PLEASE NOTE: This schedule is being frequently updated; please check back for the final version. Concurrent sessions are open enrollment; no advance sign-up is required.

At a Glance Conference Schedule      Day 2 Conference Schedule
 

Monday, Feb. 23

7-9 a.m. Conference Check-in

A breakfast buffet will be available from 7:15-8:30 a.m.

8:15-8:30 a.m. Opening Remarks  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom

David R. Strauser, Ph.D., president, ARRPE Board of Directors

8:30-9:20 a.m. Keynote Address  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom

Workplace Disability Support Policies and Practices: What Works and Needed Next Steps
Susanne Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC

It has been 35 years since the passage of the ADA, yet employment participation rates for working-age individuals with disabilities are still approximately half that of Americans without disabilities.  Many factors an contribute to lessening this employment gap, such as related public policy like the ADA, access to educational and vocational training opportunities, community vocational rehabilitation services, as well as family and broader community support systems.  But key among needed factors to bring about desired changes in employment outcomes are employer policies and practices across the employment process.   This presentation will highlight workplace policies and practices in recruitment, hiring, retention, advancement, and accommodation that have been shown to contribute to a higher likelihood of employment success for individuals with disabilities.   Research conducted by Cornell University will be highlighted.

9:30-10:20 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Building Fiscal Agility to Sustain VR Innovation
    Jimmy Wilson
    
    Fiscal agility is the financial backbone of service innovation in Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). While new technologies and programs often draw attention, the ability to anticipate funding shifts, reallocate resources, and stay in compliance ultimately determines whether innovations succeed. This session positions fiscal agility as an organizational innovation—blending dynamic budgeting, forecasting, and compliance tools such as Monthly Budget Reviews (MBRs). Participants will learn how agile fiscal practices maximize resources, prevent fund reversions, and scale promising pilots into sustainable statewide solutions. By uniting financial and service strategies, fiscal agility enables VR agencies to keep pace with evolving participant needs and federal expectations.
     
  • Competencies for Working with Veterans: A National Survey of Rehabilitation Counseling Programs 
    George Mamboleo; Jeffrey Daniels; Regan Braun
    
    Rehabilitation counselors play a crucial role in supporting veterans’ transition back civilian life including assessing veteran's unique needs and challenges. The purpose of this study was to investigate what counseling competencies are needed in veterans’ rehabilitation process that are included in the curricula of rehabilitation counseling programs. Results from the study indicate competencies taught in rehabilitation counseling programs include awareness of veteran community supports and resources, awareness of a range of available vocational services, and knowledge and skills related to veteran psychological problems. Contrary to past research that indicates that competencies are not taught in counselor preparation programs, the results indicate that they are infused into curricula of the surveyed programs. Recommendations for training in this realm are discussed. 
     
• A Contextual Approach to Job Accommodation and Retention for Workers with TBI  |  Location: Nueces
  Priscilla Ayebea Davies, M.Sc.; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC
  
  Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a multi-systemic disability causing difficulties that negatively impact job retention. A need exists for interventions that address the specific problems individuals with TBI encounter in employment from a contextual, person-in-environment perspective. This study used a qualitative case study design with four college-educated professionals with TBI. The Work Experience Survey (WES), a needs assessment tool, was administered via teleconsultation to evaluate barriers to continued employment, career mastery, and job satisfaction. Participants reported multiple difficulties performing essential job functions but expressed high job satisfaction. The WES proved to be a cost-effective tool for identifying workplace barriers and developing accommodation plans to improve productivity and support job retention for workers with TBI.
   
• A Model and Intervention for Grief, Loss, & Identity Reconstruction after TBI  |  Location: Frio
  Aundrea Gee, M.Ed., CRC; Marty Holin, Ph.D.; Elaine Mora, Ph.D.
  
