Beth Grosso, Andrea Caoili, and Sara Stanton at NADD 2024.
Several members of the National Center for START Services® leadership team, including Dr. Karen Weigle (Associate Director, Acting Director), Dr. Andrea Caoili (Director of Research and Quality Assurance), Beth Grosso (Director of Training and Professional Development), and Sara Stanton (Associate Director of Training), attended the 41st Annual NADD Conference in Tempe, Arizona, from October 7-9, 2024. NADD, the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed, shares NCSS’s mission of improving the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and mental health needs (MH).
Dr. Caoili, along with Dr. Joan Beasley, Research Professor and Director of the National Research Consortium on MH-IDD, presented on engagement and inclusive approaches to MH-IDD research. The presentation was focused on the current study, Evaluation of Telehealth Services on Mental Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
This year’s conference theme, “A View to the Future: Innovation & Excellence,” encouraged attendees to explore forward-thinking practices in IDD-MH care. NCSS leaders took part in sessions on trauma-informed practices, health equity, and person-centered planning—topics closely aligned with the START model’s focus on cross-system collaboration and comprehensive support for individuals with IDD-MH and their families.
For NCSS, the NADD 2024 conference reinforced the importance of a national community of professionals working together to build capacity, improve services, and drive policy change for people with IDD-MH. NCSS looks forward to sharing the insights gained and the connections made at the conference with the broader START Network through future training and professional development opportunities.
As the field continues to evolve, the NADD conference remains an important space for collaboration, learning, and advancing excellence in IDD-MH supports, services, and treatment.
Joan Beasley, Dave O'Neal, Angela Yen, Andrea Caoili, and Karen Weigle at NADD 2024.
NCSS leadership and members of the East LA and Denver START teams at NADD 2024.
