Jan Nisbet, Director

PHONE: 603-862-4320
FAX: 603-862-0555
E-MAIL

Education

• PhD., Education of Students with Severe Disabilities, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 1983 M.S.,
• M.S., Special Education & MR, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 1981
• B.S., Science & PT, Simmons College, Boston, 1977

Professional Background

Dr. Nisbet is director of the Institute on Disability and a tenured associate professor in the Department of Education at the University of New Hampshire. She has conducted research and writing for the past 20 years on topics related to school restructuring and reform, transition from school to adult life, supported employment, self-determination, inclusive adult lives and aging.

Dr. Nisbet is also past president of the Executive Board of Directors of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH), a national organization focused on improving the lives of persons with severe disabilities and their families through research, training, and advocacy. She has published extensively in the field of severe disabilities, serves on numerous editorial advisory boards, and presents nationally and internationally. She is principal investigator on numerous state and nationally funded projects related to the community integration of children and adults with severe disabilities.

Mary Schuh, Associate Director

PHONE: 603-228-2084
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-MAIL

Education

• PhD., Education, University of New Hampshire, 2002
• M.S., Special Education, Syracuse University, 1987
• B.S., Special Education, State University of New York at Geneseo, 1984

Professional Background

Dr. Mary Schuh is the associate director of the Institute on Disability. She has been with the Institute on Disability since its inception in 1987, working to coordinate family and consumer leadership development and educational systems change activities in the areas of: preschool, students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, higher education, and students with complex medical issues. Dr. Schuh has more than 20 years of experience in inclusive schools and communities and project management. She is currently working on systems change in the areas of personnel preparation, leadership development, assistive technology, and inclusive education. She teaches a course on Introduction to Exceptionality at the University of New Hampshire.

Maria Agorastou

PHONE: 603-862-0561
FAX: 603-862-0034
E-MAIL

Education

• M.S.W., Social Work, University of New Hampshire, 2003
• B.S.W., Social Work, Psychology, TEI/University of Patras, Greece, 1998

Projects

APEX: The project, entitled APEX (Achievement in Prevention and EXcellence), provides training, technical assistance and staff resources to implement a comprehensive drop-out prevention model in high schools that have higher-than-average drop out rates.

Maria provides on-going training and technical assistance and research analysis and support to schools (Seacoast High-Schools) to assist them in the development and expansion of implementation of school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

Seacoast Child Development clinic. Coordination of services for the Seacoast Child Development Clinic, which is an Interdisciplinary clinical component of the MCH LEND program.

NH LEND Program: Support activities for the LEND program : Data collection and review. Statistical analyses and presentations on management meetings. Participation in general promotion activities and curricula development.

Peter Antal

PHONE: 603-228-2084
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-MAIL

Education

• Ph.D., Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware at Newark, 2005
• M.P.A., Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware at Newark, 1998
• B.A., Psychology/Human Development, University of Delaware at Newark, 1995

Professional Background

Currently, Peter is providing evaluation and research support to the IOD across several programs. Research is currently focused on: 1) providing documentation on the service systems and supports available for individuals with disabilities across New Hampshire; 2) identifying the ways in which individuals with disabilities can take on an active role in the governance and improvement of their community; 3) developing indicators documenting early intervention success for infants and toddlers with special needs; 4) providing evaluation support to an early intervention project seeking to ensure that early care providers integrate screening and support activities for children with special needs into their service delivery models; 5) assessing the impacts of the IOD’s Leadership program; and 6) a state-wide assessment of the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities. 

Dr. Antal brings with him over 7 years of experience in using diverse methods to assess innovative intervention programs as well as the effectiveness of state service systems.  Past research has involved a multi-disciplinary study on the functioning and impacts of one of the federally funded Healthy Start sites, a comprehensive assessment of the needs of New Hampshire's children and families (including perspectives on economic security, health, education, and safety), as well as a review of the factors contributing to rural family economic success in the northern New England region.  Most recently, Peter has completed his doctoral work on the utilization of community coalitions for governance and services reform.