  There is a critical gap in evidence-based counseling interventions addressing the interconnected emotional aspects of ambiguous loss, grief, and identity disruption despite the well-documented mental health needs of traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. Many counselors lack knowledge of or access to specific therapeutic frameworks and interventions designed for this population’s unique psychological presentation. Compounding the issue, traditional mental health service delivery models typically fail to accommodate the cognitive, physical, and other barriers prohibiting TBI survivors from accessing critical psychological services. The absence of accessible, integrated therapeutic interventions contributes to poor mental health outcomes, persistent psychological distress, and incomplete psychological recovery of TBI survivors. Participants will learn about an Integrated Ambiguous Loss-Grief-Identity Model for TBI and development of an integrated loss-grief-identity virtual group intervention.
   
• Advancing Veteran Employment: Lessons from State and VHA Vocational Rehabilitation  |  Location: Blanco
  Matthew E. Sprong, Ph.D., CRC, LCPC (IL), LPC (PA), CLCP, CVE, CADC; Edwin Guzman, M.S., CRC, LCPC
  
  Veterans with behavioral health conditions often rely on both state–federal and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs, yet each system offers distinct strengths and limitations. Drawing on recent analyses of state VR outcomes and VHA program data, we will examine service-level predictors of employment, program acceptance patterns, and employment at discharge. Discussion will highlight how structural and policy differences contribute to persistent disparities, particularly for Veterans with substance use and psychotic disorders. We will also introduce VHA Directive 1163.13 (released August 2025), which redefines eligibility and service delivery expectations. Strategies for improving both processes and outcomes will be offered, emphasizing integrated care coordination, non-exclusion practices, and actionable service bundles to enhance Veteran employment pathways.
   
• Assessing Everyday Functioning of People with Disabilities Using Internet Connected Assistive Devices  |  Location: Llano
  Abbas Quamar, Ph.D., CRC; Elizabeth A. Boland, Ph.D., CRC
  
  Currently, using internet-Connected Assistive Devices (iCAD) like smartphones, tablets, and apps has become an essential resource for performing everyday functioning for People with Disabilities (PWD). However, current functional capacity evaluations still use the outdated functioning protocols developed assessment for evaluating the everyday functioning of PWD using iCAD. Two groups of content experts, rehabilitation professionals (n=40) will be used for the study. Qualitative and quantitative feedback on the relevance, clarity, conciseness, and clinical feasibility of the proposed assessment will be collected using surveys housed on the Qualtrics Research platform. Participants will be recruited through nationwide circulation of electronic flyers and solicitations emails. 
  
  
• An Emerging Conceptual Framework for Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship: Multiply Marginalized People with Disabilities Incubator  |  Location: Pecos
  Nyree Cunningham-Pullen, Ph.D., Edward O Manyibe, Ph.D., Andre Washington, Ph.D., CRC
  
  Small business incubators are innovative programs designed to accelerate the successful development of new businesses/startups through an array of support resources and services offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts. However, existing small business incubator models may be insufficient for providing services designed to support businesses startups driven by multiply marginalized entrepreneurs with disabilities (i.e., racial/ethnic minorities, Whites experiencing poverty, sexual minorities, low income, rural residents). This presentation illustrates an emerging prototype proof-of-concept for a new Multiply Marginalized Persons with Disabilities Small Business Incubator Model (M2-PWDI) created to train and peer-mentor multiply marginalized entrepreneurs with disabilities to launch or expand small businesses that help create self-employment, close wealth gaps, contribute to community development, and contribute to the health of the national economy. M2-PWDI guides training and support services to these individuals to begin to build the critical mass of entrepreneurs needed to address the socioeconomic needs of under-resourced disability populations and communities. A combination of critical disability theory and structural empowerment theory provided a useful framework to contextualize and support the model’s design. The model and components will be described and observations and lived experiences of entrepreneurs with disabilities used to refine the model as a part of the action research agenda are presented. Moreover, a set of recommended approaches that federal research agencies, higher institutions of learning, incubator agencies, business owners with disabilities, and researchers can consider implementing, replicating and assessing the model will be discussed.
   

