REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
1
Clinical Rehabilitation & Counseling
REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Dec 3 - Thursday
8:15 - 9:45
Conference Registration and Continental Breakfast
First Floor Foyer
8:30 - 1:00
Exhibits
Advocacy Center, JPHSA, LATAN, La-WIPA, LRS, LSU HDC,
LSU Clinical Rehab & Counseling Dept., and MHS
First Floor Foyer
10:00 - 11: 00
MC – Ashley Volion
Opening Keynote (General Session)
Andrew J. Imparato
Disability Rights at a Crossroads: Where the US Disability
Movement is Headed in 2016 and Beyond
Auditorium #130
11:15 - 12:30
Andy Imparato
What’s Next in
Disability Law and
Policy
Auditorium #130
12:30 -2:00
Box Lunch
Chancellor’s Dining Room, 3rd Floor
2:00 - 3:15
David Hoff
WIOA: What It
Means for
Transition
Auditorium #130
3:30 - 4:45
5:00 - 7:00
Molly Boyle
Universal Design
Strategies to Meet
Diverse Needs
CR#126
Alan Coulter &
Jennifer Maynard
Making the Most of
Your Hectic Work
Life: Managing
Stress
CR#126
Sue Killam
Supporting Transition to
Employment
Auditorium #130
Donald Leger,
Vincenzo
Pasquantonio &
Libby Whiteside
Benefits Planning
Services
CR#133
Phyllis Phillips
Finances, Asset
Development and
the ABLE Act
CR#133
Molly Boyle
Universal Design for Learning:
Tools that Promote Excellence
in Higher Education and
Community Learning
CR#126
Movie screening: A Whole Lott More, Auditorium #130
Followed by Networking Event with cash bar
Chancellor’s Dining Room, 3rd Floor
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Dec 4 - Friday
8:15 - 8:45
Continental Breakfast
First Floor Foyer
8:30 - 1:00
Exhibits
Advocacy Center, JPHSA, LATAN, La-WIPA, LRS, LSU
HDC, LSU Clinical Rehab & Counseling Dept., and MHS
First Floor Foyer
9:00 - 10:15
Keynote (General Session)
Paul Wehman
Transition from High School to Adulthood for Youth with
Disabilities: New Horizons
Auditorium #130
10:30 -11:45
Paul Wehman
Real Work for Real
Pay for Youth with
Significant
Disabilities
Auditorium #130
11:45 - 12:30
Box Lunch
Chancellor’s Dining Room, 3rd Floor
12:30 -1:45
David Hoff
WIOA in the
Context of
Employment First
Auditorium #130
2:00 - 2:45
Ruth Magouirk,
Jacinta Massey &
Wendy Willis
Post-Secondary
Education in
Louisiana: From
PEAC to PAY
CR#126
John Johnson
Principles of SelfDetermination
CR#126
Exhibitor Panel
Services Offered by
LRS, LATAN, MHS,
& JPHSA
CR#133
Donald Leger,
Vincenzo
Pasquantonio &
Libby Whiteside
Benefits Planning
Services (Session
Repeat)
CR#133
Closing (General Session)
Jay Augustine
Where Do We Go From Here?: REACHing for New Horizons
by Seizing Every Opportunity
Auditorium #130
3
REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 3
8:15 – 9:45, Conference Registration and Continental Breakfast
First Floor Foyer
10:00 - 11:30, Opening Keynote
Andy Imparato
Executive Director for the Association of University Center on Disabilities (AUCD)
With Master of Ceremonies Ashley Volion
Auditorium (Room #130)
12:30 - 1:45, Concurrent Sessions I
Andy Imparato
Disability Rights at a Crossroads: Where the US Disability Movement is Headed in 2016 and
Beyond
Auditorium (Room #130)
In this important year when we celebrated 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 40
years of special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and 50 years of
Medicaid and the Voting Rights Act, Americans with disabilities continue to struggle on the
economic and political margins of American society. Imparato, a DC-based disability rights
attorney who has served as Senator Tom Harkin's disability policy director and the leader of
two key national disability organizations, will reflect on these important milestone
anniversaries and engage the audience in a discussion about what's next in disability law and
policy at the federal level.