Projects

Access New Hampshire - Living with Disability in the Granite State: Seeks to provide a framework for the next stage of discussions and future research for individuals with disabilities in New Hampshire. The report will highlight key pieces of data from areas of Education, Health, Economic Security and State Supports for people with disabilities, noting issue areas which are critical to focus on and highlight in the years ahead.

Littleton Model Community: The Littleton Model Community Project seeks to create an inclusive community, a place where all citizens participate in business, social events, civic activities and recreation.  The project provides opportunities for choice and control for its citizens who, due to age or disability, require long-term supports to more fully participate in community life. Part of the IOD’s role in this process has been in guiding a participatory evaluation approach to ensure that participants took on an active role in understanding and acting upon the barriers and supports in their community. For more information, go to: http://www.golittleton.com/modelcommunity.

LINKS to Early Learning: Links to Early Learning includes four major initiatives that will be integrated into existing programs and efforts to build capacity for supporting early learning providers and families in a wide array of venues. The project will: provide developmental resources, information and services to children and families; improve early identification of children with disabilities; and promote early literacy throughout both counties. The four components of this project are: 1) promoting early childhood literacy through training and mentoring of providers and parents on the Ladders to Literacy curriculum; 2) promoting early learning /early identification through screening, education and support in healthcare centers and child protective services offices (Baby Steps program); 3) promoting early literacy at home and in typical routines via public library partnerships (early literacy kits), vision screening (with the Lions Club), and materials dissemination (Books for Babies and Beyond); and 4) promoting widespread awareness through dissemination via cable television and other venues. The IOD is directly involved in both shaping the course of the project as well as providing the evaluation of project activities.

The NH Family & Consumer Leadership Series: Through the courses, leaders emerge who have a clear vision, knowledge about state-of-the-art supports for individuals with disabilities, and skills necessary for advocating with service providers. They know how to use the legislative process to achieve change, and how to organize communities to support inclusion. The Leadership Series enhances the ability of people and families to change laws, persuade schools and businesses to include individuals with disabilities, and educate communities about the importance of welcoming and including every member.  For more info, go to: http://iod.unh.edu/leadership.html.

Transportation Needs of Individuals with Disabilities in NH: The purpose of this project is to raise New Hampshire's awareness of transportation access for people who do not have regular access to their own transportation by implementing and reporting on a randomized statewide phone survey focusing on understanding resident's access to, and need for, community resources, including health, recreation, education, and employment.

Cathy Apfel

PHONE: 603-228-2084
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-MAIL

Education

• M.Ed., Behavior Disorders/SPED, Georgia State University, 1975
• B.A., English/Biology, New York University, 1971

Professional Background

Cathy Apfel, M.Ed, has spent the last 32 years as a teacher, administrator, and consultant in the field of special education. She currently works for the Institute on Disability/UCE at the University of New Hampshire providing training and technical assistance specific to Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (through the NH-CEBIS project) and supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She also teaches courses on Behavior Management, Emotional Disturbance, and PBIS at Rivier College, UNH, and Plymouth State University.

Projects

CAN: Provide on-going training and technical assistance to schools to assist them in the development and expansion of proactive strategies and school based supports for children and youth with challenging behaviors. Areas of expertise include children with serious emotional disturbance and children with autism. Specific areas of consultation include positive behavior intervention and support, functional assessment, and social skill development.

Linda B. Bimbo, Deputy Director

PHONE: 603-862-0560 (Durham) 603-228-2084 (Concord)
FAX: 603-862-0555 (Durham) 603-228-3270 (Concord)
E-MAIL

Education

• M.S., Management, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA., 1977
• B.S., Recreation Therapy, Springfield College, Springfield, MA.,1987

Professional Background

Linda joined the Institute in 2003 bringing with her over 20 years of experience in providing direction and support to people with developmental and psychiatric disabilities in the community. Working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Departments of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and later with non-profit organizations, Linda has provided leadership and vision in the development of homes and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. She is a creative thinker, disciplined analyst, and forward-moving manager who can mobilize resources, mediate conflicting interests and achieve strategic visions of organizations and the constituencies they serve. As Project Coordinator she implemented the Community Wrap/Nursing Facility Transition Project. Linda was also Project Director for the Home Care Connections grant – Integrating Long Term Supports and Affordable Housing. Both grants are part of the Real Choice Systems Change Initiative. In 2007, Linda was appointed Deputy Director and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Institute.