10:30-11:00 a.m. Coffee Break


10:40-11:40 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Knowledge Gaps & Action Steps: Mental Health Counselors Supporting Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
    Ashleigh M. Johnson, Ph.D., CRC, NCC
    
    People with intellectual disabilities often need more mental health services but lack adequate care due to a shortage of trained counselors. This study used a social-ecological model to explore mental health counseling processes in State College, PA, through a multiple case study with three dedicated counselors. Participants had two interviews, and five themes emerged. Two themes, Systemic Challenges and Gaps in ID Support Infrastructure and Synergizing Community Support and Educational Advocacy, related to the clinical process like intake and assessment. The other three themes—Introduction and Engagement, A Sense of Belonging, and Contextually Sensitive Approaches—focused on facilitators of counseling. These findings, with implications for counselor education and future research, are discussed within the broader literature.
     
  • Phoenix Rising: The Disabled Martial Artists Alliance 
    Jonathan Drummond, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret), M.S., M.A., Ph.D. Candidate
    
    The Disabled Martial Artists Alliance (DMAA) is evolving, under new leadership, from the former Adaptive Martial Arts Association; DMAA was born on September 21, 2025. This presentation, by DMAA President Jonathan Drummond, addresses the founding, mission, vision, and future of DMAA. The proposed way forward for DMAA will be discussed, including collaborative opportunities across adapted physical activities, pressing challenges/issues, disproportionate violent victimization of those with disabilities, adaptive martial arts student/instructor/business memberships and best practices, and calls upon manufacturers and developers to inexpensively advance (per “universal design”) equipment from martial arts gear to wheelchairs. Long-term future efforts include certification courses for instructors and inclusion of sound/accredited materiel or courseware in university physical education, kinesiology, and disability studies curricula.   

• Beyond Family Systems Theory: Using Design Thinking in Rehabilitation Family Case Conceptualizations  |  Location: Nueces
  Ngonidzashe Mpofu, CRC, CCMHC, NCC
  
  Since the days of Dr. Murray Bowen, rehabilitation counselors have used systems thinking frameworks to identify and conceptualize the interconnected nature of family cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns. The benefit has been a holistic understanding of client adjustment and adaptation to chronic illness and disability as part of a larger family dynamic. This presentation proposes the use of design thinking in family case conceptualizations. Whereas family systems thinking assumes an individual is conceptualized through the interconnected nature of the family system, design thinking examines the family's needs as a collaborative unit. The human-centered nature of design thinking asserts that the family's needs are the central focus of the counseling process, instead of the individual within the family context.
   
• Career Decision-Making Resources: Feasibility of Developing Individually-Tailored Supports in Multiple Sclerosis  |  Location: Frio
  Malachy Bishop, Ph.D., CRC; Jian Li, Ph.D.; Emily A. Brinck, Ph.D., LPC, CRC, CVE; Byung Jin Kim, Ph.D. 
  
  Adults living with multiple sclerosis (MS) face a disproportionately high unemployment rates, often leaving work prematurely due to medical and environmental challenges. Although individually tailored career supports may help people maintain employment and improve life outcomes, there is limited understanding of how the need for specific supports and resources varies across different personal and health-related profiles. In this session we will present the results of research in which we examined whether the need for career resources varied among identifiable subgroups. We addressed the research question: Does the importance of career information/resource topics vary based on psychological, vocational, demographic, and health characteristics of adults working with MS? We describe the implications for rehabilitation professionals and broader populations. 
   
• Challenging Perspectives: An Indigenous Lens for the VR Process  |  Location: Blanco
  Elizabeth A. Boland, Ph.D., CRC; Jamie M. Emanuel, M.S., CRC
  
  Indigenous communities, recognizing unique strengths and abilities, support individuals on their tribal vocational rehabilitation (TVR) journey. The TVR journey is an individual’s personal journey with the support of extended family (relatives), the community, and the TVR staff in addressing the vocational impediments, which creates a strength-based holistic approach to VR service provision. This approach is symbolized by the eight-point star quilt, representing a supportive path toward gainful employment, embodying respect and community. The pattern represents the morning star, an important figure in Lakota and other indigenous tribes. As reflected in the star quilt, TVR projects create safe and supportive environments for both clients and staff. This model can also be applied to other VR settings who serve diverse clients. 
   
