Competency-Based Training and Technical Assistance

How to Talk to Porcupines: Crossing the Communication Divide 

September 10, 2025 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Attend in-person or virtually 

• In-Person Registration
  • Location: Carroll Library
• Virtual Registration through Zoom

Presenters: Allegra (Allie) Birdseye-Hannula, How to Talk to Porcupines Owner

Session Description: 

People who work with young people often encounter prickly personalities (porcupines) and difficult situations. Communication breakdowns such as differing perspectives, assumptions, or heightened emotions are often at the heart of these challenges. Unless you learn to quickly defuse and de-escalate these situations, your program or classroom outcomes may be at risk. 

Effectively redirecting a young person can help both of you cross communication divides. Learning how to break down communication barriers will help you better engage with the young people and clients you serve. This training will give you a clear understanding of porcupines. You’ll explore principles of effective communication strategies, including active listening, strategic questioning, body language, and non-verbal skills to positively engage with porcupines.

Through a mix of lecture and online interaction, you’ll broaden your communication know-how to skillfully handle porcupines and prickly situations. You’ll gain confidence by learning to implement your own action plan for de-escalating and redirecting porcupines. Come ready to learn, laugh, and engage! You’ll leave with a new appreciation for porcupines.

Intended Audience: Anyone who works with children and those who are interested in learning more about communication techniques and working with young people with prickly personalities and difficult situations.

Objectives: 

• Learn how to identify porcupines
• Broaden your communication know-how to skillfully handle prickly people and situations
• Implement your own action plan for de-escalating and redirecting porcupines

Fatal Five

October 2, 2025 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM | Virtual Registration through Zoom

Presenters: Morgan Dettbarn, LMSW, and Dale Armstrong, MD, Elevate 

Intended Audience: Anyone who works with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Objectives: 

• Identify and describe the Fatal Five conditions and their impact on the health and mortality of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID).
• Recognize the unique challenges individuals with ID face in communicating their symptoms and advocating for their healthcare needs.
• Analyze warning signs and risk factors associated with each of the Fatal Five diagnoses and explain how these may present differently in individuals with ID.
• Apply practical strategies that direct support professionals and caregivers can use.
• Demonstrate knowledge of person-centered advocacy techniques to support individuals with ID in navigating the healthcare system, maintaining consistent care, and ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes. 

Vocational Rehabilitation 101

October 7, 2025 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Attend in-person or virtually 

• In-Person Registration
  • Location: Marshalltown Public Library -       Meeting Room B
• Virtual Registration through Zoom

Presenters: April Stotz and Vienna Hoang, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation

Intended Audience: Anyone interested in learning about the services of vocational rehabilitation. 

Objectives: 

• Understand what services are available through VR
• Understand VR eligibility criteria
• Learn how to access VR services
• How to braid VR services

Universal Language: It's All in How You Say It

November 10, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Attend in-person or virtually 

• In-Person Registration
  • Location: Polk County River Place - Conference Room
• Virtual Registration through Zoom

Presenters: Thomas Pomeranz, EdD, Universal LifeStiles, President and CEO

Dr. Thomas Pomeranz is a nationally recognized authority, trainer, clinician, and consultant in the field of services for people with disabilities. Over the last fifty years, Tom has conducted thousands of seminars and programs throughout the United States and Canada. His audience praises his ability to combine information, humor, passion, and storytelling into an informative whole that does not just present the information, but really communicates it in a memorable fashion.

Find out more about Tom on his website - https://www.universallifestiles.com

Session Description: 

In this humorous and provocative training, Dr. Thomas Pomeranz discusses the importance of using Universal Language. Tom heightens the participant’s sensitivities to the impact of language in promoting respectful relationships. The evolution of slang references that devalue people is discussed. Numerous examples of insensitive language are presented with the Universal Language alternative.

Tom emphasizes that the words and language that we use are a reflection of our belief system and it is upon these beliefs that we base our actions. Thus, Tom helps the participants gain a new insight into their inner beliefs about people with disabilities by increasing their awareness of the words they use. Throughout the session, Tom provides attendees with strategies to master Universal Language as well as sensitively supporting others who struggle in using words of respect. It is the outcome of this session, “that the words and language we use in talking about our friends - the words and language they use in talking about us”, will serve as the standard in how we speak to and about people with disabilities – “It’s all in how you say it.”

Intended Audience: Anyone who works with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Objectives: 

• Define Universal Language
• Define politically correct language
• Define people-first language
• Explain why utilizing Universal Language is difficult
• Provide examples of the language utilized in each of the four models of service delivery
• Explain the difference between a world's denotation, connotation, and slang.
• Demonstrate an appropriate strategy to support and encourage others in utilizing Universal Language
• Consistently utilize Universal Language in all verbal and written communication

Session Perks: Attendance at the training session will grant you: 

• 1 year of free consultation with Dr. Tom Pomeranz (free, no fee!)
• Access to the slides, recording, and materials related to Universal Language

1. Generating positive outcomes for members

2. Generating positive outcomes for providers

3. Providing a better understanding of, and compliance with, state and federal regulations concerning service provision

4. Increasing staff competencies in direct service

5. Increasing access to state-wide training for direct support professionals

1. Trainings are relevant to Iowa rules and regulations, CMS standards and HCBS philosophy

2. More opportunities for providers to acquire well-trained, competent direct support professionals with measured core competencies

3. Improved access to trainings and information pertinent to member care

4. Competency-based learning with objectives to ensure training topics are relevant to and useful to the agency’s needs

We are excited to have you as part of our CBT provider group. If you would like to enroll for emails providing updates on training, notifications of changes to the schedule, materials added to the website or other helpful information, please reach out to imeprovideroutreach@hhs.iowa.gov to learn how to sign-up to receive CBT Informational Letters.

If you have additional questions regarding this site, the training schedule, or a specific training content or topic question please Email the CBT Specialist, Barbra Brottman at the training and TA email address: HCBSTTA@hhs.iowa.gov