Breakout Session E

Wednesday, April 28
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

E1: Empowering the Board in Its Work

The role of the board is critical to an organization and providing information and support the board is the means to optimize the experience of the group. This interactive session will use a group facilitation technique to provide leaders the opportunity to identify and share helpful strategies for communicating with the board. Everyone in this session will be the recipient and donor of good and better board material packets. Come prepared to have fun, learn and share.

Bob York, Director of Consulting Services, Lutheran Services in America.

E2: Emerging Technologies in Aging

LSA members are exploring new technologies to assist people with disabilities or the frailties of age to remain at home independently. Medication management, a variety of monitoring devices, and systems that assist with chronic disease management are the focus of an LSA member Tech Team. The LSA Tech Team is taking the lead to explore emerging technologies, to shorten the collective learning curve for LSA members and to leverage the power of the large Lutheran health and human service organization market. Find out what the team is learning and get involved as they move forward.

Dr. Daun McKee, Kari Olson, Front Porch; Dave Baker, Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, and other LSA Tech Team members.

E3: Towards a More Just Society: The Vision of Social Responsibility in the Book of Deuteronomy

Many persons see the book of Deuteronomy as offering a utopian vision of a just society where responsibility to God is balanced by social responsibility in light of experiences of oppression and exclusion. This session examines the book of Deuteronomy's focus on selected groups in society and its understanding of how the society holds together as a kindred people. These examinations will take place in light of contemporary challenges to pursue acts of kindness and social justice ministries in contexts that see these as either charity or too utopian to effect change.

Dr. Steed Davidson serves as Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Pacific Lutheran Seminary. He holds an STM from Boston University and MPhil and PhD degrees from Union Theological Seminary.

E4: Innovation in Assessment Practices in Aging and Housing Services

Is your organization ready to embrace a data-driven strategy for tracking outcomes and making strategic decisions? This session will introduce you to COLLAGE, The Art & Science of Healthy Aging. A highly regarded suite of resident/client assessment tools that evaluate wellness in areas such as memory loss, nutrition, balance and mental well-being, COLLAGE provides a framework for incorporating systematic assessment practices with evidence-based interventions. LSA is collaborating with COLLAGE to help expand its current 91-site platform, and to take COLLAGE into affordable housing as well as CCRCs. While the cost of COLLAGE membership has been prohibitive for many organizations until now, with the conversion to web-based technology and a new, more affordable pricing structure in 2010, there is no better time to get involved. Hear first-hand about the radical impact COLLAGE has had, across organizational levels, on one LSA member organization with an aging/housing services portfolio; learn first-hand from the developer about the new web-based technology soon to be released; and hear about LSA's initiative to engage more member organizations in the COLLAGE Consortium.

Neil Beresin is Program Manager, COLLAGE; Tom Brown is CEO, Lutheran Homes of South Carolina; Denise Dickinsen is VP for Planned Growth and Development, Lutheran Homes of South Carolina; Cynthia Osborne is VP Strategic Initiatives and Program Development, Lutheran Services of America; Doug Zimmer, Co-owner, Center for Information Management

E5: A Conversation About Financial Matters with ELCA Partners

Managing the financial stressors of an organization is always a challenge, but difficult economic times increase this challenge exponentially. Explore the financial resources of the ELCA and learn from potential ELCA partners about their work and how it intersects with social ministry organizations. Join this open forum discussion about the challenges and needs of nonprofit organizations, and help to generate new solutions.

ELCA Board of Pensions; ELCA Foundation; Mission Investment Fund.