Saint Joseph’s University’s Awarded $2 Million Grant to Train Next Generation of Autism Care Leaders
The multi-year grant supports the development and implementation of a new training program that will improve the quality of care for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Saint Joseph’s University has been awarded a five-year, $2 million federal grant to improve quality of care for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This prestigious grant is awarded every five years by the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) Program under the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).
The funds will allow the University to establish a program that will provide cutting-edge, inter-professional education and training for the next generation of service providers and leaders who work with individuals with ASD, or who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Referred to as SJU IGNITE — Interdisciplinary Growth in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities through Innovation, Training and Engagement – the program’s goal is to improve the quality of care for children and youth with ASD and IDD.
The Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support will serve as the hub for collaboration with faculty across the School of Health Professions, School of Education and Human Development and School of Nursing and Allied Health. This grant enables the development and implementation of an innovative new inter-professional education and training program for graduate students and postgraduate professionals in the fields of occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, speech-language pathology, special education, applied behavior analysis, nursing and pharmacy.
Newly appointed SJU IGNITE LEND Program Director, Joseph McCleery, PhD, says this latest venture will build on the work already being done by one of the nation’s leaders in autism education and support.
“For over 15 years, the Kinney Center’s mission has always been to train the next generation of autism service providers and service leaders,” McCleery says. “Numerous clinical and educational faculty across SJU have shown both expertise in, and a strong commitment to, training the next generation of autism and developmental disabilities service providers and service leaders. The SJU IGNITE Program will allow us to expand the depth and the breadth of workforce training needed to meet the complex healthcare and educational needs of these populations.”
“In particular,” McCleery continues, “our version of the LEND program will focus on training the next generation of healthcare and education providers to most effectively assess and treat the healthcare and education needs of autistic individuals and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
The SJU IGNITE model will combine academic coursework, didactic instruction, clinical experiences, community-based learning and ethical leadership training, among other activities. SJU IGNITE will also employ innovative teaching modalities, including AI-enhanced virtual reality simulations, to prepare trainees for real-world clinical interactions.
McCleery will be joined by Co-Directors Theresa Rhett-Davis, EdD, OTR/L, Mollie Sheppard, EdD, and Theresa McFalls, LSW, EdD. Additional core SJU IGNITE faculty include Emily Bubel, OTD, OTR/L (Occupational Therapy), Barb Kellar, PT, MS, DPT, (Physical Therapy), Matthew DeCarlo, PhD, (Social Work), Jennifer Kleinow, PhD, (Speech-Language Pathology), Caitlyn Bradford, PharmD, BCPPS, (Pharmacy), Luk Devorski, PhD, ATC, (Health Sciences), and Dean Melissa Snyder, DEd, FNP, CNE, (Nursing), Dean Joshua Power, EdD (Education & Human Development), and Dean Cathy Poon (Health Professions).
For more information, please email ignitelend@sju.edu.