• The Commission for Rehabilitation Counseling Certification (CRCC) Ethical Practices and Artificial Intelligence  |  Location: Llano
  Nichole Tichy, Ph.D., CRC; Trent Landon, Ph.D., CRC, A-CMHC; Robert Froehlich, Ed.D., LPC, CRC
  
  Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling recognizes the importance of innovative methods to support persons with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining competitive integrated employment. As an emerging tool, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers exciting and challenging opportunities for Rehabilitation Counselors, their consumers, and stakeholders (e.g., employers, community constituents). As emerging technologies become more integrated into practice, it is ethically imperative for rehabilitation professionals to consult and adhere to the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Code of Professional Ethics for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors. This presentation focuses on the ethical guidelines for the use of AI in Rehabilitation Counseling settings and practices, ensuring that best practices are maintained, and core principles are upheld as central to ethical decision-making.
   
• Culturally Responsive Rehabilitation Practices for Rural and Underserved Communities  |  Location: Pecos
  Yuleinys A Castillo, Ph.D., LPC, LPCC, CRC; Byung Jin Kim, Ph.D.
  
  Rehabilitation professionals play a pivotal role in addressing disparities that limit access to quality services for rural and underserved populations. This presentation explores culturally responsive rehabilitation practices that integrate community-based approaches, cultural humility, and contextual awareness to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Drawing from emerging research, case examples, and practitioner experiences, the session will highlight common barriers such as geographic isolation, limited provider diversity, and systemic underfunding, alongside innovative solutions including tele-rehabilitation, interprofessional collaboration, and culturally grounded assessment and intervention models. Participants will gain practical tools to adapt rehabilitation services for diverse populations, including Indigenous, immigrant, and rural communities. The presentation will also explore how community partnerships and policy advocacy can strengthen access and sustainability. Emphasizing innovation, cultural responsiveness, and interdisciplinary teamwork, this session will empower attendees to implement inclusive, equity-centered practices that advance participation, autonomy, and quality of life for all clients served.
   

11:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Exploring Existential Overestimation for Successful Employment Outcomes
    Elaine Mora, Ph.D., LPC (Texas); Aundrea Gee, Ph.D. ABD, CRC
    
    Although not appropriate for every rehabilitation counseling client, existential overestimation of our clients’ strengths and talents can facilitate clients achieving more than a casual acceptance of their abilities. This presentation focuses on using existential overestimation to help clients become their best version of themselves and infuse confidence into clients’ confidence. The existential overestimation perspective is that clients achieve more when their rehabilitation counselors believe in them and expect them to succeed. This existential overestimation helps clients become confident, open their perspective to options, and attain higher levels of success. The presenters will give examples of rehabilitation counselors using existential overestimation and teach rehabilitation counselors how to incorporate existential overestimation into their work.
     
  • Identifying Shifts in Depression Trajectories during COVID-19: A Growth Mixture Model Study
    Minju Lee, M.S., CRC; Yongsu Song, M.A.; Jina Chun, Ph.D., CRC; Eunjeong Ko, M.A.; Jin-Hee Yu, M.A.; Chanhwi Kang, B.A.; Donghun Lee
    
    This study examined heterogeneous trajectories of depression among Korean adults (n = 600 at baseline; n = 307 at final wave) during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 - 2022) using Growth Mixture Modeling. Longitudinal data collected across five time points identified two distinct trajectory profiles: a high-level and decreasing group and a low-level and mildly increasing group. Baseline PTSD and anxiety predicted trajectory classification, suggesting that individuals with higher initial distress experienced greater recovery over time. While differences in life satisfaction emerged between groups, no group differences were found in suicidal ideation. Overall, depression levels remained within non-clinical ranges, suggesting adaptive adjustment rather than pathological decline. These findings underscore the importance of trauma-informed and resource-based mental health approaches during collective crises. Both immediate- and low-risk groups require tailored interventions, including early identification, continuous psychosocial monitoring, and sustained community support.
     