Projects

Community Wrap, also known as the Nursing Facility Transition Project, was designed to transition older adults with mental illness from nursing facilities to the community. This 3-year project contained two inter-related initiatives targeted at 1) "Wrap Around Services," for transitioning older adults with mental illness from nursing facility settings to community-based settings; and 2) Expanding housing opportunities for people with mental illness and other disabilities in the Concord community and statewide. The wraparound approach has proven to be very effective in coordinating and delivering care when used with children diverted or transitioned out of institutional placements and has recently been shown to be similarly effective with older adults. The goal of the Project was to plan and coordinate integrated, community services and housing to ensure stable community membership for older adults with complex, and multiple problems who were residing in nursing homes or were receiving nursing home level care in the state psychiatric facility.

Home Care Connections – Integrating Long Term Supports and Affordable Housing was a three year grant funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The goal of Home Care Connections was to identify and work to overcome the barriers that prevent Medicaid-eligible older adults and adults with disabilities from remaining in their own homes and communities. The focus was on “aging-in-place.” The project was designed to develop and/or enhance systems that encourage and foster collaboration and cooperation of existing housing and support networks. Partnering organizations included, the Department of Health and Human Services: Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services and Bureau of Behavioral Health; New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority; Granite State Independent Living; and Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center.

Heidi Cloutier

PHONE: 603-628-6837
FAX: 603-628-7679
E-Mail

Education

• M.S.W., Social Work, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, 2003
• B.S.W., Social Work, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1997

Professional Background

As the Microboards Project Coordinator, Heidi helps students and their families set up a network of support to assist them in planning for their transition out of high school. Her responsibilities include facilitating Microboard meetings, engaging students in a person centered planning process, creating individualized budgets, and providing benefits counseling. She is also coordinating facilitation services to families, mentoring and overseeing other facilitators working with Microboard families, organizing trainings, recruitment events, and forums to bring community stakeholders together.

The four years prior to the Microboards Project Heidi worked as the Resource Consultant on Project Dollars and Sense. This project involved working with adults with psychiatric disabilities doing life planning, benefits counseling and management, advocacy, and creating individualized budgets using a fiscal intermediary. The project was aimed at increasing consumer’s choice and control of services, supports and resources they utilized.

Other professional experience includes working as a case manager for adults with psychiatric disabilities with drug and alcohol addiction, education and employment counseling for transition aged youth and adults.

Projects

New Hampshire Microboards: The New Hampshire Microboards Project is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education to help students with disabilities plan for the transition out of high school and into adult life.

Ann Donoghue Dillon

PHONE: 603-862-0793
FAX: 603-862-0555
E-Mail

Education

• M.ED., UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1998
• B.S., OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1975

Professional Background

Since my career began as an occupational therapist, I have enjoyed supporting young children, their families and providers and now work at the Institute on Disability at UNH. Although I am involved in systems design and systems change, connections to families and providers remains a strong interest and passion and my interest in autism has been fueled by these connections. Increasing the use of person-centered planning, organizing and designing responsive supports, and continuing education are personal priorities. Through the IOD, I am the Coordinator of Family-Centered Training and Support at the Seacoast Child Development Clinic and LEND, the parent liaison for the Center for Medical Home Improvement, a facilitator for the Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports project, coordinator of the Jumpstart project and a family specialist for the NEC Deafblind Project. As the parent of a wonderful daughter who has disabilities, I have learned so much about education, inclusion, medical support and family support and use this knowledge to influence my work at UNH.

Projects

Jumpstart: Individualized supports to young children with autism is a training and support grant designed to bring the Individualized Support Project (ISP) model to New Hampshire families and providers and to increase the local capacity to implement this model. The focus is on very young children with autism or autism-like characteristics and their families. Person-centered planning, functional behavioral assessment, individualized support plans are important components .

