10 Dec CP State offering FREE online session on isolation for people with disabilities

Isolation and segregation continue to impede to the full participation of individuals with disabilities and their families in the communities in which they live.  CP State will offer the free session “Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation: The Key to a Better Life” on Thursday, December 17, from 2:30-4 p.m.

Presented by Dr. Al Condeluci, this session will look at social isolation in the I/DD community. It will examine the related research and data, examine ways and means to building more effective relationships, and will explore strategies and actions that can be employed in addressing loneliness by having social capital principles work for the people in your community.

The notions of loneliness and social isolation have been clearly identified as vexing issues in our culture today. We know that when people are rendered isolated, it can result in adverse health issues, unhappiness/depression, challenges with life success, and even shortened life expectancy. We also know that marginalized groups, folks with disabilities, seniors, those in poverty, and other minorities, are at greater risk of being lonely, isolated, or disconnected.

This is the first of a series of sessions that CP will be offering through its DDPC Rural Advocacy Grant. If you would like to participate, please contact Tim Ferguson at TFerguson@cpstate.org or 518-436-0178.

Objectives

• Participants will be introduced to recent data and research on isolation/loneliness
• Ways to explore and measure loneliness will be introduced
• The construct of social capital will be overviewed
• Examine relationship-building strategies to combat social isolation

About Dr. Condeluci

Dr. Al Condeluci has been a leader in community building, human services and inclusive advocacy work for the past 50 years. Holding a PhD and MSW from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Condeluci has been the CEO of CLASS (Community Living and Support Services) a major nonprofit, community building organization in Pittsburgh, PA from 1973 to 2019. He holds faculty status at the University of Pittsburgh in the Schools of Social Work, and Health, Rehab Sciences and is author of 7 books including the acclaimed, Interdependence: The Route to Community (1995) and more recently, Social Capital: The Key to Macro Change (2014). In 2018, he received the “Key to the City of Pittsburgh,” the highest civilian honor that can be given to a community member. He serves as a consultant, advisor, and human service coach and is on a number of nonprofit boards and government commissions on state, local and national levels. He helped found, and convenes the Interdependence Network, an international coalition of professionals, family members, and consumers interested in community engagement and macro change. He can be reached at www.alcondeluci.com, or @acondeluci on Twitter.