Molly Boyle via Adobe Connect Web Conference
Universal Design Strategies to Meet Diverse Needs
Room #126
Universal Design for Learning is a professional development concept that strives to make
learning accessible to all learners, no matter their individual backgrounds. This session will
provide participants with a framework and skills to incorporate universal design for learning
(UDL) strategies in a variety of settings. Attendees will gain an understanding of UDL concepts.
This seminar will provide a basic tool kit of skills to use when approaching teaching and
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 3
learning. Attendees will also be presented with examples of innovative uses of UDL elements
from higher education and human services.
Donald Leger, Vincenzo Pasquantonio and Libby Whiteside
Benefits Planning Services
Room #133
The Advocacy Center and LSU Human Development Center work together to provide Work
Incentive Planning and Assistance Services, funded through Social Security Administration
grants in Louisiana. These services, provided by Benefits Planners, better enable SSA
beneficiaries with disabilities to make informed choices about work. Benefits Planners receive
extensive initial and on-going training about SSA and other work incentives as well as eligibility
requirements for other Federal and State programs.
This session will illustrate the services provided by Benefits Planners, which include:
 Provide work incentives planning and assistance
 Conduct outreach efforts in collaboration with SSA's Beneficiary Access and Support
Services (BASS)
 Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit
organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities
 Screen and refer beneficiaries with disabilities to appropriate Employment Networks
 Provide information on the availability of protection and advocacy services
2:00 – 3:15, Concurrent Sessions II
David Hoff
What Lies Ahead With WIOA
Auditorium (Room #130)
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law in late July. This major piece
of federal legislation, which reauthorizes the Workforce Investment Act, including the Rehabilitation Act
through 2020, is intended to make public systems more responsive to the needs of all job seekers,
including those with disabilities.
What is WIOA really all about? How might WIOA change services for people with disabilities? What are
the opportunities and challenges of WIOA implementation? This presentation will review the key
components of WIOA, with a particular focus on WIOA’s impact on the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
system, as well as the general workforce system and its role in working with job seekers with disabilities.
Plans for implementation of WIOA will be discussed, including opportunities to impact the upcoming
regulatory process, and how service systems, providers, people with disabilities, and advocates, can
start preparing for WIOA’s implementation.
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 3
Alan Coulter and Jennifer L. Maynard
Making the Most of Your Hectic Work Life: Managing Stress
Room #126
Strategies to de-stress. Walk away refreshed, reenergized, relaxed and ready!
Phyllis Phillips
Finances, Asset Development and the ABLE Act
Room #133
Current law makes savings for disability-related expenses difficult. Individuals and families can
face the loss of federal benefits if savings exceed certain limits. This session will address
common financial issues of people with disabilities, including limited incomes, assets and the
need to "build capacity" to get to a next level. This session will also present a discussion of the
ABLE Act and why it is so important for people with disabilities.
Last December, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014 (ABLE Act) won final
congressional approval and was signed into law by President Obama. The ABLE Act allows
people with disabilities and their families to set up a special savings account for disabilityrelated expenses. Earnings on an ABLE account would not be taxed, and account funds would
generally not be considered for the supplemental security income (SSI) program, Medicaid, and
other federal means-tested benefits.
3:30 – 4:45, Concurrent Sessions III
Sue Killam
Better Employment Outcomes for IWD through Innovation, Best-Practice and Capitalizing on
New Opportunities
Auditorium (Room #130)
70% of working age individuals with disabilities (IWD) are not working. We need to change this
dismal outcome by capitalizing on new opportunities in recent policy and legislation, delivering
best-practices services, addressing barriers such as, limited expectations of service providers,
inequity of funding from facility-based settings to community-based services, and
implementation of best practice services and new and innovative strategies including WIOA,
Supported Employment, Apprenticeships, Internships, Work-Based Learning, Customized
employment, Registered Apprenticeships and Industry-based Certification.
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 3
Nationally, two thirds of all working age adults who experience long-term poverty have a
disability. The annual report on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage put the
poverty rate for working-age people with disabilities at 28.4 percent in 2013, compared to 12.4
percent for those without disabilities. People with disabilities want and need to work in order
to make money, to better their situation, to have a routine, to contribute to society and to
become a tax paying member of their community.