• Digital Interventions for Supporting Employment Engagement of People with Serious Mental Health Conditions: A Scoping Review  |  Location: Nueces
  Yemi Akinola; Ikenna D. Ebuenyi 
  
  In recent years, digital interventions have become accepted as an integral part of several support programs for people with and without disabilities. Digital intervention has been shown to enhance work and vocational rehabilitation participation of people with disabilities. Their advantage lies in being cost-effective, engaging, easily accessible, and flexible to implement. These advantages could work for people with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) who often experience significant challenges at work and in employment support programs. Despite the popularity of digital interventions, there is limited information about their effectiveness for people with SMHC. This scoping review examines existing research on digital interventions for people with serious mental health conditions to explore skills and outcomes targeted by such interventions, the implementation, and the effectiveness of the interventions for improving employment outcomes. 
   
• Dual Customer Engagement and Service Delivery Strategies |  Location: Frio
  Whitney Ham, Ph.D, BCBA, MS, CRC; Jennifer McDonough, MS, CRC; Crystal Hence, M.Ed.; Alissa Brooke, M.S, CRC
  
  It is necessary to develop methods of providing training and technical assistance to service providers that is accessible and relevant to their daily practice. Best practices in the provision of employment services are identified in the literature but are not often implemented. This proposal introduces and outlines a new training project: Dual Customer Engagement and Service Delivery Strategies. Recent grant work out of VCU-RRTC identified key needs for employment providers in supporting key demand and supply side stakeholders, specifically employers and self-advocates. Providing quality services to these key groups is a vital component in evidence-based supported employment, yet professionals receive little training and support in these areas. An overview of project activities, initial products and methods for their delivery-to include an innovative AI tool will be introduced. 
   
• Effects of Postsecondary Education on Young Adults with Mental Illness  |  Location: Blanco
  Yazmin Castruita Rios, Ph.D., CRC; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC
  
  The number of students with mental illness enrolling in American colleges and universities has increased markedly in recent decades. Still, it is unknown what effect college training has on the employment outcomes of vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers with mental illnesses. This presentation describes an empirical investigation comparing employment outcomes for VR consumers with mental illness who received college training with those of their matched counterparts who did not. 
   
• EMERGE: Empowering Entrepreneurs to Rise, Grow, and Excel in VR  |  Location: Llano
  Janet LaBreck
  
  Despite major legislative gains, many people with disabilities, especially justice-involved youth, and disconnected youth and adults who still face systemic employment barriers. EMERGE (Empowering Entrepreneurs to Rise, Grow, and Excel) introduces an innovative, parallel pathway within the VR framework that prioritizes self-employment alongside competitive integrated employment. Using an evidence-based Integrated Resource Team (IRT) model, EMERGE integrates entrepreneurship coaching with wraparound supports such as mental health, re-entry, and peer mentoring. Participants engage in diverse work-based learning and self-actualization skill building, equipping them to make informed career choices and achieve lasting economic independence. This session shares the EMERGE model to advance equity, community integration, and innovation in VR services.
   
• Advancing AI-Technology Integration in Rehabilitation Counseling: Adapting the TPACK Assessment Framework  |  Location: Pecos
  Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC; Nichole Tichy, Ph.D., CRC; Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT
  
  Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming rehabilitation counseling and counselor education, requiring Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs) and counselor educators to integrate technological knowledge with pedagogical, clinical, and disciplinary expertise. This study adapts the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to this context, introducing two parallel assessment frameworks: the Technological Counselor Rehabilitation Knowledge (TCoRK) and Technological Pedagogical Counselor Education Knowledge (TPCEK). These assessment frameworks also draw from the CACREP doctoral standards, CRC competencies, and the Technology Adoption Propensity (TAP) index. This presentation reports on theoretical development and preliminary findings. Early findings describe the relationships between professional and pedagogical competencies, AI fluency, and the integration of AI in teaching and service delivery, informing competency development and curriculum design for an AI-enabled rehabilitation workforce.
   

