2025 International Learning Community Annual Meeting

Welcome

The 19th International IPS Learning Community Annual Meeting held at the Hilton BNA in Nashville, TN on May 14 – 15, 2025.

This hotel was conveniently located within Nashville International Airport and features new rooms and includes a variety of amenities including an exceptional rooftop/sky pavilion. Getting to the hotel from the airport was easy – just a short walk from the terminal to the room to rest and relax! It’s 8 miles away from Downtown Nashville – Music City’s cultural attractions, restaurants, and museums!

There was participation from the five stakeholder groups: mental health leader, vocational rehabilitation leader, IPS trainer, family leader, and peer leader.

The conference meeting included keynote speakers and discussion groups. All topic areas related to employment and recovery. Examples of topic areas include personal recovery stories; learning communities: new research findings, mental health and vocational rehabilitation partnerships for IPS; and international updates.

Agenda

Click here to download a printable version of the Agenda.

May 14, 2025

7:00 – 8:00 Breakfast and Registration

8:15 – 8:30 Sarah Swanson, Welcome

8:30 – 9:00 Back to Work Story

9:00 – 9:45 Elizabeth Ford, M.D., Columbia University – Helping Individuals Impacted by the Legal System

9:45 – 10:00 Break

10:00 – 11:15 Discussion Groups

11:25 – 11:45 Kine Nan Lium, NAV-The Workforce Inclusion Office – IPS in Norway

11:45 – Noon Mireille Valois, IPS Trainer – IPS for Canadians Who Are Homeless

Noon – 1:30 Lunch/Poster Session for Research Studies

1:30 – 2:15 Derrik Willis, Ph.D. – Strategies to Reach Underserved Populations

2:15 – 2:45 Sharon Darnell and Warren Taylor – Families and IPS

2:45 – 3:00 Break

3:00 – 4:15 Discussion Groups

5:30 Reception (cash bar)

6:00 Conference Dinner and Awards

May 15, 2025

7:00 – 8:00 Breakfast

8:15 – 9:00 Lars de Winter – IPS Research Update

9:00 – 9:45 Marjorie Soloman Freidman, PhD. MBA & Jo Ann Yon-Hernandez – IPS for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

9:45 – 10:15 Back to Work Story

10:15 – 10:30 Break

10:30 – 11:30 Discussion Groups

11:40 – Noon A Tool for IPS Supervisor Data Collection

Noon Meeting Concludes

Guest Speakers

Elizabeth Ford, M.D.

Elizabeth Ford, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist and forensic psychiatrist who has provided decades of direct treatment and leadership in healthcare for people with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system in New York City. She is currently Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Founder and Chair of the Justice Involved Behavioral Health Workgroup at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. Dr. Ford’s research and academic work centers on topics related to increasing awareness about and knowledge of health care in confinement settings and encouraging mental health professionals to become more involved in reducing the criminalization of mental illness. She teaches numerous classes to a range of multi-disciplinary trainees, including medical students and psychiatric residents, at Columbia and other New York City-based academic institutions. Her first non-academic book, a critically acclaimed memoir entitled Sometimes Amazing Things Happen: Heartbreak and Hope on the Bellevue Hospital Psychiatric Prison Ward, was published in 2017.

Former positions include the Director of the Division of Forensic Psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital, Training Director for the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship, Chief of Psychiatry for New York City’s Health + Hospitals’ Correctional Health Services at Rikers Island, and the Chief Medical Officer for the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services. Dr. Ford received her undergraduate degree from Yale University, her medical degree from the University of Virginia, and her psychiatric and forensic psychiatric training at the New York University School of Medicine.

Kine Nan Lium

Kine Nan Lium works at the Directorate of Labor and Welfare and, together with her colleagues, is responsible for IPS in Norway. She has been working with IPS since 2012 in various positions both locally and nationally. In Norway, they emphasize that collaboration contributes to development, and international cooperation is important for enhancing quality and competence. And the Norwegian delegation are grateful to be a part of this Annual Meeting.

Derrik Willis, Ph.D.

Derrick K. Willis, MPA, recently retired as the Director of Iowa’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Derrick held an adjunct faculty appointment within the College of Education at the University of Iowa and is a former Training Director for Iowa’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopment and other related Disabilities program (ILEND). Prior to joining CDD, Derrick served as Director of Urban Mission at the Institute for Human Development, Missouri’s UCEDD, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City for 14 years. At The Institute for Human Development, Derrick lead two major employment initiatives, The Department of Labor’s “Add Us In” grant and the Administration on Community living’s “Partnership In Employment”grant. Derrick has over 40 years of experience in working at non-profits, state government and higher education. Derrick’s work has primarily focused on youth and families from diverse backgrounds who live in urban communities. He has experience in developing, implementing and evaluating programs related to developmental disabilities, mental health, recreation, education, employment and cultural and linguistic competency. Derrick is a past recipient of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), Multicultural Award for Leadership in Diversity (2015) and a graduate of the National Leadership Consortium on Development Disabilities (2014). Derrick is the President for the AUCD Board of Directors and a past Chairperson for the Multicultural Council for AUCD.

Mireille Valois

Mireille Valois has a master’s degree in social work along with 20 years of experience in IPS services at the Douglas Institute. In addition, Mireille is an international IPS trainer for several countries where IPS teams speak French as their primary language.

Marjorie Soloman Freidman, PhD. MBA

Dr. Marjorie Solomon is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and the MIND Institute. She also is a licensed clinician with a broad background in clinical assessment and psychosocial intervention for autistic individuals without intellectual disabilities. Recently, her research has turned to the question of how to improve the employment situation for autistic adults, which she views as a critical avenue to enhancing the well-being and life satisfaction of these individuals. The talk will provide listeners with more context about the employment of autistic adults, present initial findings of the DDS and NIMH work, and outline future plans. She was joined in this presentation by her postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Jo Ann Yon-Hernandez who has been actively involved in this work.

Sharon Darnell and Warren Taylor

Sharon Darnell has been an active NAMI member in KY, and assists the IPS implementation team in her state with state conferences and other activities.

Warren Taylor has a background in higher education. He and his wife were co-leaders of their NAMI affiliate in Colorado for 30 years.

Lars de Winter

Lars de Winter is researcher and data manager at Phrenos Center of Expertise in the Netherlands. As a data manager he coordinates a national employment monitor in which he keeps track of all the numbers of IPS and other types of supported employment on a national, regional and organizational level. He also leads a work stream about outcome monitoring in the European IPS learning network. As a researcher he is involved in several research project about IPS and he co-facilitates the international IPS research network that has been established in 2024.