Many of the barriers and limitations to entering fully integrated individual jobs in the
community are in the limited expectations of service providers and personnel more than on the
part of the employers. In 2013, the average wage for supported employees in Vermont, where
sheltered workshops were closed over a decade ago, was $9.26, more than 50 cents above the
state’s minimum wage and $2 above the federal minimum wage.
IWD and their network, represent a $1 trillion dollars in discretionary spending (U.S. Census
Bureau). In a National Survey of Consumer Attitudes towards Companies that Hire People with
Disabilities, 92% of the American public view companies that hire IWD more favorably than
those that do not. And, 87% of the public would prefer to give their business to companies that
hire IWD.
The use of systematic and best-practice training strategies at the jobsite is critical to ensuring
that individuals with significant disabilities learn their job duties within a reasonable amount of
time including guidelines and planning for fading the employment specialist’s presence from
the job site. With the careful implementation of good job matching and carving, systematic
instruction, behavior support, self-management and by engaging companies that have a great
employee rating and reputation, IWD should experience enhanced employment outcomes.
Molly Boyle via Adobe Connect Web conference
Universal Design for Learning: Tools that Promote Excellence in Higher Education and
Community Learning
Room #126
This presentation will go deeper with understanding how to use technology to meet UDL goals.
Participants will learn how to assess learning styles and adapt their training strategies to meet
the strengths of diverse learners. This session will provide a number of tools for educators and
service providers to implement in their training and will provide time to examine specific
mobile apps to help master best practices. Participants are encouraged to bring their
laptop/tablet/smart phone to this session.
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 3
5:00 – 7:00, Movie Screening
Movie Screening: “A Whole Lott More”, Directed by Victor Buhler
Auditorium (Room #130)
Followed by Networking Event in Chancellor’s Dining Room, 3rd Floor
A fascinating look at how people with developmental disabilities are competing in a struggling
US work force. Around eight million people in America have a developmental disability. Those
who work often find jobs in ‘workplaces’ - coalitions of businesses and social service agencies
that traditionally provide manufacturing jobs. In Toledo, Ohio, there is Lott Industries. For
decades Lott Industries competed successfully for auto industry contracts, employing 1200
workers with disabilities. With the collapse of the local auto industry in neighboring Detroit,
Lott has struggled to keep its doors open.
A WHOLE LOTT MORE looks at the impact of Lott’s struggles and examines the wider world of
employment options for people with disabilities. The documentary focuses on three individuals
– each with a different attitude towards work and each with a different disability - but all who
want to work and to earn a living. The film showcases their incredible resilience and makes the
case for greater employment opportunities for all. Whether Lott Industries remains the right
job for them – or whether Lott continues to exist at all -- the challenge remains and applies
across the world.
Ultimately, the stories together represent a larger picture of what life is like for someone with a
developmental disability. We see at close hand their interests, their passions and their dreams.
We must create opportunities for all working people, including those with disabilities, to earn a
living wage. By doing that we will build societies that are more inclusive, more equal and
increasingly sustainable. See http://awholelottmore.com/
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 3
MOVIE SCREENING
“A WHOLE LOTT MORE”
Wednesday, December 3rd
5:00 pm
LSU HDC Auditorium
411 South Prieur Street, First Floor
Free Admittance for
REACH 2015 Conference Participants
(Others $10.00)
Free popcorn & cash bar in the
Chancellor’s Dining Room on 3rd Floor
following the movie
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Friday, December 4
8:15 – 8:45, Continental Breakfast
First Floor Foyer
9:00 – 10:15, Keynote
Paul Wehman
Transition from High School to Adulthood for Youth with Disabilities: New Horizons
With Master of Ceremonies Ashley Volion
Auditorium (Room #130)
The unemployment rate of young people with disabilities, especially two to 5 years after school,
continues to be 40 to 90% depending on the level of disability. Additionally the number of
hours worked, the quality of job, and the job tenure tends to be poor, compared to nondisabled
peers. This is a major societal and educational problem given the huge investment of money,
time and planning for young children and adolescents as they come through the school system.
