A Call to Collective Impact

The Institute on Human Development at Northern Arizona University, located in the beautiful city of Flagstaff, Arizona (notably on Route 66), hosted this outstanding conference at the Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Arizona. In its 26th year, the disability conference theme was "Evidence for Success" and featured speakers such as Lawrence Weru, who not only addressed the opportunities and challenges for disability-inclusive AI as a keynote speaker but also led a breakout session on proactive web experiences through keyboard accessibility. Forbes and the Harvard Gazette have featured Mr. Weru due to his work on Artificial Intelligence, a vital topic, and accessibility. 

Providing the Closing remarks to the conference was Rachel Simon. Yes, the Rachel Simon. Her work has been adapted into film on the Hallmark Channel, and she is one of the foremost literary voices writing and developing characters who have intellectual and Developmental distinctions.

In between the two excellent thought leaders the conference featured a host of informative sessions and presentations from people like Michelle Soriano, Mo Buti, Maggie Mosher from the University of Kansas, the long-time disability rights advocate Cheryl Bates-Harris, and information on Adapted Physical Education from two folks from the Henri Viscardi School in New York, Christopher Marotta and Joe Slaninka—an all-star lineup with informative sessions and incredible vendors.

I was humbled and very grateful to have had the opportunity to not only be a witness to such an impactful group of people but to co-present “Don’t Get Stuck in the System: Interactions Between the Legal System and Corrections System and People with IDD”, with my colleague Jason Snead from the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

It is also essential to thank my co-presenter, Mr. Jason Snead, the chair of the Criminal Justice Committee for the AZDDPC. I was blessed to have met Jason not too long after moving to Arizona. I was thrilled to see that Mr. Snead had been working tirelessly on a project that has been near and dear to my heart and has been part of my professional practice for over a decade. His expertise and collaboration in shaping this critical conversation around the structural and systemic challenges faced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who encounter the legal and corrections systems have been refreshing and enlightening.

While it has been my great pleasure to labor alongside Jason, there is still much work to be done. People who experience IDD and/or Autism continue to be overrepresented in the carceral system in this country, experience disproportionately negative and traumatic interactions with law enforcement, and struggle to develop a stable, successful life at home once they have been released from incarceration.

The most fascinating aspect of the work I do in this space is that the necessary infrastructure is already in place. The pieces to the puzzle are laid out on the table for all to see. Support coordination is a fixture in 48 states in this nation, where support and services are provided through the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program. Of course, as we all know, the political climate is tenuous at best, and funding across all sectors of human services is in jeopardy. Notwithstanding that, there deciders leaders and professionals from all part of the human service delivery system that intersect in the lives of justice involved individuals with ID who are ready and willing and able to come together and make a collective impact through collaboration, innovation and eroding the silos that serve as barriers to the diversion of people with IDD away from prison and the successful transition of those who have been incarcerated back into their homes.

The evidence of this willingness was reflected in the attendees of our conference session. The experience shared, the questions asked, and the overwhelming response to the call to action were proof positive that the solution—a Coordinated Community Response team—is possible not only here in the Grand Canyon State but in jurisdictions and communities throughout the country. We can make a difference. There can be a shift in the paradigms surrounding justice-involved individuals with IDD. The leverage point in this system has been identified. It is my home and expressed intention through the work we do here at NOIRE, our fellow laborers within the Az Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, support coordination mechanisms and all of the fantastic people who attended our session and beyond that we will utilize the leverage point we’ve identified and make great strides towards q collective impact on the expereinces people with IDD have with the legal system here in Arizona.

Programs like the Restorative Justice Program at PHMC-PersonLink in Philadelphia, the Kingman Project, The Texas Offenders Reentry Initiatives (Texas we gonna work on that name), Project Rio and Volunteers of America, Resources for Human Development Mainstay Program, Dr. Tony McCrovitz’s Quality of Life Model and the gentle teaching Framework, The Sequential Intercept Model and the Criminal Justice Advocacy Program through the ARC New Jersey have laid much of the foundation on which we can build a sustainable system for improving the interactions between our friends family members and fellow citizens who expereince IDD and the legal system including helping those who are returning home, stay home.     

I never want to end a piece without saying that if you are interested in helping shift this narrative and working towards a better way, do not hesitate to reach out to me at thinktanknoire@gmail.com, and I will add your name to the team.