On October 26, 2018 I was fortunate enough to attend a class on Constructive Conversations presented by Abbey Louie and Steve Robertson of Louie Robertson Consulting during the Idaho Partnerships Conference on Human Services. Ms. Louie and MR. Robertson demonstrated true synergy during the presentation. As attendees, we learned to identify our own challenges to […]

I had an opportunity to attend a session by Jeanne Farr, CEO, National Association of Dual Diagnosis, at the Idaho Partnerships Conference on Human Services. The session was titled “Trauma-Informed Care” (TIC). Ms. Farr presented us with a comprehensive definition and history of TIC indicating reports of traumatic stress as far back in history as […]

Today we are taking our youngest daughter to college. There are so many emotions and life changes happening all at once. I have been resisting the urge to retreat into denial. I want to be present to feel all these things despite the overwhelmingness. Painful and joyful, bittersweet. A dear friend gave me a copy […]

Music has been with us for thousands of years as a form of entertainment, communication, celebration, and mourning. There are so many different emotions that music can help us to express, and it is a language that we share universally, as well as one that everyone can understand. The style of music that we listen […]

Getting mad is natural and unavoidable. You are human, after all. You will continue to feel and experience anger throughout your life. Anger is one of your strongest emotions and one of your strongest motivators. Anger is often an indicator that you would like something in your life to change. What you do when you […]

There is a myth that youth who are in school and receive SSI benefits can’t work or they will lose their benefits. They can indeed work. There are special SSI rules that support working for students under the age of 22. It’s called the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE). There are limits to the income […]

Now in its 7th year, the Commitment to Community Awards provides visibility and recognition to these honorees for their leadership and vision. We’re asking you to help us honor and recognize the journey taken by individuals, organizations and businesses dedicated to advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Nominees must possess three or more of the following […]

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Bridgeport, West Virginia and join the experts behind the Mountaineer Autism Project for their 2018 conference. The conference brought together families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and the providers who serve them. I helped kick things off by outlining the Medicaid benefits for children with ASD, […]

Research suggests that executives and company leaders are spending half their work week in meetings (HBR, Aug. 2017). With limited resources and time in a fast-paced market, utilizing meeting time optimally is an important skill for leaders in a variety of industries. Every meeting needs a good facilitator. That person is someone who helps meeting […]

The last few months have been full of twists and turns for CHIP. Child health stakeholders were disappointed to see the September 30, 2017 deadline come and go with no new CHIP funding, but then encouraged by Committee action in the House and Senate in early October. But the failure to get CHIP funding across the finish […]