Congratulations to staff who attended the 2023 AUCD Annual Conference in Washington, DC this week!  WIHD was well represented, having participated in two concurrent sessions and presenting seven posters.

Concurrent Session topics included (WIHD Staff bolded):

  • Creating Impactful Change in New York State: Promoting Health Equity for CYSHCN through Family Engagement and Transformational Leadership
    Presented by: Angel Morales, MPH, Sabrina Smith, MPA, Orli Segal, MA, CPNP
  • Self-Advocacy Meta Panel: Self-Advocate Leaders Discuss their Experiences as LEND Trainees and Current Work to Increase Leadership Opportunities for Others
    Presented by: Anna Ward, McCafferty S. Kermon, Jairo Arana, Kenneth Kelty, Nichole Hastings, Abigail Tessman

Posters included (WIHD staff bolded):

  • TicTacGo: Empowering Self Advocacy Skills Through a Social Network Designed and Led By a Self-Advocate Leader: Brendan Klein, Mariela Adams, MS
  • “Foundations to Leadership” – A Pilot Program for Self-Advocates with Developmental Disabilities: Curriculum Development,
    Implementation and Lessons Learned: Brendan Klein, Mariela Adams, MS, Patti Colombo, MS, Kate Meltzer, MSW
  • The Speakers Network: Building Skills Through a Presentations Skills Curriculum for Self-Advocates to Become Expert Speakers
    on Advocacy Issues: Mariela Adams, MS, Nichole Hastings, BS, Mindy Lingo, PhD, Claire Polin, Grace Medina
  • Use of Online, Cognitively Accessible Software to Empower Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities: Izel Steinmann Obermeyer, OTR/L, Tricia A. Patrick, DrPH, Katelyn Pena
  • Evaluation of a Pilot Project to Facilitate Supported Decision-Making (SDM) among Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities: Tricia Patrick, DrPH, Denise Lopez, BS, Christine Drexel, BA
  • Bridging the Gap: Cultivating Local Leadership to Support Children and Families: Angel Morales, MPH, Jenna Lequia, PhD, Abby Beer, PT, DPT
  • Exploring the Perspectives of Biological Parents Involved in the Child Welfare System During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study: Trupti Rao, PhD, Beth Reiman, PhD, Nikoleta Alijaj, Stephanie Eberhart,, Jessica Goh, Kate Meltzer, MSW, Leah Watson

WIHD Faculty/Staff/Trainee Attendees AUCD Annual Conference Washington, DC:  November 2023
(WIHD faculty and staff listed in bold; LEND trainees indicated with *; recent LEND graduates with †)

  • Mariela Adams
  • Abby Beer
  • Jenean Castillo
  • Christine Drexel
  • Susan Fox
  • Jessica Goh†
  • Nichole Hastings
  • Keri Kanetsky†
  • Brendan Klein
  • Kristy Leader
  • Kate Meltzer†
  • Yarel Middel*
  • Angel Morales
  • Izel Obermeyer
  • Tricia Patrick
  • Trupti Rao
  • Beth Reiman
  • Cynthia Perez Reyes*
  • Leah Watson†