A Look Ahead - August 2025

The A Look Ahead Conference Series brings together expert speakers for training focused on improving the lives of individuals with disabilities, the people who support them, and the community at large. Topics will vary quarterly. Conference participants will leave with information and resources they can use now and in the future.

Speaker Line Up for the August 9, 2025

A Look Ahead Conference

The A Look Ahead Conference on Saturday, August 9th is excited to announce that Allan Bergman will be joining us to share information on "Medicaid: What is it? What is at Risk with Implementation of the "Big Beautiful" Act? & What Do Advocates Need to Do?". With the signing of "The Big Beautiful" Act into law on Friday, July 4, 2025, individuals with disabilities, families, caregivers and providers may be anxious to know how this bill will impact Medicaid and the services it provides. Allan will be focusing on the following areas so that we can be informed and prepared as we navigate the new laws: 

1. Introduction to and Overview of Federal Medicaid Legislation and Regulations since its beginning in 1965.
2. What are the Major Changes to Medicaid Law included in the "Big Beautiful" Act and how will those changes potentially impact Texans.
3. What do Advocates need to do, beginning today, to prevent or minimize major reductions in essential Medicaid services for individuals with IDD in Texas, such as early intervention, prescription drugs, therapies, durable medical equipment, personal care and home and community-based waiver services (HCBS).
4. Preparing for Advocacy Meetings with Elected Officials: Organize, Inform, Educate, Persuade and Vote in the primaries and the 2025 state and national elections.

Registration is non-refundable after July 30, 2025.

Who is Allan Bergman?

Allan I. Bergman is CEO of HIGH IMPACT Mission-based Consulting & Training, a national consulting firm he established in 2010. A nationally recognized change agent, innovator and thought leader in cross-disability policy, “best practices,” and systems/provider transformation, he brings over 50 years of experience at the local, state, and federal levels as a service provider, legislative advocate, policy analyst. He has served as the CEO of 6 non-profit agencies in 4 states (including the Dallas Arc from 1972-1975, San Francisco Arc, 1975-1981, and Arc of Colorado, 1981-1986). He became very involved in Medicaid policy and practice in 1981 when Congress passed the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Act amendments allowing states the option to develop HCBS as an alternative for individuals otherwise eligible for “institutional” services, including nursing homes, ICFs/DD, and long-term hospitalization. He has provided consulting and training in 46 states, Canada, Australia and Israel and has testified as an “expert” witness in two federal class action lawsuits.

Allan spent 18 years in Washington, D.C. (from 1986 – 2004) as Director of Government Relations & of State-Federal Relations for UCPA, and as CEO of the Brain Injury Association of America. During that period, Allan was very instrumental in legislative and regulatory advocacy on Medicaid HCBS, Community Supported Living Arrangements legislation, and the development of the Medicaid Buy-In and Medicare Continuation provisions for enhancements for individuals with disabilities to engage in competitive, integrated employment. During this period, he also served as a consultant to the National Conference of State Legislators on Medicaid and Medicaid HCBS and the impact of the Olmstead Supreme Court decision and the needs for states to continue to downsize and eliminate “institutions.” He testified before eight state legislatures in this role. Allan continues his national policy leadership as the chair of the TASH Public Policy Committee, since 2018.

Dr. Colleen Wieck, Executive Director of the MN. Governor’s Council on DD invited him to serve as faculty on Legislative Advocacy for the first class of Partners in Policymaking (PIP) in 1987. Allan conducts PIP training weekends in 5-7 states per year, including Minnesota. He completed his second contract for class six of IL. PIP in June 2025. In 2022, Dr. Wieck sponsored him to develop a video and slide presentation, “Bending the Arc of History Toward Rights and Freedom” on the evolution of federal disability policy to reach a time of total alignment in all federal disability laws (IDEA, Rehab., Social Security, and Medicaid, that now reject the “deficit-medical model” of disability to each individual with a disability is unique and has a civil and human right to receive individualized/person-centered planning and services and supports based on the person’s unique strengths, preferences and interests that are based on social justice and result in outcomes of increased independence, community integration and competitive integrated employment. This resulted in a 9-part professional video series on the Minnesota website.

Allan has served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy since 2011. He focuses on interagency collaboration, provider transformation, rate reimbursement methodologies and outcome-based incentives for competitive integrated employment, with an emphasis on Customized Employment. In February 2025, ODEP invited Allan to provide a training session for the nine new NEON states; “The Fiscal Case for Disability Employment Efforts: A Return on Investment for the Individual, Family, Employer, Community and Taxpayers”. The presentation was so well received that Allan was engaged by ODEP to conduct a national webinar on the same topic on April 30th, for which over 650 individuals were registered.

On December 6, 2024, Allan was humbled and honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from TASH – only the tenth person so honored - based on his lifetime commitment to values-based advocacy, policy and systems change for person-centered planning, self-determination and inclusion/belonging. His personal commitment is reflected in his high expectations and support for his daughter Dina and stepdaughter Mindy, who have both achieved significant milestones in integrated employment through supported or customized employment with fidelity.

Registration is non-refundable after July 30, 2025.