Beth Dixon

PHONE: 603-228-2084
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-Mail

Education

• B.S., BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE, CLL, 2001

Professional Background

Beth, a parent of four children and grandparent of four, is interested in equality for all people in all areas that affect our lives - education, social/friendship ties, work environments, housing options, recreation opportunities, and more. Beth enjoys organizing and presenting best practices to participants at the NH Leadership Series. Watching people change and broaden their expectations for themselves and/or their children is exciting to her - but even more exciting is watching them become involved in their communities and in public life.

Projects

The New Hampshire Leadership Series is a seven-month training session for adults with disabilities and parents or family members of children with disabilities. It is based on the national Partners in Policymaking model. The Series is funded by the NH Department of Education, NH Developmental Disabilities Council, NH Division of Developmental Services, 12 NH Area Agencies, Annie Forts UP Fund Laconia Savings Bank, and donations from NH Leadership graduates.

Sönke Dornblut

PHONE: 603-224-0630
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-Mail

Education

• M.S., COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SOUTHERN NH UNIVERSITY, 1999
• B.A., POLITICAL SCIENCE, PLYMOUTH STATE COLLEGE, 1995

Professional Background

Sönke's primary motivation lies within a deeply held belief that society must be accessible at all levels to all people in order to fulfill its promise as a democratic society. He is interested in developing infrastructures that support access for all by utilizing community economic development strategies and structures. Current work focuses on access through transportation for people with disabilities and others who do not drive, especially in rural areas. Sönke is also intrigued by connections - both historical and current - between languages and in language as a transmitter of cultural norms and values.

Projects

The Rural Transportation Access Network is a two-year research project looking into best practices in rural, community transportation provision and funding resource utilization. The project is funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

New Hampshire Assistive Technology Partnership Project The goal of the New Hampshire Assistive Technology Partnership Project is to increase access to assistive technology through the creation and support of consumer driven systems for the provision of state-of-the-art assistive technology products and services for citizens with disabilities in the state of New Hampshire.

Susan Fox

PHONE: 603-228-2084
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-Mail

Education

• Accepted into doctoral sociology program, University of New Hampshire, 2003
• M.S., Educational Leadership, Lesley University, 1981
• B.S., Education, University of Massachusetts, 1977

Professional Background

Susan currently leads New Hampshire's work to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of individuals with disabilities and to support all citizens to live within their home communities through the Real Choice System Change grant. Prior to this, she spent five years as director of New Hampshire's Division of Developmental Services in the Department of Health and Human Services. In this capacity she led the state to: expand family support; develop quality outcome measures; implement continuous quality improvement initiatives; enhance services to persons with dual diagnoses, forensic issues, and acquired brain disorders; provide family support services to children with chronic health conditions; develop in-home support services for families; reduce the waiting list for services; develop and implement a Medicaid buy-in program and promote self-determination. Prior to accepting this position, she served as the associate director for Developmental Services for Northern New Hampshire Mental Health and developmental Services in Conway for more than 10 years. Sue has also worked as a special education teacher and as the special education director for Berlin Public Schools. In these roles she has been active in regional and statewide initiatives involving individuals with disabilities for more than 25 years. She is the mother of three children and is involved in many community activities and boards.

Projects

The Real Choice Systems Change Project is designed to create and implement improvements in community-based care systems in order to improve health and long-term care services and supports that assist people with disabilities and long-term illnesses to live in the community.

Matthew Gianino

PHONE: 603-862-2300
FAX: 603-862-0555
E-Mail

Education

• B.A., University of Massachusetts

Professional Background

Since 2002 Matthew Gianino has been actively involved in the development and execution of comprehensive marketing and communications strategies and campaigns for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. In both leadership and hands-on roles, he has been instrumental in the deployment of countless successful public-oriented promotions and communication initiatives. With a background in the arts and writing, Matthew has been able to apply his eye for detail and his creative disposition along with 13 years of professional relationship building experience to encourage discourse and nurture relationships with targeted audiences, the press and strategic organizational partners. Since joining the Institute on Disability in January 2006, Matthew has spent much of his time evaluating and improving upon existing communications and marketing strategies as well as incorporating new initiatives in order to develop a comprehensive marketing plan for the organization. In addition to his expertise in communications and marketing, he is also well versed in graphic design, photography and video production.

