GATHER. LEARN. COLLABORATE.
____ Hosted by the Pelican Collaborative for Children & Families ____
Communicating Effectively with
People with Disabilities
Presented by Sharon Delvisco, DSW, LMSW, CGMP
and Rebecca Mandal-Blasio, PhD, BCBA-D
Approved for 3 CEUs - Presumptive Approval for 3 CLEs - Approved for 3 LPC CEHs
People with communication disabilities come into legal, social service, and counseling settings every day as clients, victims, witnesses, and defendants. When professionals can’t bridge the communication gap, interviews become unreliable, informed consent is weakened, and rights and treatment outcomes are put at risk. This interactive, evidence-based workshop helps attorneys, social workers, and licensed professional counselors communicate effectively with people who use few or no spoken words. Participants will look at the neurological, muscular, and cognitive conditions that affect communication. They will review what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires for effective communication, along with professional ethical duties, and survey high-tech and low-tech assistive communication tools. They will practice structured, non-leading interview techniques using real-world scenarios. The content draws on peer-reviewed research on acquiescence bias, false confessions, competency, and witness credibility. Participants leave with practical skills they can use right away.
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About the speakers:
Dr. Rebecca Mandal-Blasio is the Clinical Director in Louisiana for Autism Spectrum Therapies and is a BCBA-D. She leads a team of BCBA Supervisors and Behavior Interventionists serving families in and around the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Florida Parishes areas. A Louisiana native, Dr. Mandal-Blasio received her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as part of the Neurobehavioral Outpatient Unit and Pervasive Developmental Disorders Clinic. She also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill's Center for Development and Learning where she studied mental health issues in people with developmental disabilities across the lifespan. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of Louisiana and the former Director of the Northlake Resource Center on Developmental Disabilities where she conducted statewide training for caregivers and professional on topics related to people who have a dual diagnosis of developmental disabilities and psychiatric/behavior problems. Dr. Mandal-Blasio has presented on these topics nationally and internationally in addition to publishing articles and chapters.
Sharon Delvisco has over 30 years of experience. Sharon enjoys advocating for people with disabilities. She has provided supported employment, supported living, community connections, mentoring, behavior and life skills support for people with all abilities, their families and the agencies that provide services to live in the community. She believes all people should be supported to live the lifestyle of their choice in the community. “Separate is not equal” is the guiding principle for all her work and advocacy efforts in the human services field. Sharon is an advisor for the Louisiana People First Chapter self-advocacy group. She has experience organizing, facilitating, and developing training for people with disabilities, their families and the agencies that provide community-based services. She has planned conferences, events, facilitated board retreats, developed and provided training in a variety of locations. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of New Orleans and a master’s degree in social work from Southern University at New Orleans. Sharon received her doctorate in Social Work Innovation from USC School of Social Work. Sharon is employed as the Project Director of Training and Curriculum Development with Team Dynamics, LLC.
REGISTRATION CLOSES ON December 10th.