12:40-2:00 p.m. Lunch Break
 

2:00-2:50 p.m. Invited Speaker  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom

Measuring, Modeling, and Mentoring: Building a Foundation for Rehabilitation Health Services Research and Practice
Allen W. Heinemann, Ph.D.

This featured presentation traces Allen Heinemann’s journey in rehabilitation research, highlighting five pillars: advancing measurement science, improving health services and quality outcomes, enhancing psychosocial adaptation, promoting community integration, and mentoring future scientists. The presentation describes innovations in psychometrics, development of rehabilitation-relevant outcome measures, and knowledge translation leadership with the Rehabilitation Measures Database. His keynote emphasizes the importance of rigorous measurement, patient-centered care, and multidisciplinary mentorship. Closing thoughts focus on leveraging big data, implementing patient-reported outcomes, and translating research into policy to advance rehabilitation as a health science.

2:50-3:20 p.m. Coffee Break

3:00-4:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Self-Management and Multiple Sclerosis: Large-Scale Validation of the Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale-2
    Malachy Bishop, Ph.D., CRC; Michael Frain, Ph.D., CRC; Sang Qin, Ph.D.
    
    The Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale (MSSM) was developed to providea multidimensional and psychometrically sound assessment of self-management knowledge and behavior among adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). The scale was recently updated with new items to address advances in MS treatment and self-management interventions. We present results of a large-scale evaluation of these updates and the psychometric adequacy of the updated MSSM. The MSSM-2 provides a brief, psychometrically sound multidimensional assessment of MS self-management for research and clinical applications.
     
  • Social Participation and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: The Mediating Effects of Everyday Living Capabilities
    Kayi Ntinda, Ph.D.; Elias Mpofu, Ph.D.; Bruce Reed, Ph.D.; Rongfang Zhan
    
    This study examined whether everyday living capabilities mediate the relationship between social participation and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with autism and intellectual disability. Strengthening everyday living capabilities may enhance social participation’s impact on HRQoL, guiding interventions to support adaptive skills and inclusive engagement.
     
• Demand-Side Employer Engagement Strategies for an Inclusive Workforce  |  Location: Nueces
  Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC; Xiaolei Tang, Ph.D., CRC; Lynn Koch, Ph.D., CRC
  
  Labor force participation of Americans with disabilities has languished between 25 and 35% since World War II while it ranges from 67 to 73% in the general population. People with disabilities have been disproportionately affected by work interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state-Federal VR program places more than half of its consumers in competitive integrated employment (CIE; Status 26), but post-VR turnover and case recidivism rates remain high. During the present national labor shortage, VR job placement opportunities are plentiful, but job retention remains difficult. We need more responsive demand-side interventions to guide employers in building a fully inclusive national workforce. 
   
• Employment-Related Assistive Technology Needs in Autistic Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study  |  Location: Frio
  Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT; Hannah Fry, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
  
  Assistive technology (AT) offers important support for autistic adults navigating employment. Yet little is known about their actual AT needs across different stages of employment. This published study surveyed 501 autistic adults to identify perceived AT and service needs in skill development, job development and placement, job performance, and job retention. Quantitative analyses showed the greatest needs in job retention and skill development, while qualitative themes highlighted both benefits and barriers of AT use, such as independence, organization, cost, training, and stigma. Findings suggest that current AT development emphasizes pre-employment stages but overlooks on-the-job retention supports. Results inform person-centered and context-specific AT solutions that can improve long-term employment outcomes for autistic adults.
   