David Hagner

PHONE: 603-862-2554
FAX: 603-862-0555
E-Mail

Education

• PhD., Rehabilitation Counseling, Syracuse University
• M.S., Rehabilitation Counseling, Syracuse University
• M.A., Philosophy, University of Cincinnati

Professional Background

Dr. Hagner is the Rehabilitation Projects director at University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability, and is a certified rehabilitation counselor with more than 20 years' experience in teaching, research, evaluation and direct service. He co-directs the New England Regional Continuing Education Program for Community Rehabilitation Personnel and currently conducts research in the areas of transition for youths with disabilities in the criminal justice system and home ownership for individuals with significant disabilities. Dr. Hagner is the author of five books and more than 35 chapters, monographs, and journal articles related to employment and rehabilitation. He is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences, and serves as consulting editor for the journal Mental Retardation.

Projects

Strategies, Barriers, and Outcomes of Home Ownership for People with Severe Disabilities is a three-year field-initiated research project funded in August 2000 by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). This research project is systematically investigating quality of life outcomes of home ownership for people with severe disabilities. The research focuses on the personal service, financial, and support network variables needed to achieve and maintain successful home ownership.

The Regional Continuing Education program for Community Rehabilitation Personnel is a collaborative project of the Institute on Disability, the University of Hartford Rehabilitation Training Program, and the Assumption College Institute for Social and Rehabilitative Services. The project's purpose is to meet the needs of community rehabilitation personnel such as employment specialists, employment consultants, job developers, and supported employment program managers for continuing training and technical assistance to upgrade skills, infuse innovations into practice, and ensure high-quality employment outcomes for consumers with disabilities within New England.

School and Community Reentry for Youthful Offenders with Disabilities is a federally funded demonstration project to develop, implement, and evaluate a model system of reentry services and supports for youths with disabilities whose school and community participation has been disrupted due to delinquent behavior.

Cheryl M. Jorgensen

PHONE: 603-862-4678
FAX: 603-862-0555
E-Mail

Education

• PhD., Health Education, Penn State University, 1982
• M.P.H., Maternal and Child Health Services Administration, University of Pittsburgh, 1975
• B.S., Health Education, Springfield College, 1974

Professional Background

Dr. Jorgensen is project director and assistant research professor with the Institute on Disability. She currently directs a four-year OSEP Model Demonstration project entitled Beyond Access: A Model that Promotes Learning of General Education Curriculum Content for Students with Significant Disabilities.

Dr. Jorgensen also teaches in a graduate program to prepare inclusion facilitators and works with the NH Department of Education on efforts relating to teacher certification, alternate assessment of students with disabilities, and teacher workforce development.

Since 1985, Dr. Jorgensen has worked with public school teachers, parents, and administrators to increase their commitment to and capacity for including students with disabilities in regular education classes. For the past several years, her work has focused on the restructuring of policies, organizational structures, and teaching practices that naturally facilitate inclusion and learning for all students.

Dr. Jorgensen has collaborated on several multi-university grant proposals, writes extensively in the field, presents at state, national, and international conferences, and does technical assistance in New Hampshire and the New England region. She serves on a number of statewide policy task forces, including those developing New Hampshire's "alternate" statewide assessment test (in response to the 1997 IDEA reauthorization), a task force that is restructuring general and special education teacher certification standards, and the effort to design a new professional development model for New Hampshire teachers.

Projects

Beyond Access: A Model that Promotes Learning of General Education Curriculum Content for Students with the Most Significant Disabilities, is a four-year OSEP-funded Model Demonstration grant designed to investigate the effectiveness of a student- and team-supports planning model that encourages students whose education consists primarily of learning functional life skills to learn general education curriculum content.

Equity & Excellence in Higher Education, is a three-year OPE-funded project designed to test the effectiveness of a model of college faculty professional development related to the improvement of post secondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Faculty professional development focuses on Universal Design for Learning translated from research to practice through faculty Reflective Practice groups.

Jay Klein

PHONE: 970-377-0706
FAX: 970-377-0536
E-Mail

Education

• M.A., Social Work, University of Wisconsin, 1980
• B.A., Social Work, Colorado State University, 1979

Professional Background

Jay Klein is a research assistant professor for the Department of Social Work at the University of New Hampshire. He has an academic appointment at Colorado State University in the Schools of Social Work and Education. He has been teaching at the university level for nearly 25 years on a wide variety of topics related to people with disabilities.