These students become life-long recipients of SSI benefits and thousands end up at home or
going to segregated day programs. In this session we discuss, in more depth, the extent of the
problem and also present the predictors of successful employment we have learned over the
years. Many positive strides have been made in the past 20 years toward the hope that these
outcomes will improve. This keynote session will address the employment outcomes for all
youth with disabilities and predictors of employment based on our NLTS2 research. I will also
present the initial work on a Supported Employment Fidelity Scale for schools as well as
preliminary results from Project SEARCH research on employment for youth with autism.
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Friday, December 4
10:30 - 11:45, Concurrent Sessions IV
Paul Wehman
Real Work for Real Pay for Youth with Significant Disabilities
Auditorium (Room #130)
Inclusive work is a critical outcome which all young people need to aspire to and attain,
including those with disabilities. Work can be a very therapeutic way to help overcome learning
and behavioral difficulties as well as integrate into the workforce, earn money, receive benefits
and have a productive day. Work also leads to a better sense of self-worth and self-esteem. For
young people with disabilities especially, real work for real pay is not easily achieved without
specialized training and meaningful workplace supports. In this session we specifically address
several ways to attain these outcomes, including internships, college and supported
employment. We will cover specific clinical techniques involved in helping youth with
disabilities acquire internships in businesses, college classroom experience, and gain and retain
competitive employment. The session will be divided into descriptions of 3 different
approaches VCU is using to provide intervention to youth with disabilities between 16 and 21
years of age.
Ruth Magouirk, Jacinta Massey and Wendy Willis
Postsecondary Education in Louisiana: From PEAC to PAY
Room #126
Supported employment has traditionally focused on Individualized Placement and developing
employment on a “one person at a time” basis despite the continuing trend of high
unemployment, an overabundance of low wage/limited opportunity positions, a lack of career
ladders and limited wealth and social capital accumulation. That model has fallen short in
producing the desired outcomes. This session will focus on a collaborative post-secondary
apprenticeship model (LRS, LCMC, Delgado CC and LSUHSC HDC) that meets the demands of
LCMC and leads to careers in high demand areas for job seekers. Presenters will describe the
development and implementation of this apprenticeship to careers model that is both innovative
and responsive to the needs of employers and transition students. Participants will gain an
understanding of apprenticeship to careers and responding to the evolving recruitment needs of
large employers and focus on high demand, high paying careers.
Exhibitor Panel with JPHSA, LRS, LATAN, and MHS
Room #133
Individuals from Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority (JPHSA), Louisiana Rehabilitation
Services (LRS), Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN), and Metropolitan Human
Services will present an overview of the services they offer to persons with disabilities.
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REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Friday, December 4
12:30 – 1:45, Concurrent Sessions V
David Hoff
WIOA in the Context of Employment First
Auditorium (Room #130)
In July 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law. The
impact of this legislation includes significant changes for public Vocational Rehabilitation, as
well as the responsibilities of the general workforce development system to assist citizens with
disabilities to access real jobs and real careers for real pay. This session will provide an overview
of WIOA, the current status of the law’s implementation, and place WIOA within the overall
context of the Employment First movement. The presentation will include a discussion of the
opportunities presented by WIOA and what they mean for Louisiana’s citizens with disabilities.
John Johnson
Principles of Self-Determination
Room #126
Self-determination has been identified as a critical evidence-based transition practice that is
closely related to positive outcomes in the areas of employment, postsecondary education and
independent living for youth and adults with disabilities transition from school to adult life. This
session will explore why it’s important that students with disabilities be provided with multiple
opportunities to exercise self-determination across environments.
