Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

September/October, 2001

2001 Northeast-Mid-Atlantic Conference Charleston, West Virginia
5/29/01-6/1/01
by Art Sweed, New Hampshire DDS

The 2001 Bi-Regional Conference in Charleston, West Virginia, gave me the opportunity to meet DDS people throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The conference, which was hosted by the West Virginia Association of Disability Examiners, covered many topics of interest to New Hampshire DDS and those from other states. Guest experts in their fields were presenters from various segments of the SSA and DDS spectrum.

The agenda included topics such as the Bush Transition Team, and the new Social Security Commissioner, Process Unification Refinement, Revision of the Listings and Vocational Rules, the O’NET, Pain Management and Stress Reduction, Research and Breakthroughs in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury, Impact of Pervasive Developmental Disorders on Families, the Ticket to Work, Peacemaking in the Workplace and a DDS Administrators’ Panel Prototype Update. The motif of Process Unification was prominent in many seminars throughout the conference and two Northeast states, New York and New Hampshire, are fully immersed while several other states have been preparing to “roll out.” The new theme of a lack of funding was also prominent.

An administrator from New York, David Avenius, states that NADE should take more a more aggressive role in seeking support for DDSs in their quest to become more professional: funding, more training, and specific hiring standards. Other administrators suggested that Pre-Prototype states should change their focus to more claimant involvement in the decision-making process in order to build trust with the public. One of the most powerful messages taken away from the conference was that “Everybody is an allowance until proven otherwise.” This premise, however, will prove to be more costly for SSA—especially with all of the “baby boomers” coming up and potentially seeking disability benefits.

West Virginia, where the conference was held, is a beautiful state with hills and hollows. Near Charleston is the New River Gorge, a 50 mile long gash in the earth. It is crossed at one point by the longest steel bridge in the world. The scenic ‘Cardinal’ train is the only way to travel the entire length of the canyon (other than a kayak). This mode of transportation greatly enhanced my trip. I would recommend West Virginia to anyone and I would strongly recommend that any fellow NADE member attend a NADE conference!