Ep. 21 LEND Directors Disability Network Highlight: LEND Programs with Marcia Moriarta, Jenny Miller, and Rachel White

In another episode about programs across the Developmental Disabilities Network, Matt interviews 3 leaders within Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs. LEND programs aim to improve health outcomes for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities; they provide graduate-level training to the next generation of clinical, research, and community leaders. In this episode, you will hear from Marcia Moriarta from the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability and LEND program, Jenny Miller from the Division of Population Health Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and Rachel White, the Director of the Alaska LEND Without Walls program at the Center for Human Development - University of Alaska Anchorage. Matt talks with all of them about their experiences in the disability network and the amazing work of LEND programs. Full transcripts of this episode are available in English and in Spanish.   Dr. Moriarta is a seasoned child-family psychologist who has had the great privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability - New Mexico's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities(UCEDD) for the last 12 years. Marcia also serves as the New Mexico LEND director and finds great joy in cultivating advocates and leaders in the disability space. She, herself, is a proud graduate of the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles LEND program where she was a trainee during her psychology internship year almost 30 years ago. This experience set the stage for a long, meaningful career in the maternal-child, disability, mental health, and prevention space. She is committed to inclusion and making sure the work of UCEDDs and LENDs directly impact the lives of people with and at risk for disabilities and their families in a direct and positive way. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Association for University Centers on Disability as an elected at-large member. At UNM, Dr. Moriarta holds joint appointments as a professor in the clinician-educator track in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and serves as the Division Chief for the Division of Child Development. Dr. Jenny Miller is a faculty member in the Division of Population Health Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage. In their MPH Program, she teaches courses in Research Tools and Methods, Health Services Administration and Policy, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology, and Disability and Public Health. Her research focuses on access to preventive healthcare services with a focus on women with disabilities.   Dr. White has been the Project Director of the Alaska LEND Without Walls grant since 2024. She has over 20 years of experience working in and with community agencies providing services for children, youth, and adults with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities (ASD/DD). Dr. White has served as PI on state and federal grants focused on system change projects for providers serving individuals with ASD/DD. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Dr. White has supported children with ASD/DD in home, school, clinic, and community settings. Dr. White is raising a son who is a child with special healthcare needs (CYSHN).