Jay is also the director of the Center for Housing and New Community Economics (CHANCE) and the National Home of Your Own Alliance. CHANCE is concerned with housing and economic equity to improve access to integrated, affordable, and accessible housing coordinated with personal assistance and supportive services.

Jay has administered a variety of projects in collaboration with federal and state agencies with a focus on state and federal policy analysis, model demonstration, technical assistance, and interdisciplinary training. Jay has in-depth knowledge of and experience with financial, policy and programmatic issues that affect the ability of people with disabilities to accumulate assets to live in their own homes. He is widely respected for his ability to translate best practices into everyday realities for people with disabilities and their families. Jay has presented extensively to international and national audiences and has provided technical assistance to individuals, families, agencies, and policymakers on supporting individuals with disabilities to live in their communities.

Projects

The Center for Housing and New Community Economics' (CHANCE) mission is to improve and increase access to integrated, affordable, and accessible housing coordinated with, but separate from, personal assistance and supportive services. The IOD is working in partnership with ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today) in all aspects of the Center.

The Community Living Partnership: National Technical Assistance Center is a three-year grant funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in October, 2004, to provide technical assistance with issues relating to system change in Community Living. The Technical Assistance Grant was awarded to Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) in Texas. CHANCE is partnering with ILRU to manage, coordinate, and provide technical assistance to the eight states that received grants under the Integrating Long Term Supports with Affordable Housing category.

The Community Living Exchange Collaborative is a four-year grant funded by CMS in October, 2001 to provide technical assistance with issues relating to system change in Community Living. The Collaborative Exchange Grant was jointly awarded to ILRU and The Rutgers Center for State Health Policy in New Jersey. CHANCE is partnering with ILRU to manage its activities on the Exchange Collaborative with specific emphasis on housing and nursing facility transition.

The National Home of Your Own Alliance Project: In 1993, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), through a five-year cooperative agreement with the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire (IOD), created a technical assistance center called the National Home of Your Own Alliance (Alliance). Since 1998, the IOD & CHANCE have continued to maintain this national clearinghouse for information and assistance through a web site, a toll-free information and referral line, and responses to requests for information and publications through electronic and non-electronic mail.

Project Access is a national initiative in 11 states. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has provided 400 Section 8 vouchers to assist people with disabilities to move from nursing homes into the community. HUD is contracting ABT Associates, Inc. to provide technical assistance to implement Project Access. ABT has subcontracted with CHANCE to work in the 11 states that received HUD vouchers. The work was carried out from September, 2001 through August, 2003.

Peter A. Macalaster

PHONE: 603-862-4320
E-mail

Professional Background

Peter A. Macalaster joined the Institute on Disability in 1994 as an office assistant. Prior to his work at the Institute, Peter worked as a courier at BankEast for over 10 years and operated a small business in Boston, Massachusetts for 15 years. In 1999, Peter graduated from the Institute on Disability's Leadership Series and remains an active advocate for disability rights. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for the NH Challenge newspaper and offers guest lectures in UNH classes and elsewhere on his experiences with disability. In his free time, Peter enjoys skiing, water skiing, and traveling.

JoAnne Malloy

PHONE: 603-628-6837
E-Mail

Education

• M.S., Social Work Administration and Planning, University of Tennessee, 1981
• B.A., Fine Arts, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1976

Professional Background

Project Director, Institute on Disability, UCE. Project Director, US Department of Education Dropout Prevention Project, 2002- Present. Oversees all aspects of training, technical assistance and research project that uses positive behavioral supports in high schools as a means to reduce dropouts and failure rates. Am also currently a doctoral student in education. Have written and produced a transition manual that includes information about Medicaid and other public benefits for children and youth with disabilities.

Training and Organizational Development Specialist, Adjunct Faculty member, Cornell University Program on Employment and Disability, 2001-present. Provide training and technical assistance to New England Benefits Planning, Outreach and Assistance (BPAO) funded projects in public benefit programs and work incentives.

