Reaching New Heights Conference
Partners for Employment hosts the Reaching New Heights Conference annually. The conference brings together state employees, educators, advocacy organizations, direct service providers, and families who all have a role in advancing competitive, integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. The conference features keynote speakers and breakout sessions focused on leadership development, best practices/promising practices in supported employment and school-to-work transitions, innovative programming and sharing local resources. Together, we network and collaborate in commitment to New Mexico’s Employment First Policy.
2026 Reaching New Heights in Supported Employment Conference
April 9-10, 2026 | Santa Ana Star Hotel - Bernalillo, NM
Register Here.
2026 Conference Schedule
Day 1 - April 9, Thursday:
- Seeds of Change: How One Vision Grew Into a Movement for Employment and Inclusion in Rural New Mexico
- Designing Competitive Employment for Non-Apparent Disabilities - Practical Frameworks for Performance, Disclosure, and Retention
- DDSD Community Inclusion & Informed Choice About Employment
- Customized Employment & Disability Advocacy: Real Life Stories Transformed into Training Tools and Techniques
- Graduation Pathways and Updates
- Connecting the Community to Create Quality Employment Plans
Day 2 - April 10, Friday:
- Changing the Game of Employment Through Advocacy
- Think Outside the Cubicle: Harnessing Creativity for Career Success
- Find Your Future: Lessons Learned from Coordinating Career Exploration Events for 8th Graders
- From Experience to Opportunity: Identifying Transferrable Skills in Rural Communities
- When Supports Fade and a Roadblock Arises: What’s Next?
- Reasonable Accommodations: Navigating the Process for Employees & Job Seekers
- Redefining Public Transit through Inclusion: Accessible, Flexible Transportation Models Supporting Employment and Independence
This event is brought to you at no cost, thanks to our funding partners:
New Mexico Health Care Authority’s Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD)
and The New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (NMDVR).