Sarah Swanson

Sarah Swanson, MPH, is an Assistant Professor for the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) program at the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI). Sarah Swanson consults directly with AUCD to provide insight and guidance on the Settings Rule implemented by CMS’s Home and Community-Based Services. Ms. Swanson is the primary investigator over many projects that offer services and supports to children with disabilities and special health care needs and their families and serves on many state leadership teams and advisories to improve access and promote activities that benefit children with disabilities and their families. 

As CMS and ACL continue to work together to ensure DD Network and stakeholder feedback is received on State Transition Plans related to the HCBS Settings Rule (and specifically the sites identified for heightened scrutiny visits), keep an eye out for outreach from Sarah Swanson should a heightened scrutiny visit be planned in your state.

As part of her consultant work at AUCD, Sarah Swanson leads a bi-monthly HCBS Settings Rule Special Interest Group (SIG) alongside Rhonda Eppelsheimer, co-director of the University of Oregon UCEDD. This group brings together UCEDD leaders across the network to educate and support the implementation of the HCBS Settings Rule.

SIGs, which are open to anyone in the AUCD network as well as external partners and stakeholders, serve as a mechanism for sharing information, engaging in respectful dialogue, and generating new ideas. SIGs are led by one or more individuals from the network; they typically meet in person at our conference and may share information via email, conference call, or webinars throughout the year. 

Related Resources: 

 Ø  UCEDD Resource Center Emerging Needs - HCBS Settings Rule Implementation

 Ø  Home and Community Based Settings Rule Special Interest Group Listserv

Ashley Ogbonna-Salmon

Ashley Ogbonna-Salmon is a data scientist based at Georgia State University’s Center for Leadership in Disability, where she serves as a Research Associate. 

 In this role, she supports the Center’s research and dissemination efforts. She is consulting with the UCEDD Resource Center to inform and engage UCEDD Directors, data coordinators, and UCEDD program staff on the proposed UCEDD performance measure (PPR) related to equity, and to support our efforts to assist the network in measure the impact of equity, diversity, and inclusion activities. Her work focuses on addressing data literacy across the network. Along her journey of engagement in the UCEDD network, she has advanced the ED&I Action Plan set out by Georgia State University, AUCD, and other network partners in 2019. The development of this potential new data point will measure and promote inclusion of individuals with disabilities, including I/DD, from historically underrepresented communities who participate in the development, implementation, or evaluation of a UCEDD project.

 Related Resources: 

 Ø  AUCD Equity Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 

Ø UCEDD Resource Center Emerging Needs - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Darien Todd

Darien Todd serves as Georgia State University’s Community Advocate Specialist within their Center for Leadership and Disability. His service as an expert consultant as AUCD's UCEDD Resource Center focuses on the development of a new performance measure alongside Ashley Ogbonna-Salmon. His work at Georgia State University is centered on the meaningful inclusion and participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in network activities. His engagement with the UCEDD network surrounding this equity, diversity, and inclusion work advances the vision set out by AUCD's 2019 ED&I Action Plan, which was built out with Georgia State University, AUCD, and other network partners.  

Related Resources: 

 Ø  AUCD Equity Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 

Ø UCEDD Resource Center Emerging Needs - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Daniel Crimmins

Daniel Crimmins, PhD, serves as Director of the Center for Leadership in Disability – the Georgia State University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities – and as Professor in the School of Public Health in Atlanta. Dr. Crimmins has worked with children and adults with disabilities, families, schools, and organizations to ensure equal access to effective supports and interventions. He has a particular interest in issues that reflect the intersection of research, adoption of evidence-based practices, workforce, and policy. Daniel Crimmins has served as an expert consultant at AUCD, particularly in the equity, diversity, and inclusion space. Daniel Crimmins was instrumental in crafting the equity, diversity, & inclusion action plan, which serves AUCD and its network to this day as a blueprint for implementing DEI work at their centers.

Related Resources: 

 Ø  AUCD Equity Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan