 07:30 AM - 08:30 AM
Early Bird Breakfast and Networking
Info: Continental breakfast
🕑: 08:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Behavioral Health in Rural Communities
Info: Monica McConkey
Farm Family Mental Health Specialist | Eyes on the Horizon | Minnesota
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:55 AM
Breakout Sessions – Round 1
Info: A) Sorting Dementia Types: Patterns and Rules-of-Thumb,
Alek E. Krumm, Ph.D.,
Room: Bavendick Stateroom.
B) Housing 101,
Jennifer Henderson, Director of Community Housing and Grants Management
North Dakota Housing Finance Agency,
Room: 432.
C) Communicating Indin Style,
Cheryl Ann Kary, Executive Director,
Sacred Pipe Resource Center,
Room: 436.
🕑: 10:55 AM - 11:05 AM
Refreshment Break
Info: Coffee, tea, water, whole fruit, granola bars
🕑: 11:05 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout Sessions – Round 2
Info: A) Human Trafficking: What You Need to Know,
Stacy Schaffer, Founder & Executive Director,
31:8 Project – North Dakota Human Trafficking Education,
Room: Bavendick Stateroom.
B) Housing 101,
Jennifer Henderson, Director of Community Housing and Grants Management,
North Dakota Housing Finance Agency,
Room: 432.
C) Communicating Indin Style,
Cheryl Ann Kary, Executive Director,
Sacred Pipe Resource Center,
Room: 436.
Lunch with Vendors
Info: Baked Potato Bar and Beverages. Lunch with Vendors offers attendees the opportunity to connect directly with community partners, service providers, and organizations supporting adults, aging services, and individuals with disabilities across North Dakota. During this extended lunch session, participants can explore resources, ask questions, and learn about programs that strengthen person-centered services across the state. This informal networking time is designed to foster collaboration, build relationships, and support practical solutions that attendees can bring back to their communities.
🕑: 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM
Moral Distress and Wellbeing in the Helping Professions:
Info: Caring for Self to Continue Caring for Others
Kristen M. Fischer, LMSW, NSW-C
🕑: 03:30 PM
Afternoon Break
Info: Snacks and beverages
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:45 PM
Closing Keynote: Turning Unwillable Into Willable
Info: How to Survive, Recover, and Rebuild After Life’s Upended,
Jackie Stebbins, Speaker | Writer | Survivor
🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:00 PM
Conference Wrap-Up and Final Reflections
Info: Lindsay Welsh, Emcee
Note:
Info: The symposium agenda, session titles, speakers, and schedule are subject to change. Any updates will be communicated through the event webpage and/or email.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
BSC National Energy Center of Excellence, Bavendick Stateroom, 1200 Schafer Street, Bismarck, United States
USD 27.51 to USD 131.63
