by Stefanie Folkerts | Oct 23, 2024
Come learn the basics of legislative advocacy, with a focus on how you can make the biggest impact. Most of us have felt intimidated by legislators at some point in our advocacy journey. We’re here to give you the tools you need to feel empowered and make a difference! No experience is needed to attend this session. All are welcome!
Presenters: Aaron Dickson and Blake Duarte
Aaron Dickson
Aaron Dickson is the Executive Director of the Community Employment Alliance, a coalition of supported employment and Community Inclusion providers across the state of Washington that focuses on legislative advocacy in Olympia. He has experience as an Employment Consultant, Employment Specialist, and Program Manager at a supported employment agency in Bellingham (Cascade Connections), along with previous experience as a caregiver, as well as running a respite summer camp for adults for disabilities. He is passionate about including people with disabilities in advocacy work so that their voice is heard.
[Alt-text: A white man with short brown hair tied back in a bun, with a beard, and large black glasses is smiling and looking toward the camera. He is wearing a dark, long-sleeved sweater and a black earring in his left ear. The background is a mix of light and dark walls.]
Blake Duarte
Blake Duarte is the Accessibility and Inclusion Liaison at Morningside, a supported employment provider in Western Washington. He has worked for other nonprofit organizations where he successfully advocated for new sidewalk infrastructure, organized historical records, and created trainings for people with disabilities. Blake has a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Washington Tacoma and is currently working on his Master of Sustainable Transportation from the University of Washington.
[Alt-text: A white and Native American man with short brown hair and a goatee is smiling and is looking towards the camera. He is wearing a dark gray, short sleeve shirt and gray glasses. The background is a textured peach-colored wall.]
by Stefanie Folkerts | Oct 22, 2024
Noah will share his experience creating income from his interests as an autistic man. Known online as NoahTheOtter, his YouTube channel continues to grow.
Have you ever thought about using the information that’s constantly floating around in your mind as a means of starting your own career? Listen to my tale of how I started uploading niche lists on a website known as Listverse, and eventually branched out to creating video essays on YouTube about media tropes and autism representation in popular media.
Presenter: Noah Snodgrass
Noah is a media analyst on YouTube who analyzes various tropes in movies, video games and TV shows, from talking about neurodivergent and mental health representation in media to discussing the overuse of various tropes in film. Whatever kind of media he’s analyzing, Noah is dedicated to his craft.
by Stefanie Folkerts | Oct 22, 2024
Everyone deserves tools to support their mental wellness, and in this course, we’ll dive into how mental wellness impacts every part of our lives—from how we work to how we connect with others. We’ll explore the importance of recognizing when our mental health needs attention, and how building strong habits can lead to more success and balance.
We’ll discuss what to do when someone we care about needs help beyond what we can offer. You’ll learn practical ways to connect them with the resources while offering support in a caring and compassionate way.
Finally, we’ll introduce simple, everyday practices that you can use to support mental wellness in yourself and others. By the end of the course, you’ll have a toolkit to help both yourself and those around you maintain strong mental well-being in your daily lives.
Heather Evans (she/her) is rooted in the intrinsic worth of all humans, and has had the joy and privilege of working for people with I/DD and their communities for over 20 years. She joins Wise with extensive experience in Supported Employment, from developing new SE Programs, Customized Employment, and leading teams to Legislative Advocacy, certifying direct service providers as Mental Health First Aiders and managing Organizational Development. She has provided technical assistance to organizations around Systematic Instruction, Customized Job Development, Mentoring Leaders, Mental Health First Aid, Person Centered Planning, Program Development, and several other best practices in Supported Employment. Heather is proud to have completed her Work Incentive Practitioner Credentialing Certificate from Cornell University and is excited to work with the BenefitU team.
by Stefanie Folkerts | Oct 22, 2024
Storytelling is an impactful way to spread awareness. People telling their stories adds depth to an issue that numbers can’t. This webinar will review storytelling as a form of advocacy, provide a way to put your story together, and share how to arrange your story for different audiences.
Presenters: Jenny Crook and Ryan Riggs
Jenny Crook (she /her)
Jenny has been in the field of employment since 2013, with roles as a job coach, employment consultant, and employment program manager. She obtained a BS in Sociology from Portland State University, with a concentration in Women’s Studies.
As a Senior Training & Technical Assistance Program Manager at Wise, Jenny trains for the Job Development and Marketing course of the WOA 100 Series, coordinates the WOA 200 Series, co-leads the Wise Webinar Series, and provides hosting support for a variety of events. As a person-centered planning facilitator, Jenny focuses on solutions when collaborating with partners in Washington and other states in the pursuit of equitable employment for all.
Nationally, Jenny served on the ACRE Board for five years, most recently in the position of Clerk. She has presented at conferences including APSE and Pac Rim on topics related to person-centered planning and customized employment best practices.
Ryan Riggs (he/him)
Born and raised in Phoenix Arizona, now located in Spokane Washington, Ryan Riggs is a passionate filmmaker and storyteller. He’s had the honor of working with many talented people throughout the years and has over a decade of experience in creative content production. From photography and graphic design to production and post production processes including animation, Ryan aims to use his creative talents to tell the story of Wise and the people Wise works with.
by Stefanie Folkerts | Oct 22, 2024
