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Greg Schell, MEd, Chairperson Greg is the former Director of Washington State Fathers Network (WSFN). He is the father of a wonderful adult daughter with special needs. He has also been a teacher, principal, researcher, author, and family educator, working with families and young people. Over thirty-five years ago he helped found the Fathers Program, aka WSFN, at the University of Washington. He spent several years with this original and unique project assisting with research on dads and families having children with special needs and facilitating the original support groups.
Mr. Schell has presented extensively at national and state conferences regarding fathers & families having children with special needs, led workshops and seminars regarding fathers, siblings, and grandparents, conducted innumerable support groups for dads, and taught courses on parenting to dads, moms, and professionals. The opportunity to work with dads and their families is one of the highlights of both his professional and personal life.
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| Kole Binger, BS Kole completed her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017. She is working as a research specialist on the Social Media and Adolescent Health Research team (SMAHRT) at UW Hospital and Clinics, while she hopes to begin medical school during fall of 2019. During her junior and senior year of high school, Kole struggled with a recurrent medical issue that inspired her passion to become a physician. As a physician, she plans to continue advocating for patients and improving delivery of patient and family-centered care. Kole has experience offering a patient perspective to inform and improve health care delivery during her work on the Pediatric-Adult Inpatient Transition Steering Committee. She offered her perspective to inform policy surrounding this issue and has continued to be involved in its implementation, ensuring patient and family engagement remains a top priority. Kole has worked as a liaison between patients and providers at myriad events including patient work groups and town-halls, responsible for supporting collaboration with the goal of improving the quality of care in both inpatient and ambulatory settings.
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Chrissie N. Blackburn, MHA
Chrissie is a nationally recognized patient and family advisor in healthcare. Parent to a medically fragile child herself, she volunteered as a Patient and Family Advisor for many years on several committees across University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. She served on the first CMS’ Partnership for Patients Campaign's Patient and Family Engagement Network and co-led their PFE Best Emerging Practices and Success Stories affinity group. She participates on the Solutions for Patient Safety's Family Engagement Task Force, the Children’s Hospital Association’s Speak Now for Kids Advisory Board, the Ohio Patient Safety Institute Board, the Institute of Medicine’s Patient and Family Council Leadership Team (informal), the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, and participated in the National Patient Safety Foundation’s Certification for Professionals in Patient Safety job analysis board. Ms Blackburn has encouraged dialogue among medical and nursing staff, students, and health care leaders teaching and speaking about patient and family engagement nationally. She holds a Bachelor of Liberal Studies with a focus in Psychology and Sociology from Bowling Green State University and a Masters of Health Care Administration from University of Phoenix. In January 2014 she was appointed to the position of Principal Advisor of Patient and Family Engagement for the University Hospitals Health System. She reports and directly works with UH leadership on implementing Patient and Family Engagement practices and strategies across a large, complex academic medical center and its 11 community hospitals.
Chrissie is a nationally recognized patient and family advisor in healthcare. Parent to a medically fragile child herself, she volunteered as a Patient and Family Advisor for many years on several committees across University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. She served on the first CMS’ Partnership for Patients Campaign's Patient and Family Engagement Network and co-led their PFE Best Emerging Practices and Success Stories affinity group. She participates on the Solutions for Patient Safety's Family Engagement Task Force, the Children’s Hospital Association’s Speak Now for Kids Advisory Board, the Ohio Patient Safety Institute Board, the Institute of Medicine’s Patient and Family Council Leadership Team (informal), the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, and participated in the National Patient Safety Foundation’s Certification for Professionals in Patient Safety job analysis board. Ms Blackburn has encouraged dialogue among medical and nursing staff, students, and health care leaders teaching and speaking about patient and family engagement nationally. She holds a Bachelor of Liberal Studies with a focus in Psychology and Sociology from Bowling Green State University and a Masters of Health Care Administration from University of Phoenix. In January 2014 she was appointed to the position of Principal Advisor of Patient and Family Engagement for the University Hospitals Health System. She reports and directly works with UH leadership on implementing Patient and Family Engagement practices and strategies across a large, complex academic medical center and its 11 community hospitals.