Donald Leger, Vincenzo Pasquantonio and Libby Whiteside
Benefits Planning Services
Room #133
The Advocacy Center and LSU Human Development Center work together to provide Work
Incentive Planning and Assistance Services, funded through Social Security Administration
grants in Louisiana. These services, provided by Benefits Planners, better enable SSA
beneficiaries with disabilities to make informed choices about work. Benefits Planners receive
extensive initial and on-going training about SSA and other work incentives as well as eligibility
requirements for other Federal and State programs. This session will illustrate the services
provided by Benefits Planners, which include:





Provide work incentives planning and assistance
Conduct outreach efforts in collaboration with SSA's Beneficiary Access and Support
Services (BASS)
Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit
organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities
Screen and refer beneficiaries with disabilities to appropriate Employment Networks
Provide information on the availability of protection and advocacy services
12
REACH 2015 SCHEDULE
Friday, December 4
2:00 – 2:45, Closing Session
Jay Augustine
Where Do We Go From Here?: REACHing for New Horizons by Seizing Every Opportunity
With Master of Ceremonies Ashley Volion
Auditorium (Room #130)
As a culminating session, this closing session with the Reverend Jay Augustine poses the
question "Where Do We Go From Here?" by synthesizing the information covered during the
conference and highlighting various opportunities in education and employment, as building
blocks for a better future. The wrap-up session is designed to motivate participants to REACH
for every opportunity and achieve new goals.
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
REV. JAY AUGUSTINE
Senior Pastor, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church
Jay Augustine serves as senior pastor of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church
(AMEC) in New Orleans and as an adjunct member of the faculty at Southern
University. He is a bi-vocational minister, public theologian, and social justice
advocate.
Rev. Augustine is the author of The Keys Are Being Passed: Race, Law, Religion & the
Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement (ROM Publishing 2014), an interdisciplinary book celebrating the
50th Anniversary of the American Civil Rights Movement, that also focuses on current day social and
civic responsibility in areas including voting rights, environmental justice, and education reform.
An accomplished author, Rev. Augustine’s scholarly publications appear in numerous professional
journals around the United States. He received the William & Carolyn Anderson Applied Theology
Writing Award for his law & religion article published in the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law
Journal. His written scholarship has also been cited by the Louisiana Supreme Court in published
opinion. Rev. Augustine’s recognitions include the National Bar Association’s “Nation’s Best Advocates:
40 Lawyers under 40,” U.S. Junior Chamber’s “Ten Outstanding Young Americans,” and Ebony
Magazine’s “30 Leaders of the Future.” He has also twice been named “Outstanding Alumni Brother of
the Year” by the Southwest Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Rev. Augustine is a silver life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) and a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He earned a B.A. in economics
from Howard University, along with an active duty commission as an infantry officer in the United States
Army. Following four years of decorated active duty service, Rev. Augustine earned his Juris Doctorate
from Tulane University and served as a law clerk to Louisiana Supreme Court then-Associate Justice
Bernette Joshua Johnson. He earned the Master of Divinity degree, as a Herbert & Mary L. Beane Fellow
& National Rainbow-PUSH Coalition Foundation Scholar, from United Theological Seminary, where he
was the seminary’s inaugural recipient of the McCabe Liturgical Preaching Award. He also received a
fellowship for further study at Princeton Theological Seminary.
MOLLY BOYLE
Project Coordinator, Equity and Excellence Project
Think College, Institute for Community Inclusion, UMass Boston
www.thinkcollege.com.net
Molly is a former classroom teacher and now the project coordinator for the Equity
and Excellence project at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of
Massachusetts Boston. Molly provides training and technical assistance for Think
College, and is a Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
(TPSID) cohort liaison. Molly provides professional development to college faculty, administrators and
disability support personnel on Universal Course Design and effective teaching strategies for ensuring
equal access to all students, including those with disabilities. Previously, she coordinated the Inclusive
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
Concurrent Enrollment project for students with intellectual disabilities at MassBay Community College
in Wellesley, MA. Molly's expertise includes the provision of individual supports for postsecondary
education for people with intellectual/ developmental disabilities, universal design for learning, online
teaching, and adaptive technologies.
VICTOR BUHLER
Director and Producer, A Whole Lott More
www.vicoterbuhler.net
Victor Buhler has directed and produced award-winning fiction and documentary
films. His most recent documentary feature film “The Beautiful Game” details the
power of soccer in Africa and debuted at the Seattle Film Festival in 2012. Victor’s
feature documentary “Rikers High”, about the high school for teens incarcerated in
Rikers Island jail, was nominated for an Emmy in 2006 and won the ‘NY Loves Film’ Award for Best
Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film was a co-production of Showtime and France2.
