Awards & Scholarships | INARF 2018 Annual Conference

INARF 2018 Pre-Conference | March 20

INARF 2018 Annual Conference | March 21 - 22

Sheraton Indianapolis Keystone Crossing, 8787 Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis, Indiana

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Where industry professionals connect with experts, peers, resources and information to
enhance quality services for individuals with disabilities.

It is as much of a tradition as a roller coaster is to an amusement park! Every year, the INARF Awards Luncheon provides our members the opportunity to publicly recognize their staff, individuals served, and community partners who embrace individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Additionally, individuals who have self-identified themselves as qualified Costa N. Miller Scholarship Award recipients have the opportunity to be recognized and rewarded for their commitment to professional development and higher education that benefits the individuals they serve and the human service industry.

We invite you to participate in recognizing your outstanding staff, individuals served, and community partners or, yourself as a scholarship recipient, by responding to our Call for Nominations on or before December 15, 2017.

The Luncheon will be one of the high points offered during the INARF 2018 Annual Conference “The Future is Riding on Us” on Wednesday, March 21 at the Sheraton Indianapolis Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis, and will feature moving stories of recipients' achievements. We encourage you to join us for the Luncheon to learn of these outstanding individuals who make a difference!

Nominations are now closed for the INARF 2018 Annual Awards and Costa N. Miller Scholarship Award.

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AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

Justin Dart Personal Achievement Award
The Justin Dart Personal Achievement Award is presented to an individual who has participated in services through an INARF member organization and who has maximized their skills and abilities to achieve their chosen goals. Achievements may include volunteerism, advocacy on behalf of disability issues, and/or upward mobility and dedication to reaching their personal goals. Candidates for this award must:

Have utilized habilitation and/or rehabilitation services to enhance their independence and quality of life
Have been involved in services for over two years
Have a diagnosed intellectual/developmental disability

Keystone Award
The Keystone Award is presented to the most outstanding Direct Support Professional employed in the Indiana service delivery system. Qualified candidates manifest, through personal attributes and dedication, the mission of the human service/habilitation industry. Candidates qualifying for this award must currently be employed as Direct Support Professionals, have three (3) years minimum employment as Direct Support Professionals and actively participate in on-going professional development. These individuals are:

The first to employ innovative techniques, enriching the quality of services and thus the quality of life for those they serve
The first to uphold the rights of individuals with disabilities
The first to accept change and insist that such changes have meaning and purpose
The first in the hearts of those they serve

*NEW: Pinnacle Award
The Pinnacle Award is presented to an outstanding professional level staff member in the human service industry. The nominees represent outstanding individual dedication to advocacy, innovation, education and inspiration, and are recognized for their leadership among others within their organization. These individuals are:

Committed to the Mission and Vision of their organization
Excel at motivating others to make a difference
Seek opportunities to be creative in approaches to supporting individuals with intellectual and development disabilities

James M. Hammond III Award
The James M. Hammond III Award is presented to an outstanding executive/administrator in the human service industry. The nominees present outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, political acumen, ethical demeanor and professional posture to further the interests of their organization and those of their colleagues across the state. These distinguished individuals:

Diligently stay the course of service delivery
Develop quality programming using the latest industry innovations and creative use of resources

Believe in the worth of all individuals of varying abilities, which is manifested through the operations/programming and dedication to the cause.

Partnership Award
The Partnership Award is presented to a community partner (i.e.- individual, business, club, educational institution or corporation) making significant contributions to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and the organizations serving them. Partners may also display dedication to improving the lives of people with disabilities through innovative approaches to service delivery and by helping form positive public images of people with disabilities. These contributions may include:

Donations and fundraising efforts
Volunteerism
Public education and public relations
Employment opportunities for people with disabilities

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Submitting Award Winning Nominations

The Committees selecting the 2018 INARF Annual Awards and Costa N. Miller Scholarship Award recipients are looking for intriguing essays that separate your nomination from the crowd. Even if the person being nominated fits the criteria to a "T", with an average of 10-12 nominations per category you're likely to be one of a number of applicants with similar goals, activities, and aspirations.

Submitting an award winning essay is your best chance to make the case for why your nominee should receive the award/scholarship; it helps the Committees learn about the person behind the nomination, and gives them a much more detailed look at their life and contributions.

When you start writing, don't forget that the main purpose of your essay is to convince the Committees that the Nominee is who they've been looking for. Make sure every point you make is illustrated with a specific detail that shows you care about the subject. Don't just mention that the Nominee is committed to their work and goes above and beyond; for example, share specifics about how the Nominee took time to arrange a trip for a consumer they knew they really wanted to take. Putting their unique stories and perspectives on the page will go a very long way toward creating a memorable essay.

Click here to view a sample of a winning nomination for Noel Doogs, who won the Justin Dart Achievement Award in 2017. *This is a sample only and all submissions should be original.

Remember to submit a nomination before the December 15 deadline.