LiveOn NY virtual conference

Host:  Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL). Our guest today is Lisa Maria Cruz, Outreach Coordinator of Mental Health PEER Connection (MHPC), and I’m your host Ernie Churchwell. Welcome to the program Lisa Maria.

Guest:  Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

Host:  We're glad to have you. You are one of our agency’s several presenters that is going to be participating in a conference called LiveOn NY which is happening very shortly. And it sounds like a quite an effort because it's going to take place over three days with 14 workshops and all kinds of things and you're in numero uno. What can you tell us about LiveOn NY and the conference?

Guest:  Well, the conference is gonna kick off on Wednesday, January 25. LiveOn NY has been around for more than 30 years and they've convened over 500 aging services professionals across New York State at their Annual Conference on Aging and vendor show to offer opportunities for professional development and of course, networking and to provide a forum for people to learn about creative, innovative approaches in the world of aging services. And so WNYIL is going to be participating in this conference. I will be the first presenter and I will be talking about WNYIL and also MHPC. Our second presenter will be Scott Dorchak from ILGR. And he's going to be presenting on the Medicaid savings plan, pooled trust and chronic disease self-management programs. And then our third presenter will be Celina Bryan. And she's from the Independent Living Center of Erie County. And she will be talking about housing resources available. And then of course, our moderator will be Rae Frank, and she is the director of ILGR.

Host:  And for people that aren't familiar with it, what does that stand for?

Guest:  Independent Living of the Genesee Region.

Host:  Precisely so. Isn't there like an overall title for the workshop that says something?

Guest:  Yeah, that our title for our particular workshop is Impacting the Community and Adapting to the Times.

Host:  Boy, that sure sounds like it's right up the alley of WNYIL. I believe there's a mechanism where people that are, it's going to be a virtual workshop taking place over zoom, is it not?

Guest:  Yeah, it will be a virtual workshop and our part of the program runs from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Host:  That's on January 25.

Guest:  Yeah, January 25, 1:00 to 2:30 and then if people are interested in the event, they can register. There is a cost to participate though it's $90 for LiveOn NY members and $140 for non-members. So, like for this particular event, the registration would be at www.tfaforms.com/5016662. I know that was a mouthful.

Host:  Yeah. Well, I have a feeling that you'd be more than willing to repeat that to anybody that called you for the information and if those prices seem kind of high, remember this is for three days’ worth of action packed seminars. Can you tell people how they can get in touch with you?

Guest:  Sure. You can reach me either through email, my office phone or my cell phone. My email is lmcruz@wnyil.org and then my office number is 716-836-0822 extension 520, or they can reach me by my cell phone at 716-322-9264.

Host:  Lisa Maria, thanks so much for being our guest today and telling us about the LiveOn NY conference.

Guest:  Thank you so much. It was a pleasure to be here and to talk about it.

Host:  Great. Thanks. You’ve been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of WNYIL. Our guest today was Lisa Maria Cruz, Outreach Coordinator of MHPC, and I've been your host Ernie Churchwell.