ALAN COULTER
Director, Educational Innovations
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
W. Alan Coulter, PhD., is the Director of Educational Innovations for the Human
Development Center and LAS*PIC, and the Principal Lead for the TIERS Group.
Previously, Alan was the Director of the National Center for Special Education
Accountability Monitoring (NCSEAM), the Co-Director of the Data Accountability Center, projects funded
by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. Dr. Coulter has more than forty-four years of experience
in education, served on the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, and was a member
of the National Monitoring Stakeholders Group. Alan has worked directly on accountability efforts in more
than 30 states. Alan was the federal court-appointed Independent Expert in the Jamie S. Settlement
Agreement (Wisconsin) and held similar positions in Mattie T. (Mississippi), Emma C. (California), P. J.
(Connecticut), and Angel G. (Texas). Alan is the recipient of Child Advocacy Award from the National
Association of School Psychologists, a past president of the National Association of School Psychologists,
and past director of the school psychology division of the Texas Psychological Association. Alan has
provided continuing professional development in more than 45 states and is currently licensed as a
psychologist in Louisiana.
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
DAVID HOFF
Project Manager, Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of
Massachusetts Boston
www.communityinclusion.org
David Hoff, M.S.W., is a Project Manager for the Institute for Community Inclusion
(ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. David is also the Past President of
National APSE, and Co-Chair of the APSE Public Policy Committee. David has an extensive background in
working with public systems and community agencies to enhance employment outcomes for people with
disabilities. A primary focus of his work is on organizational and systems change to improve employment
outcomes, with a particular emphasis on public policies and their impact on the lives of people with
disabilities. He is currently extensively involved at the service provider level in implementation of
Massachusetts’ Employment First policy.
In addition to his 16 years at ICI, David has been an administrator for a Local Workforce Investment
Board, and also spent several years in a direct service role, assisting individuals with disabilities to find
and maintain employment. Prior to entering the human service field, he spent ten years in management
roles in the private sector. David has a Master’s in Social Work from Rutgers University, with a
concentration in Administration, Policy and Planning, and is also a graduate of Cornell University.
ANDREW J. IMPARATO
Executive Director, Association of University Centers on Disabilities
www.aucd.org
Andrew Imparato has served as executive director of the Association of University Centers
on Disabilities (AUCD) since September, 2013. As a disability rights lawyer and policy
professional with more than two decades of experience in government and advocacy
roles, Imparato has worked with bipartisan policymakers to advance disability policy at the national level
in the areas of civil rights, workforce development, and disability benefits. Prior to coming to AUCD, he
was senior counsel and disability policy director for Senator Tom Harkin on the US Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Before that, he spent 11 years as President and CEO of the
American Association of People with Disabilities, a national membership organization working to grow the
political and economic power of the disability community. Imparato's perspective is informed by his
personal experience with bipolar disorder.
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
JOHN JOHNSON
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
Dr. Johnson recently joined LSU HSC Human Development Center. Prior to LSU, he was at
the Center for Disabilities as Director of Research and Development where he was
responsible for the design, development and implementation of research and evaluation projects
including mandated data collection and reporting for the Center. He also pursued opportunities for
expanding Center activities with the writing and submission of grants. Prior to this, he was an Associate
Professor at San Diego State University and the Principle Investigator for two personnel preparation grants
focused on preparing teachers in Special Education with a specialization in Transition. He was the principle
investigator of the Transition Specialist Certificate Program at SDSU that prepared credentialed teachers
with an emphasis in the implementation of evidence-based practices in transition and the SelfDetermination Learning Model of Instruction. He has experience providing technical assistance to state
and local teams; expertise in the area of outcome and impact assessment and evaluation with an interest
in the utilization of assessment data for improving program quality, degree of implementation, and postschool outcomes; developing tools designed to meet stakeholder needs; preparing and conducting online
training including the development and implementation of an e-mentoring system; and, presenting at
state and national conferences as an invited keynote and peer-reviewed presentations. Dr. Johnson is a
member of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Career Development and Transition,
American Educational Research Association, and the American Evaluation Association. He has served as
reviewer for a number of professional publications.