• Illinois Pathways to Partnerships: An Innovative Model to Improve Transition Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities   |  Location: Blanco
  Nicole Birri, Ed.D.; Concha De La Cruz, M.S.; Christina Muri Irland, M.A.; Jim Knauf
  
  The Illinois Pathways to Partnerships Project (IP2P) aims to improve transition outcomes for students with disabilities ages 10-24 across Illinois. In this session, attendees will learn about the development of the partnership, as well as the roll out of the curriculum and technical assistance. Attendees will learn about the gains that the project has made; including the partnerships that have been created, as well as the CIE/PSE outcomes that have been met. Attendees will also learn about the challenges that have occurred; and how these obstacles have been and/or are being addressed. 
   
• Government Relations, Clinical Advocate and the Future of Rehabilitation Counseling  |  Location: Llano
  Dr. Amy E Vercillo; Michelle Aliff Ph.D., CRC, CVE, CLCP 
  
  Rehabilitation Counselors' education, training, and experience focus on working with clients through the lens of clinical and self-advocacy. Rehabilitation Counselors practice should also include government relations advocacy to maximize effectiveness, efficiency, outcomes, access to services for clients, and the profession.Rehabilitation Counselors, as both clinical and legislative advocates, can improve service access for clients and expand their practice by using state, federal, and regulatory government relations.
   
• Graphic Medicine Resource Lab: Centering people with disabilities in healthcare  |  Location: Pecos
  Laura Butler, MRC, M.A.; Erin Fitzgerald
  
  The Graphic Medicine Resource Lab at the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute uses a collaborative process to create materials designed to improve healthcare for people with disabilities. Funding from the WITH Foundation allows adults with developmental disabilities to work with artists and healthcare professionals as consultants and leaders in product development. The concept of each product is initiated by the project advisory committee or an individual consultant. Topics have included everything from what to expect when visiting a hospital emergency department to adaptive martial arts. The artists and healthcare professionals involved in the project witness first-hand how adults with disabilities are capable of serving in leadership roles and participating in healthcare decision-making.
   

4:10-5:10 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Supporting Employment for Individuals with Advanced Cancer: A Vocational Rehabilitation Framework
    Hannah Fry, Ph.D., CRC, LPC; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC
    
    As survival rates for advanced cancer improve, individuals living with metastatic or late-stage disease face unique vocational challenges. This literature review synthesizes research on employment outcomes, career development, and vocational rehabilitation (VR) practices during cancer survivorship to inform service delivery for this growing, yet underserved population. Key findings highlight the impact of physical symptoms, cognitive changes, stigma, and financial distress on career development. Despite barriers, many individuals seek meaningful work. The review outlines evidence-informed strategies across the VR process including individualized planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and employer engagement. A holistic, consumer-centered framework is proposed to guide rehabilitation professionals in supporting employment goals and enhancing quality of life for individuals with advanced cancer.
  • The Positive Effect of Vocational and Mental Health Counseling for Adolescents and Transition Age Youth in Non-public School Settings
    Guillermo Gonzalez Jr., M.S., LPCC
    
    Although there are more efforts now in implementing individuals with developmental, psychiatric, or physical disabilities in the workforce and community, there are still challenges in implementing a sense of independence for these individuals. Just like for people who cognitively and neurologically align with societal norms, it is important for people with disabilities to feel a sense of community and belonging.This presentation will discuss how implementing Mental Health and Vocational counseling techniques influence independence for adolescents, teenagers, and transition age youth in non-public settings. It will also address ethical and legal concerns of having a dual vocational counselor and mental health counselor relationship, and how utilizing a person-centered approach has led to more motivation for success for students.
     
• Headset to Hiring: Utilizing Virtual Reality Job Exploration in Transition Services  |  Location: Nueces
  Callie Davis, MRC, CRC, CVE; Breanna Batista, M. Psych, CR; Lucas Freeman, MBA
  
  In Wyoming, effective transition planning for students with disabilities faces a major hurdle: a vast frontier landscape that limits access to diverse opportunities. But what if the solution to this geographical challenge was entirely virtual? By integrating Virtual Reality (VR), we're doing more than just facilitating comprehensive job exploration; we're giving students a cutting-edge, highly engaging tool. In addition to the technology, the 'coolness factor ‘runs high among transition-aged students, shifting them from simply attending meetings to becoming actively excited and motivated planners of their own success.
   
