The following individuals presented during the 2012 Idaho Conference on Refugees; they are great contacts for those exploring disabilities, disability rights and serves for refugees and other populations.
- Ben Ryden, LMSW, Mental Health Counselor, Alpine Behavioral Health
- Marilyn Sword, MPA, Executive Director, Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities
- Blake Blumfield, MA, Clinical Supervisor, Court and Crisis Team- Department of Health & Welfare West Hub
- Mitzi Lewis, MSW, Clinical Supervisor, Idaho Center for Disabilities Evaluation, Region 3&4
- Toni Brinegar, DG Targeted Service Coordinator
The goal of this workshop is twofold: 1) To educate refugee’s and their service providers on developmental disability services available in the state of Idaho, and 2) To discuss current challenges refugees are facing to access those services. A panel of knowledgeable professionals, from a variety of agencies and departments in the DD field, will be providing important resource information and answering questions attending providers and refugee’s may have.
Participants in this session will gain a better understanding of: Developmental Disability services in the state of Idaho, eligibility requirements to receive these services, and resources in the field to assist them through this process. Participants will also have an opportunity to join a panel discussion through the Q and A portion of the session in addressing common challenges refugees face in successfully getting through the application process.