Sexual Health and Wellbeing for All Conference
Removing the stigmas and barriers around sexuality and support for adults with a developmental disability
March 24, 2025
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Hamilton Convention Centre
1 Summers Lane, Hamilton
Early Bird Special
$100 until January 31, 2025 ($125 regular)
*includes lunch, excludes parking
Hosted by Bethesda Adult Clinical Services
In partnership with
Keynote Speaker
Nicholas A. Maio-Aether, MAMFT, MSPSY, LBA, CSC, BCBA (he/they) Owner - Empowered: A Center for Sexuality LLC, Licensed [Sexual] Behavior Analyst | Certified Sexuality Counselor | LGBTQIA+ Family Systems Specialist
Responding Wisely in the Presence of Sexual/Sociosexual Behaviors
Nicholas addresses how to approach sexual or sociosexual behaviours in individuals under care, especially when language skills may be limited. He provides clear, practical guidance for caregivers, parents, and staff on how to handle sexual behaviours, requests for relationships, expressions of sexual orientation, or non-consensual actions.
You will walk away from this one with ideas and resources, and with a solid understanding of initial first steps when specific sexual or sociosexual behaviours and/or needs arise.
Itinerary
| 8:00 - 9:00 am | Breakfast and registration |
| 8:45 am | Welcome |
| 9:00 - 10:15 am | Keynote Address |
| 10:15 - 10:45 am | Morning Break |
| 10:45 - 11:45 am | Keynote continued |
| 11:45 - 12:00 pm | Q&A |
| 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 - 2:15 pm | Concurrents Session 1
|
| 2:15 - 2:45 pm | Afternoon Break |
| 2:45 - 4:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions 2
|
| 4:00 - 4:15 pm | Wrap Up |
Topics
This conference is a unique opportunity for caregivers, professionals, and advocates to enhance their understanding of sexual health and well-being for individuals with developmental disabilities. Gain valuable insights, resources, and tools to navigate challenging topics and foster empowerment and inclusion.
Awakening: Domestic Human Trafficking and Supporting survivors with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities(IDD)
This workshop will discuss Domestic Human Trafficking, the signs and how to support individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities. This is an opportunity to increase awareness so we can advocate for everyone in our community.
Speakers: Deanna Djos - Montage Supports
The What, The Why and The How: Supporting People with Sexual Self-Advocacy and Education
In this session, participants will have an opportunity to learn about the What, Why and the How as it pertains to inclusive sex education and support. We will discuss what inclusive healthy sexual support looks like, why it is important, and how we can support people with their sexuality. We will also be addressing challenging issues, concerns and provide resources for caregivers and people who receive support.
Speakers: Candice Keem, Joana Brierley, Clem Bezemer - Community Living Grimsby Lincoln and West Lincoln
Teaching Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Online Safety and Navigating Adult Content
This presentation will focus on how the S.A.F.E. Hub teaches our supported clients about navigating various aspects of the internet and adult content navigation. These workshops teach individuals how to navigate the internet safely.
Topics will include the 5 W’s of internet safety, online dating, Navigating adult content, social media, risks of internet use, and safety tips.
Presenters will ensure attendees leave equipped with information, skills, and resources needed to understand individuals rights, potential risks, and how best to support them in navigating the internet safely.
Speakers: Megan Ross, Caitlin Donaldson - Salvation Army, Lawson Ministries
Supporting People with Offending Behaviour
This presentation will focus on the basic understanding of inappropriate sexual behaviour and how that can intersect with the Criminal Justice System for those with an intellectual or developmental disability. This presentation is intended to provide an overview of how caregivers and support staff can assist individuals in navigating the Criminal Justice System and beyond when charged with sexual offending behaviour. There will be a focus on knowing your limits of support as caregivers, support staff and family members, providing strategies to support someone with inappropriate sexual behaviour, as well as an introduction to compassion fatigue strategies for caregivers, support staff and family members.
Speaker: Sam Tullo, Katherine Sanderson - Bethesda
Thinking Ahead: Applying Preventive Approaches to Support Sexual Health and Relationships
This presentation will focus on how to apply the three levels of prevention when providing support to persons with IDD/DD to achieve healthy sexual expression and relationships.
Speaker: Christa Salmon - McKenzie Health, Tiffany Charbonneau
Aging with Grace
We're going to have a conversation about how we look at aging with grace in recognizing and supporting changes in women’s health including perimenopausal and menopause symptoms for individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD). With the changing landscape of our developmental services and healthcare sectors, we will discuss the gaps with supporting individuals with IDD and how to advocated for individuals who are aging in our communities.
Speakers
Deanna Djos,
Montage Supports
Deanna Djos
Deanna Djos (She/her), Sexual Health Promoter for the Relationship Group (RG) in Toronto. For almost two decades, Deanna has been teaching the importance of Empowering Your Sex-Esteem by ensuring everyone understands the value of self-awareness, love and celebrating their sexuality. Deanna provides the tools and resources to ensure that everyone has the power to prevent abuse and advocate with assertiveness. She believes that knowledge is power and access to sex education is a basic human right.
