UACS Annual Conference
UACS is a statewide association representing disability service providers who deliver residential, vocational, behavioral, and day services through Utah’s Community Supports Waiver and related programs. Our members are dedicated to advancing high-quality supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and UACS works collaboratively with policymakers, advocates, and professionals to strengthen Utah’s disability service system.
This annual conference brings together agency leaders, program managers, direct support professionals, policymakers, self-advocates, and key system partners from across Utah’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) network. Attendees will have opportunities to connect with peers, learn from experts, and engage in meaningful discussions about the future of disability services in Utah.
Participants will leave with practical tools, operational strategies, and real-world insights designed to strengthen organizations, support and retain staff, and build systems that promote safety while upholding dignity, choice, and quality of care.
Conference sessions will focus on two primary tracks:
Operations, Workforce & Organizational Leadership
Practical strategies for leading sustainable organizations, strengthening workplace culture, supporting and retaining staff, navigating operational challenges, and developing effective leaders.
Safety & Quality
Building systems that protect individuals while preserving dignity, autonomy, and choice. Topics will include abuse prevention, risk management, person-centered practices, incident response, and creating cultures of safety and accountability.
UACS Conference Registration
A Sneak Peek at This Year's Conference Sessions
From workforce challenges and organizational safety to compliance, individual rights, and quality improvement, this year’s sessions are designed to go beyond simply identifying challenges. Attendees will leave with practical ideas, strategies, and tools they can take back to their organizations.
Here is a sneak peek at some of the sessions coming October 8 and 9.
Featured Session
The Future Workforce: Preparing Your Organization for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
Dr. Eric M. Kirby
Dr. Eric Kirby will explore what leaders need to understand about Gen Z and emerging Gen Alpha employees and what these shifts mean for organizations trying to recruit, engage, develop, and retain their workforce.
Attendees will walk away with practical strategies for strengthening engagement, improving retention, developing younger employees, and leading successful multigenerational teams.
Three Hour Safety Intensive
Safety Science: A Better Approach to Systems Improvement
Kelly Knutson, MSW, M.Sc.
For decades, safety critical industries have used safety science to reduce risk, prevent future harm, improve outcomes, and strengthen workforce resilience. This three hour intensive workshop will introduce providers to the foundations of safety science and explore how those principles can be applied within human services.
Participants will gain practical strategies that can be incorporated into leadership, quality improvement, prevention efforts, and everyday operations to strengthen organizational outcomes while supporting the well being and resilience of the workforce.
Breakout Session Sneak Peek
Beyond Compliance: Creating a Culture Committed to Abuse Prevention
Ragan Edwards | The Mahoney Group
Using Praesidium’s abuse prevention framework, Ragan Edwards will help providers examine organizational vulnerabilities that can increase risk and explore how to embed prevention into everyday culture and operations.
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for strengthening screening, training and supervision, identifying vulnerabilities earlier, improving reporting and response, and building greater accountability throughout their organizations.
Supporting People to Thrive: Guardianship, Choice, and the HCBS Settings Rule
Nate Crippes and Amberly Dattilo | Disability Law Center
This session will take a practical look at the intersection of guardianship, person centered planning, the HCBS Settings Rule, and ADA requirements. Through real world examples and provider scenarios, Nate Crippes and Amberly Dattilo will explore guardian authority, individual decision making rights, reasonable accommodations, and strategies for supporting meaningful choice.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how these legal frameworks work together and practical tools for supporting self determination while maintaining appropriate safeguards.
Compliance and False Claims
Justin Naylor | Meridian Supports
This session will focus on practical ways organizations can strengthen their compliance infrastructure and reduce risk. Justin Naylor will explore documentation, internal monitoring, staff training, corrective action processes, and the role organizational culture plays in demonstrating accountability.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies for evaluating and strengthening their own quality and compliance practices.
And this is only a preview.
October 8 and 9, 2026
Salt Lake City Marriott University Park
Strengthening What Matters: Safety, Workforce, and the Future of HCBS in Utah
Thank You to Our Valued Sponsors
The Mahoney Group is a people-first, employee-owned insurance and risk management firm with deep experience serving organizations that support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are committed to delivering dynamic, customized solutions that protect your mission and empower your teams to focus on providing exceptional care. With a foundation built on empathy, ownership, and performance, our vision is to be a trusted partner in helping IDD providers thrive in an ever-changing world.
Website: Business Insurance Brokerage | Employee Benefits | The Mahoney Group
Giv. is committed to giving back to the IDD community by investing in the people, programs, and opportunities that make a lasting difference in the lives of others. Our mission goes beyond providing software—we are dedicated to enriching lives, strengthening relationships, and building a more inclusive and empowered IDD community.”
Giv’s care management software, designed to support agencies in the IDD space by streamlining operations and improving service delivery. Whether you’re managing day programs, group homes, or individual care, our platform offers comprehensive tools to manage staff, track client documentation, and handle Medicaid billing—all in one place.
Website: https://givhealthcare.com/
ISCA is excited to sponsor the UACS Conference this year because we strongly believe in the importance of collaboration, partnership, and investing in the disability community as a whole. Our two associations and our members share many goals and work alongside one another to support individuals with disabilities and the people who serve them. We see this conference as a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between ISCA and UACS, share ideas and experiences, and continue building connections that benefit the individuals and families we all support. We are proud to be part of this conference and look forward to finding more ways for our organizations to work together, advocate for positive change, and strengthen services and opportunities for the disability community.
Website: https://iscautah.com/
Therap is excited to partner with UACS as an industry leader in software solutions for the I/DD field. Since 2003, Therap has supported more than 12,000 agencies nationwide, including over 40 providers and 17 UACS members here in Utah. With a strong history in the state—being the first software to integrate with Utah’s EVV system and USTEPS—Therap continues to provide innovative tools for person-centered planning, documentation, incident management, health tracking, billing, and more. We look forward to bringing value to UACS leadership and members through our expertise and commitment to providers.
Neighborhood LTC Pharmacy is proud to support UACS and Utah’s IDD community. Our mission aligns closely with UACS: helping providers deliver safe, high-quality, person-centered support.
We simplify medication management through safe, compliant processes and responsive pharmacy support—reducing the burden on DSPs so they can focus more of their time and attention on the individuals they serve.
Participating in the UACS Conference gives us the opportunity to support, learn from, and collaborate with organizations that share our commitment to better outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
People First Communities partners with service providers to create flexible, supportive housing solutions designed around the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and others with complex care needs. With a provider led perspective, they help organizations strengthen their real estate strategy, support long term housing stability, and unlock capital that can be reinvested into staffing, programs, innovation, and growth. Through solutions such as sale leasebacks, expansion into new markets, and landlord buyouts, People First Communities helps providers spend less time managing property and more time focused on what matters most: supporting people to live with dignity, independence, and a stronger sense of community.
Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy is a long-term care pharmacy built exclusively for the IDD and behavioral health communities. It’s not part of what we do—it’s all we do.
Terrytown specializes in seamless medication management that supports nurses and DSPs, while also delivering executive-level insights to help providers improve outcomes, streamline pharmacy operations, and control pharmacy costs.
Founded in 2007, we’ve grown from serving 150 individuals in Austin, TX to over 30,000 individuals across 31 states, including Utah! Whether you manage a few group homes or operate across multiple regions, we’re here to help you deliver on your commitment to excellence.
Website: https://tarrytownexpocare.com/
The Zions Bank Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization funded by Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Member FDIC, that operates exclusively for charitable purposes. Founded in 1873, Zions Bank has been serving the communities of the Intermountain West for more than 150 years. Additional information is available at www.zionsbank.com.