Project Director, Dollars and Sense, Social Security Administration funded State Partnership Initiative (SPI), 1998-2003. Directed a systems change and demonstration research initiative. The project included the development of a statewide benefits counseling infrastructure, development of a Medicaid Buy In program for workers with disabilities in New Hampshire, developed a new Center on Community Economic Development and Disability at Southern NH University, piloted an Individual development Account/Credit Union project for people with disabilities, and a fiscal intermediary self-directed service model for employment services.

Project Director, Project RENEW, 1996-1999. Directed an RSA funded project for employment and high school completion for youth with serious emotional disturbance, including using Medicaid funded services.

Project Coordinator, statewide Secondary Transition project, 1992-1996. Worked with high schools and developed school to career model projects. Researched and created manuals about public benefits and transition, including the use of Medicaid, EPSDT, and waiver programs for community-based service development.

Projects

APEX: Dropout Prevention Project- provides training, technical assistance and support to high schools in positive behavioral supports.

Medicaid Infrastructure Grant: Provides research, capacity building and infrastructure development to remove barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities.

Micro-Boards Project: Provides training, technical assistance and capacity building in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of micro-boards for the secondary transition of students with disabilities.

Melissa Mandrell

PHONE: 603-271-5560

FAX: 603-228-3270
E-Mail

Education

• MSS, Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr, PA 1989
• MLSP, Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr, PA 1989
• BA, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 1985

Professional Background

Melissa joined the Institute in 2005. She is currently project coordinator for a Medicaid Real Choice Grant designed to integrate affordable housing with long term supports. From 1999 to 2005, she served as the assistant administrator for children’s mental health services at the NH Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Behavioral Health. In that role, she developed and implemented statewide policy and programming; coordinated activities among multiple state, local and family agencies; provided consultation and technical assistance to children’s program directors at community mental health centers; ensured compliance with federal and state mandates for a variety of programs; wrote and monitored progress on the children’s portion of federal mental health block grant; and consulted with families receiving services from the mental health system. In addition, during that time she was the project director for CARE NH, a SAMHSA grant initiative for the development of a system of care for children with multiple service needs. Previous to that, she worked in a number of roles, including administrator and social worker for a mental health clinical research center, United Way community funding coordinator, and psychiatric social worker at a hospital.

Projects

Home Care Connections – Integrating Long Term Supports and Affordable Housing is a three year grant funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The goal of Home Care Connections is to identify and work to overcome the barriers that prevent Medicaid-eligible older adults and adults with disabilities from remaining in their own homes and communities. The focus is on “aging-in-place.” The project is designed to develop and/or enhance systems that encourage and foster collaboration and cooperation of existing housing and support networks. Partnering organizations include the Department of Health and Human Services: Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services and Bureau of Behavioral Health; New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority; Granite State Independent Living; and Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center.

Michael McSheehan

Phone: 603-862-2144
Fax: 603-862-0555
E-mail

Education

• Master's Level Training, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Syracuse University
• B.S., Communication Disorders, University of New Hampshire, 1990

Professional Background

Michael McSheehan, project associate for the Beyond Access Project with the Institute on Disability/UCED, is clinical faculty of Communication Sciences and Disorders. As a consultant, he assists districts, schools, and teams to build their capacity to include children with significant disabilities in general education classrooms. Michael has extensive experience providing technical assistance to students with various labels of significant disabilities who utilize augmentative communication, individualized curriculum supports, and positive behavioral supports. He shares exceptional skills in working with teams to solve challenging problems within school-wide improvement and reform efforts, and is nationally recognized for his presentations at TASH, ASHA, ISAAC, and other inclusive education conferences.

Projects

Beyond Access: A Model that Promotes Learning of General Education Curriculum Content for Students with the Most Significant Disabilities, is a four-year OSEP-funded Model Demonstration grant designed to investigate the effectiveness of a student- and team-supports planning model that encourages students whose education consists primarily of learning functional life skills to learn general education curriculum content.