Deanna is part of an amazing team at Montage Support Services that supports victims of Domestic Human Trafficking with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD). She provides educational awareness as a tool to prevent Domestic Human Trafficking while ensuring she is a valuable resource to the victims. Deanna is a member of the Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee, Pride Collective at Community Living Toronto (CLTO), Victim Services Toronto and the Anti-Human Trafficking Committee with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).
Krystal Nausbaum
Krystal Nausbaum
Hi my name is Krystal Nausbaum. I am someone with Down syndrome as my disability. I’m also in the LGBTQ community and a queer lesbian. I’m 35 years old. I’ve done a lot of theatre like I did 3 high school ensembles at YPT, I’ve been in 3 production plays with the play writer Judith Thompson in The Grace Project Sick, Rare, and Wildfire. I’ve also been in film/television such as The Memory Keepers Daughter, a tv series called Between on Netflix, I’ve been in another tv series in one episode in Nothern Rescue. I was in the movie The Rainbow Kid and I’ve also been the movie called Blood Honey. I’m also an advocate, creative writer and freestyle hip hop dancing.
Candice Keem,
Community Living Grimsby Lincoln and West Lincoln
Candice Keem
With over 15 years of experience in social services, specializing in the developmental disability sector, Candice has consistently demonstrated motivation and tenacity to elevate organizations to new levels of growth. Her leadership and collaborative approach have yielded successful initiatives in project development, quality assurance, event production, and case management.
Whether in a formal management role or not, she has consistently been an ambassador, and advocate for people of all abilities. Candice’s leadership extends to fostering inclusivity and social capital for underserved communities, where she has spearheaded innovative projects enabling marginalized individuals to become leaders, athletes, artists, and active community members. Candice has also served on several multi-agency committees, which include The Halton Sex Esteem Committee, where she was a part of the team that educated people of all abilities, Direct Support Workers and Caregivers about healthy sexuality, advocacy and relationships.
Candice’s contributions have not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by recognition in the community. She was honoured to receive the 'Burlington 150 Award' from the Provincial Parliament, and the 'Burlington Accessibility Award' from the City of Burlington. She has also served on the Board of Directors for Canada’s largest free music festival, The Burlington Sound of Music Festival, where she played a pivotal role in implementing the first accessible seating area and an inclusive performance series, while serving as the main contact and advocate for disability matters.
Currently, as a Board of Director for AFA (Arts for All), Candice is enthusiastic about collaborating with like-minded individuals to enhance community inclusion and opportunities. She is passionate about empowering people to live their best lives, ensuring equal access, and fostering respect in their communities and always looks forward to contributing to the growth of the communities through collective efforts.
Joana Brierley,
Community Living Grimsby Lincoln and West Lincoln
Joana Brierley
With over five years of dedicated experience in developmental services, Joana has been a passionate advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the people she works with through personalized support. Joana excels in creating inclusive environments that promote independence and empowerment. Her expertise spans across various areas, including individualized care planning, community integration, and skill development. Joana has successfully collaborated with families, healthcare providers, and community organizations to ensure comprehensive support for each individual.
In addition to her hands-on experience, Joana holds a degree in Psychology from McMaster University and a diploma certificate of education from Mohawk College in concurrent disorders also known as dual diagnosis. This education has equipped her with the skills and knowledge to effectively support individuals facing complex challenges, ensuring a holistic approach to care. Joana's dedication to lifelong learning and improvement is evident in her proactive approach to addressing the unique needs of the people she works with.
Clem Bezemer,
Community Living Grimsby Lincoln and West Lincoln
Clem Bezemer
I am a married man in my fifties. My wife and I receive support from the Supported Independent Living Program with Community Living Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln. I am a member of the Self Advocacy Committee, active in my church, and a team member for Special Olympics Sports. I am an active member of my Grimsby community working at the local Sobeys. I believe this training is important because you hear a lot about sex but knowing the facts is important. I have enjoyed all that I have learned through taking these classes.
Megan Ross,
Salvation Army
Megan Ross
Megan is the program supervisor at the Salvation Army Lawson Ministries, which has our S.I.L and S.A.F.E hub programs.
She has worked at Lawson Ministries for approximately 9 years, supporting adults with developmental disabilities in a variety of settings.
Megan has worked in a variety of roles within the agency, including case management, team leader, and Shift supervisor. She has had the opportunity to work in almost all of our programs including group living, intensive supports, and for the last 6 years in our community supported independent living program.
Through her work in developmental services, she recognized gaps and barriers for individuals pertaining to sexual health and sexual education. With the support of internal leadership and staff a vision was created to breakdown these barriers and create change within the sector. We worked with a large number of external partners to develop was is now called the S.A.F.E hub (sexuality, abuse awareness, family supports, and education). The S.A.F.E hub has been actively providing educational opportunities to individuals across the Greater Hamilton area over the Last year.