SUSAN G. KILLAM
Director, Employment Initiatives
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
Sue Killam has three decades of experience in the area of employment and disability
policy. She has a Master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and
worked at the VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported Employment (RRTC) on a
research project for individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury. Sue has worked at all levels of Supported
Employment services.
For ten years, Ms. Killam served as Executive Director of AcME, Inc., an employment agency initiated by
six parents of individuals with disabilities. She has published several articles on supported employment
and disability services, and is one of the authors of APSE’s Ethical Guidelines. She has consulted and
provided training and technical assistance throughout the United States and Canada.
Sue began her career in Louisiana as the Lead Trainer for the Supported Employment Systems Change
Grant. She has served on numerous governor-appointed councils and boards and is one of the founding
members of the Louisiana Supported Employment Network and served as President from 1996-2001. Sue
is a member of the Louisiana Rehabilitation Council (LRC), a member of APSE and has served as Chair of
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
the national APSE certification council. Currently, Ms. Killam is the Employment Initiatives Coordinator at
LSU-HSC’s Human Development Center and the 2013 recipient of the National Professional of the Year
Award from APSE.
RUTH MAGOUIRK
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
As an Educational Coach with PEAC, Ruth Magouirk supports access to college and
careers for ALL students. She is passionate about connecting Youth to high-quality
PSE programs and job training that create opportunities for family-sustaining
wages. Ruth recently earned her CESP. Prior to joining LSU Health-HDC, Ruth worked in Caddo Parish
Public Schools and New Orleans’ high-performing charter networks as a classroom teacher, instructional
assistant and paraeducator. Ruth attended the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and Tulane University.
JACINTA MASSEY
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
Throughout her career, Jacinta has worked largely with teens and young adults.
Jacinta has been a part of LSUHSC Human Development Center staff for over a year
working on the PEAC project as a career facilitator, assisting students purse a postsecondary education. When first moving to New Orleans, Jacinta worked closely with families as a Multisystemic therapist and as a Job Coach with the ARC of Greater New Orleans. Jacinta earned a Master of
Science from Troy University in Counseling and a Bachelor of Science from Alabama A&M University in
Psychology.
JENNIFER MAYNARD
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
Jennifer L. Maynard, Ph.D., began her role as coordinator of LAS*PIC at the
beginning of the 2013-14 training year. She completed her doctoral degree in
School Psychology at the University of Memphis, where her research focused on
validity of commonly used assessment instruments including standardized
instruments and curriculum-based measurements. She completed her pre-doctoral internship through
LAS*PIC in Jefferson Parish Public Schools. Following internship she began work with the TIERS group,
providing training, consultation, and support services to schools, school districts, and state departments
of education. Her work with the TIERS group is focused on academic and behavioral strategies and
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
interventions and data-based decision making to improve student outcomes. In addition to her work with
LAS*PIC and the TIERS group, Dr. Maynard is a member of the evaluation team for the Autism Spectrum
Disorders Diagnostic clinic at the Human Development Center. She has made presentations at regional,
state, and national levels.
DONALD LEGER
LA-BPS Project Manager
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
Donald Leger joined the staff of LSUHSC Human Development Center in 2006. He
worked as a Benefits Specialist, serving as a Social Security Benefits Planner under
Louisiana's first Social Security back to work program (Louisiana Benefits Planning
Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) Project with the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs from 2001 2006. Donald entered the field of social services in 1997 with the ARC of Lafayette as an employment
specialist/job developer for persons with disabilities seeking community based employment. Donald is a
1983 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass
Communications.
PHYLLIS PHILLIPS
Executive Director of Louisiana Association for Personal Financial
Achievement (Achieve)
achieve@lapfa.org
Phyllis has been the Executive Director of the Louisiana Association for Personal
Financial Achievement (Achieve) since 2011. Achieve is a non-profit
organization whose goal is to improve the lives of individuals in Louisiana by
providing the training, skills, and tools needed to help its citizens manage their
personal finances. In a relaxed classroom environment she teaches the concepts that will enable
participants, regardless of age, to achieve the level of understanding necessary to make progress toward
their financial goals. Phyllis’ knowledge of financial management systems, basic savings and investing,
budgeting, and credit are delivered with ease and with the goal of meeting the objectives of her clients.
