Presenters: Dr. Debra L. Brucker, Eric Calloway, PhD, RDN, Kelly Ehrhart, Dr. Hyun Ju Kim, Grace Stott, MS, RD
All NOTS live Q&A events are held via Zoom from 1:00-2:00 ET / 12:00-1:00 CT / 11:00-12:00 MT / 10:00-11:00 PT.
Description:
Food insecurity is a growing public health issue that deeply affects people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. This presentation will share background about food insecurity and findings from a current U.S. Department of Agriculture funded qualitative research study that explored the food security context for people with IDD and their families. Based on results from interviews with 22 people across the U.S. who have lived experience with IDD and food insecurity, presenters will describe the unique food insecurity experience of IDD households and how these findings can inform research, policy, and practice. They will connect these experiences to core principles of the START model, describe how systemic factors contribute to food insecurity, and how START’s emphasis on creating systemic synergy can help move communities toward more coordinated and sustainable solutions to improving food security. This session will utilize specific examples from this research project to highlight these themes and experiences. Finally, the session will preview next steps in developing practice guidelines and invite participants to engage in discussion and collaboration through the live Q&A.
Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the increased risk of and unique experience of food insecurity for IDD households,
- Identify systemic barriers and opportunities for synergy that contribute to or reduce food insecurity in IDD-MH systems of care, and,
- Apply insights from lived experience and emerging research to inform person-centered and family-centered practices.
Dr. Debra L. Brucker
Dr. Debra L. Brucker, a Research Professor at the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability, studies the economic, health, and social well-being of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. She received her PhD in urban planning and public policy from Rutgers University and has held social policy and health policy research positions at academic institutions, research organizations, and state government agencies. Dr. Brucker currently serves as 1) Principal Investigator (PI) on a two-year US Department of Agriculture funded project designed to develop improved measurement of food security for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2) Co-PI on a five-year National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant that is exploring how Long COVID has impacted living and working for people with disabilities, and 3) Co-I on the NIDILRR-funded Disability Statistics & Demographics Rehabilitation Research and Training Center where she is examining disparities in public program participation for people with disabilities. Dr. Brucker is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.
Eric Calloway, PhD, RDN
Eric Calloway (PhD, RDN) is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Nutrition and Health Impact (www.centerfornutrition.org). Most of his work focuses on policy, systems, and environmental approaches to address food insecurity and healthy food access including mixed-methods research, program evaluation, and measurement development.
Kelly Ehrhart
Kelly Ehrhart has lived in Nashua, New Hampshire, since November 2011. She has had many leadership roles in disability-related organizations across the state. Kelly was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of 12, however she did not receive services for a developmental disability until 2014. She also has a mental illness and is passionate about the developmental disabilities and mental health system working together to give better care and not duplicate services. Kelly works at the Institute on Disability as a member of two Advisory Committees, including the Inclusive Food Security for People with IDD, and the Disability and Health Program. Kelly's goal is to help develop a strong voice for advocacy in New Hampshire.
Kelly's accomplishments include:
• Graduate of the New Hampshire leadership series in 2018
• Won the Diane Carignan award in 2018
• Nominated for the Virginia Bowden award in 2020
Dr. Hyun Ju Kim
Dr. Hyun Ju Kim is a Project Director III at University New Hampshire Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). Her research interests include analysis of the role of Social Security disability programs on economic mobility, financial security, and health outcomes of people with disabilities, with a focus on vulnerable groups by race/ethnicity, gender, and immigrant status. At UNH-IOD, Hyun Ju is currently involved in the disability statistics and training project, which is funded by National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). When she joined UNH-IOD as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in 2022, Dr. Kim was selected for the 2023 cohort of the Junior Scholar Intensive Training (JSIT) where she was a recipient of the JSIT Research Award. She intends to expand her research to investigate the food security among participants of SSI and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), barriers and facilitators of using Achieving Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts among SSI recipients, and ethnic network effects among immigrant populations with disabilities in applying for DI/SSI. Prior to joining UNH-IOD, Hyun Ju worked at the World Bank as a consultant and conducted research on structural profiles of informality in the labor markets of the Middle East and North African region.
Grace Stott, MS, RD
Grace Stott, MS, RD, is a research associate at the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact with expertise in food security and sustainable food systems, federal nutrition assistance programs, and quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition: Dietetics & EcoGastronomy and a Master of Science in Nutrition Science. As a graduate student, she was a trainee in the NH-ME LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) program, gaining an expertise in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities and maternal and child health.
This event is part of the National Online Training Series and is available by subscription from the National Center for START Services®. Each month, the NOTS includes a pre-recorded presentation and a live Q&A session with presenters, available to subscribers only. You must be subscribed to our list to receive the recording and access the live Q&A.
How to subscribe: Current START programs are automatically subscribed. Many individuals can access the NOTS for free by partnering with their local START program. If you or your agency are interested in subscribing, please fill out this training interest survey. A member of our training department will connect with you for next steps.
Accommodation Requests: It is our goal to make the NOTS live Q&A accessible for all. CART services will be provided for every live Q&A and does not require an accommodation request. Should you have additional accommodation requests, please complete this form and we will make every reasonable effort to meet that request. Someone from NCSS will contact you about the status of your request.
Disclaimer: Speakers and presenters participating in sessions are encouraged to express their findings, experiences, and conclusions on specific topics. They are selected for their areas of expertise and personal and professional knowledge. Therefore, points of view or opinions of our speakers and presenters do not officially represent the National Center for START Services®, the Institute on Disability, or the University of New Hampshire.