Caitlin Donaldson,
Salvation Army
Caitlin Donladson
Caitlin is the community outreach worker for the Salvation Army Lawson Ministries S.A.F.E. Hub. Caitlin has worked at Lawson Ministries for over five years in both the supported independent living program and the S.A.F.E. Hub program. Caitlin has a Bachelor’s degree from McMaster University in Sociology and Communications as well as a Diploma in Social Service Worker from Mohawk College. During school years; Caitlin was assigned positions at various social service placements to gain knowledge of the systems available in Ontario Canada.
Caitlin joined the S.A.F.E. Hub in 2020, when she expressed an interest in helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) learn about how to be safer when accessing online dating or adult content. Some of the individuals being supported had expressed previous and ongoing sexual violence and Caitlin wanted to help promote safer relationships for this population. Through the year of 2024, Caitlin worked fulltime on this project and developed and collaborated with many community partners and internal staff to ensure that the programs would meet the needs that were identified.
Katherine Sanderson,
Bethesda
Katherine Sanderson
Katherine has a degree in psychology from Brock University. Katherine is the Behaviour Resource Consultant at Bethesda for the Community Response Program with 10 years experience supporting people with complex needs. In her role, she provides support by collaborating with community partners to align support services for individuals. She has developed numerous workshops and information sessions to increase community capacity to support persons with complex needs.
Katherine has a degree in psychology from Brock University. Katherine is the Behaviour Resource Consultant at Bethesda for the Community Response Program with 10 years experience supporting people with complex needs. In her role, she provides support by collaborating with community partners to align support services for individuals. She has developed numerous workshops and information sessions to increase community capacity to support persons with complex needs.
Sam Tullo,
Bethesda
Samantha Tullo
Samantha Tullo has a Master of Arts Degree in Child and Youth Studies from Brock University with a research focus on intellectual and developmental disability and the Criminal Justice System. Samantha is currently a Dual Diagnosis Justice Case Manager at Bethesda Services.
Christa Salmon,
Mackenzie Health
Christa Salmon
Christa Salmon is a registered Social Worker and a member of the Ontario Association for Social Work. She currently holds the position of Coordinator with the Centre for Behaviour Health Sciences, Mackenzie Health. Christa has over 20 years of experience in the field of sexual violence prevention. She specializes in socio-sexual assessment, risk assessment and the treatment of persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Dual Diagnosis who have engaged in sexually abusive/concerning behaviours. Christa provides clinical consultation, training and workshops for fellow clinicians and community partners and has presented at a number of national and international conferences.
Tiffany Charbonneau
Mackenzie Health
Tiffany Charbonneau
Tiffany Charbonneau is a registered Social Worker and a member of the Ontario Association for Social Work. She as been working with the Centre for Behaviour Health Sciences since 2006. She has been a part of the PATHS team since 2011. Her role includes supporting individuals with sexually concerning behaviours in the community through assessment, treatment and risk reduction.
Angie Gonzales,
Surrey Place
Angie Gonzales
Angie Gonzales, RN, MN-Angie (she/her) is a Nurse Professional Practice Lead and Clinical Nurse Specialist at Surrey Place. She has Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Life Sciences, Bachelor of Nursing Science and Master of Nursing degree in Community Health from the University of Toronto. Prior to Surrey Place, Angie worked at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab Hospital in Acquired Brain Injury inpatient unit and Neuromuscular outpatient clinic. She now provides nursing consultation care with Surrey Place’s Plus 45 clinical team. She is part of ECHO Ontario Adult Intellectual & Developmental (AIDD) Disabilities program. Angie is part of the IDD Provincial Intellectual and Developmental Disability Palliative Care Network (IDDPCN).
Dasha Choitova,
Surrey Place
Dasha Choitova
Dasha Choitova (she/her)is a Registered Social Worker with over 20 years of experience, currently working as a Transitional Services Facilitator with the Plus 45 Clinic at Surrey Place. Dasha (she/her) graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work degree with Honours from York University. Her career began in providing direct support to individuals with complex needs and developed into supporting complex individuals with dual diagnosis living in the community.
Most recently Dasha has joined the Plus 45 Clinic which supports the aging population within the Developmental Services sector. Her work has evolved into systemic practice by addressing gaps in services and advocacy for collaboration across sectors. As a part of this work and capacity building with our sector partners, she facilitates the Effective Specialized Response training in the Toronto Region. Dasha’s grounding principles of practice focus on a person-centered, strength-based approach, from a bio-psycho-social lens, integrating the community and naturally occurring supports into the circle of care.
Detailed Information
Date:
March 24, 2025
Time:
Doors open at 8 AM with breakfast, keynote begins at 9 AM
A Californian Style lunch will be served with chicken and potatoes
Location:
Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s
1 Summers Lane, Hamilton, Ontario, L8P 4Y2 (parking excluded)
For further information contact Leah Jeffery