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HDI Receives Notice of Awards

The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) received notice of award of a five-year grant from the Administration for Community Living to better serve Kentuckians who experience co-occurring mental health and intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Kentucky Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (KY-MHIDD) Training Initiative will let us hone our work from the National Training Initiative that was co-lead with Utah State and Alaska. The goal is to increase understanding and improve implementation of person-centered, culturally relevant services and referral systems. Existing supports will be strengthened and integrated, addressing racial, health (including COVID-19 pandemic), and economic inequities in underserved communities. This is a partnership grant that includes people with disabilities, family members, state agencies, organizations and other stakeholders. Kristen Dahl, Dr. Chithra Adams and Dr. Kathy Sheppard-Jones will represent HDI in this important work.

The HDI is also working with the Child Neurology Foundation to review the materials they provide to help families and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities navigate the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare system. Laura Butler, Bev Harp and contractors with HDI will review print and web-based content to identify accessibility issues and potentially ableist language or images. HDI will also conduct a training for Child Neurology Foundation staff and provide a resource guide for the development of new materials.

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Graduate Certificate in Developmental Disabilities Student Spotlight: Emily Moseley

After nearly ten years as a photographer, Emily Moseley decided to change careers. She wanted her work to promote social justice and equity while being of service to others, so she enrolled in the University of Kentucky Master’s degree in Social Work program along with the Human Development Institute’s (HDI) Graduate Certificate in Developmental Disabilities. She also began a research assistantship with HDI and is working on several projects related to people with disabilities and their experiences with COVID-19.

Emily explained that social work offers a holistic approach that appealed to her, and the certificate in Developmental Disabilities complemented her studies nicely. “I knew very little about disability,” she said. “It was a way to increase my learning experience, but I’ve been continually surprised about how well aligned HDI is with the social work program.” She went on to say that the certificate program has been “very enlightening and eye-opening and will definitely inform my work.” Continue reading

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HDI Hosts Virtual Open House for the Graduate Certificate in Developmental Disabilities

The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute invites current and prospective students, staff, and faculty to a Virtual Open House to learn about the Graduate Certificate in Developmental Disabilities. This certificate prepares professionals from a broad range of disciplines to provide services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and their families. The coursework emphasizes the lifespan from an interdisciplinary perspective.  

Register at https://bit.ly/3dFWTYk to participate via Zoom on Thursday, May 28 at 3:00pm ET. A stipend up to $3000 is offered to students who are accepted into the certificate program on a competitive basis. You can also visit the HDI web site at https://hdi.uky.edu/graduate-certificate to learn more about the certificate.