• Transforming Technology Career Pathways for People with Disabilities: The AccessTECH Initiative  |  Location: Frio
  Ayse Torres, Ph.D., CRC, LMHC; Emily Brinck, Ph.D., CRC, CVE, LPC-IT; Sangbeak Ye, Ph.D.
  
  AccessTECH is a Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) grant initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education (US DOE), Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)1. It is a National Initiative empowering youth and adults with disabilities through accessible, self-paced, online training for high-demand technology careers. Led by Florida Atlantic University (FAU), the program features a five-phase process: Soft Skills Training, Certificate Training in Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, or Computer-Aided Design/3D Printing, a Certificate Exam, a paid Internship, and a final goal of Job Placement. This session will detail our model, which integrates universal design and gamification for an engaging curriculum, successful industry partnerships, and collaborations with Community Collaborators like Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, aiming to transform technology education and career pathways.
   
• Innovative Practices for Community Integration and Employment: The UNTWISE  |  Location: Blanco
  Lucy Gafford, M.S., CRC; Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT; Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT
  
  The University of North Texas Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment (UNTWISE) program offers a comprehensive portfolio of services designed to improve employment, education, and community integration outcomes for students with disabilities at UNT and community members with disabilities across Texas. This session introduces UNTWISE and four of its programs: Texas Beacons of Excellence (TBE), Embracing Neurodivergent Groups in Academics and Gainful Employment (ENGAGE), Transition, and Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) training. Presenters will describe the purpose, evidence base, and practices that drive each program and share lessons learned for broader application in rehabilitation research, policy, and practice. Attendees will gain insights into UNTWISE’s person-centered, evidence-informed approach that prepares individuals with disabilities for meaningful employment and fosters stronger community partnerships.
   
• Menopause, Mental Health and Disability |  Location: Llano
  Alexandra Kriofske Mainella, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
  
  Menopause is defined as the moment in time when a woman has not had her period for one year; the perimenopause transition period can last many years and marks the time in the aging process when the menstrual cycle begins to change. Women with disabilities experience this time of life with the same general timing and symptoms as women without. The menopause transition can be marked by changed periods, anxiety and depression and a host of other symptoms. The menopause transition can be improved with preparation and comprehensive information yet women with disabilities generally receive less health care and information about their bodies and development, leaving them more vulnerable to this eventful time of life. This presentation will share the results of a qualitative phenomenological study on the lived experiences of women with disabilities in the menopause transition. Implications for research and practice will be shared.
   
• Employee Mental Health in Higher Education: Building Resilience and Preventing Burnout  |  Location: Pecos
  Bryan Gere, Ph.D., CRC; Nahal Salimi, Ph.D., CRC
  
  Mental health concerns among faculty and staff in higher education have reached critical levels, with rising rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout. This mixed-methods study of 175 participants explores onboarding, mentorship, and workload shape resilience, job satisfaction, and retention at a Historically Black College and University. Quantitative results revealed significant associations between onboarding quality, workload, and support resources with burnout and satisfaction, while qualitative insights highlighted the need for clearer expectations, equitable workloads, and community support. Practical strategies are proposed to strengthen institutional resilience and employee well-being. Findings inform sustainable interventions and policy recommendations to promote mental health, engagement, and retention across higher education environments.
   

5:30-7:00 p.m. Poster Reception  |  Location: Garden Terrace

Appetizers provided. Cash bar available.

Presenters may set up their posters at their convenience starting at 12:45 p.m. Posters must be set up no later than 5:00 p.m.

View the list of this year's posters
 

AT A GLANCE FULL SCHEDULE        Day 2 Conference Schedule