Leigh Rohde

PHONE: 603-862-0791
FAX: 603-862-0555
E-Mail

Education

• B.A., Special Education, University of Massachusetts, 1981
• M.Ed., Early Childhood Special Education, University of New Hampshire, 1986

Professional Background

Leigh began working at the Institute in 1993. Prior work included teaching in a special education preschool program and as a family support worker in an early intervention program. She began at the Institute by providing technical assistance and training around elementary school inclusion. She has served as project coordinator for the Granite Ladders Project, a five-year research project evaluating the effectiveness of a literacy curriculum in Head Start classrooms, funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences and the Community Options project, a model demonstration project promoting inclusive options for preschoolers. Leigh currently provides technical assistance and training for school districts and community providers in the areas of literacy and Response to Intervention.

Leigh is a mother of three, including one child with special educational needs. She recently began working on a Ph.D. in Teacher Education with a focus on literacy for young children with disabilities, and she is a past board member of the Northern New England Down Syndrome Congress.

Projects

Response to Intervention for Literacy Project is a one-year pilot project evaluating the use of RTI in New Hampshire schools, funded by the New Hampshire Department of Education.

Frank Sgambati

PHONE: 603-228-2084
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-Mail

Education

• M.S., Special Education, Southern Connecticut State University, 1976
• B.A., Psychology, Unity College, 1971

Professional Background

Frank has worked in the education field for more than 30 years and brings a rich and varied experience to the Institute on Disability. Over the years experiences have included working with young children, adolescents and adults with disabilities in the areas of pre-school, educational, vocational, recreational, and community living environments. Among many other related achievements, Frank has served on various boards and with community volunteer organizations. He was instrumental in establishing KARP (Kearsarge-Area Recreational Program), an integrated summer recreational program for school-age children. Frank also founded and established PEOPLE'S PLACE (a community counseling and information center) in 1972 in Milford, Delaware, where he met his wife Kathy while they were working together as VISTAs.

Projects

Partnerships for Educational Innovations is funded through the New Hampshire Department of Education. This grant provides professional development, systems change, and technical assistance throughout the state by promoting the full inclusion of students with disabilities.

Rae Sonnenmeier

PHONE: 603-862-1860
FAX: 603-862-0034
E-Mail

Education

• Ph.D., Speech Language Pathology and Augmentative Communication, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1999
• M.A., Speech Language Pathology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1984
• B.S.Ed., Communicative Disorders, State University of New York College at Buffalo, 1980
  

Professional Background

Rae M. Sonnenmeier, Ph.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. Her research focuses on designing AAC systems to support students’ learning of the general education curriculum, including literacy skills. She teaches courses on AAC, autism spectrum disorders, and leadership in the field of developmental disabilities. Through her work with the Seacoast Child Development Clinic, she provides clinical assessment and consultation regarding best practices for using AAC to families, school personnel, and early intervention providers.

Michelle Sullivan

PHONE: 603-862-0284
FAX: 603-862-0555
E-Mail

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, 2004
• Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, University of California at San Diego, 2002
• M.A., Experimental Psychology, University of California at San Diego, 1998
• B.A., Psychology, Experimental Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, 1993

Projects

Michelle is currently developing an MCH research grant application to conduct a longitudinal investigation of infants at risk for the development of autism spectrum disorders. Infants will be identified as having an older sibling with a diagnosis of autism as well as having “red flags” for the development of autism as measured on the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (Wetherby & Prizant, 2002). Focus of the investigation will be early markers of autism in the social and communication development of these infants during monthly videotaped parent-child interactions in the home environment as well as periodic structured parent-child interactions in the laboratory.

Janet Williamson

PHONE: 603-228-2084
FAX: 603-228-3270
E-Mail

Professional Background

Janet has been employed at the Institute on Disability for the past 14 years in a number of capacities. She is currently the training coordinator for FLEX, one of the three grants awarded to New Hampshire under the Real Choice Initiative. Janet is a powerful advocate in the movements for inclusive education, consumer direction, self-determination, individualized budgets, and community-based supports and services. As the parent of a 32-year-old son with significant disabilities, Janet and her son have demonstrated how these values lead to a healthy, more satisfying, and independent way of life without increasing the resources necessary to provide supports and services.

Projects

Facilitating Lifespan Excellence (FLEX) is a three-year Systems Change grant awarded by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid to increase the capacity of New Hampshire communities to provide community based Long-Term Care supports and services for all residents.