Notable Symposium Speaker and Panelist Lineup
Join us in October for the First Place Global Symposium, Dimensions™️ 2024! Hear from a notable, powerful lineup of more than 40 speakers and panelists exploring the dimensions shaping a new marketplace of home, community and healthcare options for adults with autism and/or neurodevelopmental disabilities. Keynote and guest speakers include Danny Combs, Chris Krehmeyer, Liz Pellicano, Richard Stengel and Keivan Stassun. Learn more and register here.
Focus on Excessive—and Problematic—Hospital Stays for Patients with Autism
A partnership among Behavior Imaging, the First Place Global Leadership Institute (GLI) and Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC, administered by the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare) conducted more than 100 interviews with healthcare leaders, policy experts and families to explore this compelling question: Why do autistic patients often stay in hospitals longer than other populations?
Thanks to funding from the National Institutes of Health’s I-Corps program, the team—Behavior Imagining CEO Ron Oberleitner, GLI Associate Director of Public Policy Josh Munoz and SWITC Developmental Specialist Toni DiPietro—heard powerful stories about the severe challenges faced by these individuals and their caregivers, including the use of restraints for aggressive or self-injurious behaviors and under-resourced, poorly trained staff.
Key issues identified included the reluctance of residential programs to accept patients with severe behaviors and insufficient support for family reintegration. Discussions also underscored the need for integrating behavior specialists into hospitals. Moving forward, the plan includes expanding partnerships with healthcare sites to initiate trials and, specifically, to evaluate the efficacy of telehealth compared to in-person care.
September Spark the Spectrum Event
Vote the Spectrum™ is proud to present its third accessible voting workshop on Monday, September 16 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Foundation for Blind Children, 1234 E. Northern Ave. in Phoenix. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, reps from Maricopa County Elections and leaders of the disability community are joining us to share their extensive expertise. Learn more and register here.
Be Ready℠ for More Job Opportunities
We’re excited to announce additional inclusive CPR/AED/First Aid training sessions on Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22 designed for different learning styles—and the opportunity to gain vital employment skills. Learn more and sign up here.
An Ending and a Beginning—and It’s All Good!
Congratulations to the inaugural graduating class of Transition Academy students at NextStep at Endeavor Academy in Marianna, Florida! What an amazing accomplishment. We’re immensely proud that the Learn4Independence® (L4I) curriculum First Place AZ developed with Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) helped this great group of students take such a big step.
Every August is also the start of another Transition Academy right here at First Place–Phoenix. New local and national students have moved in and started busy schedules that include the L4I curriculum and those all-important new friendships. Many thanks to the instructors from SARRC—provider of clinical services—and welcome, class of 2024-26!
National Women’s Equality Day for ALL Women
Check out First Place AZ Director of Development Sarah Amaral’s desk for a heads-up that Women’s Equality Day every August 26 is a time to celebrate the strength, resilience and achievements of women everywhere. We’re proud to support all women—including those who are neurodiverse—in their efforts to thrive, lead and make their voices heard.
Residents enjoyed plenty of summer Olympics XXXIII coverage on TV, but this month they got to sit down and have dinner with a real-live Olympian! Silver medalist and Brazilian Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Alessandra “Alex” Sachs stopped by for a very special visit. She told stories, answered questions, showed off her hard-earned hardware—and really won us over!
Paris wasn’t the only place to rise to the moment. Residents recently did some serious flexing and stretching at Results Only Fitness with our friends from K2 Adventures Foundation. While no medals were handed out, everyone still felt rewarded!
First Place–Phoenix and Creighton University Health Sciences Campus are friendly, collaborative neighbors. On a recent Sunday, several Creighton students administered a healthy dose of kindness by coming over to cook tasty breakfast burritos with residents. Thanks, Creighton—you made it a Sunday to savor!
Chef Titina stopped by First Place–Phoenix to show residents one of her favorite light and healthy summer meals: baked salmon and salad with lemon balsamic vinaigrette. It was a hit—not just because it was easy but because it was yummmmy, too! Everyone highly recommends the vinaigrette: 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, juice from half a lemon, salt and cracked pepper to taste. It’s that simple!
Ready for What’s Next
It’s a first that leads to many more, as Ava expresses so beautifully in her story.