MSSA Conference Art

Beacon Specialized Living Services once again attending the Minnesota Social Service Association (MSSA) Conference and Expo. The conference, held annually for social service and other healthcare related fields, took place at the Minneapolis Hilton in downtown Minneapolis. Leaders from the Beacon team engaged with industry leaders over several days attending workshops, legislative listening sessions, and other networking events.

When asked why this conference is so important to our Beacon team, Robert Long, Executive Vice President of Operations (Emerging Markets) stated, “We’ve become a significant contributor in terms of providing needs to individuals in Minnesota and would proudly like to share our experiences with the rest of our mental health community.”

“It’s vital that we attend events like these for Beacon to share information about the services we offer for the state. This is a unique opportunity for our people to meet face to face with others who can effect positive change regarding the service we provide individuals”

Barb Turner, Regional Vice President of Operations

The annual conference and expo draws nearly 3,000 participants every year from all corners of the region, not just Minnesota, says Barb Turner, Regional Vice President of Operations – Minnesota. It is the largest health and human service conference in the Midwest and is attended by both health and human decision makers and direct service staff who make referrals to clients and colleagues on placements and products.

“It’s vital that we attend events like these for Beacon to share information about the services we offer for the state. This is a unique opportunity for our people to meet face to face with others who can effect positive change regarding the services we provide individuals,” said Turner.

Turner is referring to their legislative listening sessions, where a panel of state legislators field questions from attendants of the conference. There, the Beacon leadership ensured they were up to date on current legislature within the state to continue to provide the highest quality care to their individuals that they support. Read more about the MSSA’s 2022 Legislative Agenda here.

Not just an education meet-and-greet, however, this conference has other importance for the Beacon Minnesota team.

A speaker attending to his audience at a workshop.

“We’re super excited that we had the opportunity to go to this event again,” said Turner. “This is our first opportunity to come together collaboratively with all human services professionals throughout the Minnesota and surrounding state areas since COVID started.”

This conference also marked the first in-person conference Beacon has attended since the passing of its founder, Ken Ratzlaff.

This year, Beacon was also a Leader Sponsor of the event. As Beacon’s footprint of services continues to expand in the Minnesota and Wisconsin regions, Longo stated that they are aiming to become a significant contributor to the mental health community.

For more information about the Minnesota Social Services Association Conference and Expo opportunities, please refer to their official website at mnssa.org.

Beacon has cared for individuals with disabilities and mental health needs since 1964. Their mission is to provide high-quality, gentle, compassionate, evidence-based care to help the people they serve reach their goals and live rich lives. For more information on how Beacon is helping its communities every day, please reach out to alexander.furman@beaconspecialized.org.

Author

  • Alexander Furman

    Alex Furman is the Executive Director of Marketing with Beacon Specialized Living. He holds an MS in Strategic Leadership and Communications from Purdue University. Before his time at Beacon he served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He has a background in copywriting, creative writing, and event management.