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
VINCENZO PASQUANTONIO
Community Work Incentives Coordinator
Advocacy Center-South Louisiana Benefits Planning Program
www.advocacyla.org
Vincenzo Pasquantonio is a Community Work Incentives Coordinator at the
Advocacy Center. He obtained his Bachelor's degree from George Washington
University and his Master's degree from Louisiana State University. Mr.
Pasquantonio has undergone an intensive Work Incentives Counseling Training Program in order to
achieve her Work Incentives Counseling Certification. He routinely takes part in supplemental trainings
and web courses on subjects such as Medicaid, Medicare and PASS Plans. As a CWIC, Mr. Pasquantonio
works closely with beneficiaries of Social Security Disability benefits to help them understand how
employment will affect their cash payments and their healthcare.
ASHLEY VOLION
Ph.D. Student, Disability Studies
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Disability and Human Development
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
Ashley Volion is a native of Louisiana and currently resides in New Orleans. She
is a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Disability and
Human Development Department where her research interests are: disability
and sexuality, personal care attendant services, and blogging and stories as tools for knowledge
production for people with disabilities.
Ashley is employed as both a Research Assistant at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she research
interstate variation of Medicaid home and community-based services, and at the at the Advocacy Center
in New Orleans as a Policy Assistant. She is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are fully
integrated members of society.
PAUL WEHMAN
Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on
Employment for People with Physical Disabilities at Virginia
Commonwealth University
www.vcurrtc.org
Dr. Paul Wehman is a Virginia Commonwealth University Professor of Physical
Medicine, Rehabilitation and Chairman of Rehabilitation Research with a joint
appointment in the Departments of Special Education and Disability Policy and Rehabilitation Counseling.
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
He pioneered the development of supported employment at VCU in the early 1980s and has been heavily
involved in the use of supported employment with people who have severe disabilities, such as those with
severe intellectual disabilities, brain injury, spinal cord injury or autism.
Dr. Wehman serves as Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment for
People with Physical Disabilities and the Director of the VCU Autism Center for Excellence (ACE). He has
researched, written, instructed and presented extensively on issues related to transition from school to
adulthood and special education as it relates for young adulthood. He has published more than 200
articles, 114 book chapters, and authored or edited 43 books. He is founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal
of Vocational Rehabilitation. He has been the principal investigator of more than $70 million worth of
federal grants since being at VCU.
LIBBY WHITESIDE
Community Work Incentives Coordinator
Advocacy Center- South Louisiana Benefits Planning Program
www.advocacyla.org
Libby Whiteside graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a Bachelor’s
degree in Sociology. She began working at the Advocacy Center in 2012 as an
Administrative Assistant and in 2013 she joined the Advocacy Center’s
Employment Team as a Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC). Libby
has undergone an intensive Work Incentives Counseling Initial Training Program in order to achieve her
Work Incentives Counseling Certification. She routinely takes part in supplemental trainings and web
courses on subjects such as Medicaid, Medicare, Self-Employment, Other Federal Benefits and PASS Plans.
As a CWIC, Libby works closely with beneficiaries of Social Security Disability benefits to help them
understand how employment will affect their cash payments and their healthcare.
WENDY WILLIS
LSU HSC Human Development Center
www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu
Wendy Willis, M.A., is the Coordinator of LSU’s Postsecondary Education for All
Collaborative (PEAC) program at Delgado Community College in New Orleans. For
over ten years, Wendy has worked with middle school students as a special educator and in supporting
college students as they pursue their educational and career goals. Prior to joining PEAC, she worked as a
middle school special educator in the Recovery School District. Wendy earned a Master’s degree in
Anthropology from the University of Arkansas and is certified in special education. She is interested in
inclusive practices and promoting successful outcomes for students in post-secondary environments. She
is also committed to providing supports to individuals with intellectual disabilities as they pursue career
and social goals through higher education.
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REACH 2015 NOTES
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REACH 2015 PRESENTERS
.
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REACH 2015 Sponsors
Clinical Rehabilitation and Counseling
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