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| Ashley Crowley
Ashley D. Bates-Crowley is the Executive Director and founder of Team Josiah 2K22 Foundation, the first non-profit for autism awareness in Northwest Kansas. Through her dedication, she networks locally in her rural community (in the Quinter, KS area), regionally (northwest Kansas communities), statewide and nationally to educate and raise awareness of the rights and needs of children and families living the challenges of autism and other exceptionalities. She is a parent trainer and education advocate for Families Together Inc. She is very connected to parent and youth networks and has much experience on both local and state level as well as representing diversity in her home state of Kansas. Mrs Crowley is a devoted mother of twin eight year old boys with special needs.
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Michael Hannon, PhD, LAC, NCC
Michael is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Montclair State University. He researches and writes about the relationships between fathers, their children with autism and other developmental differences, and service providers with a special emphasis on fathers of color.
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Tamela Milan, MAPPA
Tamela is a part of the Maternal and Child Health Partnership and Outreach team at Access Community Health Network. She completed her Bachelor's Degree at Concordia University in 2014, and a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration from National Louis University. Tamela is the mother of six and has four grandchildren.Tamela has more than 15 years’ experience in the MCH community working as a peer educator, developmental screener, and motivational speaker, as well as a Healthy Start case manager. She was one of the first consumers nominated for the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) Board of Directors, where she served for several years. Ms. Milan has grown through many of her Healthy Start friends and has represented Healthy Start nationally and locally at organizations like Today’s Black Child, Bright Futures and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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| Tom Rose Tom Rose is the President of the Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation (CBR), Chief Executive Officer of CBR YouthConnect, and Executive Director of Family Voices Colorado by CBR. CBR YouthConnect programs provide services focused on keeping children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems safe in their homes, and services that help keep families together. CBR programs focus on mentoring, positive family relationships, and social-emotional learning. At-risk youth are guided to overcome trauma, abuse, and other significant challenges, while also teaching them to develop positive character, life skills, and build resilience. CBR provides these programs at alternative schools, youth and family homes, diversion programs, treatment centers, and other community organizations. Family Voices Colorado by CBR operates the Colorado Family to Family Health Information Center and provides system navigation and advocacy services for families who have a child with special healthcare needs.
Mr Rose has more than 30 years of leadership experience in management positions for healthcare-related service organizations. Tom currently serves on more than a dozen Colorado boards, commissions, task forces, and committees focused on healthcare policy affecting children with disabilities. Mr Rose is also a Board Member and Treasurer of Family Voices National, and a member of the Georgetown University Community of Practice for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Developmental Disabilities.
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Siddhant Srivastava
Siddhant is a fourth year undergraduate student at Ohio State University. He will be graduating in May 2017 with Bachelors in Neuroscience and a minor in Business. After graduating, Siddhant is planning on pursuing a Master’s in Public Health or Health Administration. The graduate degree will assist Siddhant in achieving his career goal of becoming a physician.
Throughout his four years in college Siddhant has been exposed to various experiences that have shaped his desire to not only become a physician but an advocate for healthcare. He is a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) liaison and member of the Youth Council for the International Children’s Advisory Network (iCAN). As a liaison, Siddhant is responsible for finding avenues for combining the scientific expertise and connections of the SAB with the goals of iCAN in order to have an impact on pediatric healthcare and provide youth and their families with a voice in pediatric research, medicine, innovation, and health. In his local chapter of iCAN, KIDS Ohio, Siddhant is working with the other members to observe the implications on youths’ health and nutrition as they transition from high school-to-college transition.
In his spare time Siddhant enjoys playing soccer and basketball, volunteering at the local Physicians’ Free Clinic, and exploring new restaurants in Columbus – especially the ice cream spots.
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Betsy Anderson (Emeritus, ex-officio)
Betsy is the parent of 3 now adult children, one of whom has substantial special health care needs. She has worked in health care advocacy for children with special needs for many years and was formerly an employee of Family Voices, directing the Family Voices IMPACT project, funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, with special focus on Bright Futures and Title V initiatives. She has had a long term interest in family-professional collaboration and has served on numerous national, state, and local committees and task forces. Ms Anderson has an appointment in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
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Julie Beckett (Emeritus, ex-officio)
Julie is the mother of Katie Beckett who was the first Medicaid home and community based waiver child. Julie is co-founder of AAP FamilY Partnerships Network and Family Voices, a national grassroots organization of family and friends speaking on behalf of children and youth with special health care needs. She served as the social marketer for a “systems of care” grant in northeast Iowa funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She spearheaded the effort to pass the Family Opportunity Act which expanded Medicaid buy-in programs for families of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities. She has developed a family leadership curriculum and has authored several books and articles.
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