2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
3/02/2021 | 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM | A Holistic Approach: Collaboration Between a State EHDI Program and a Statewide Deaf Education Agency | Topical Breakout
A Holistic Approach: Collaboration Between a State EHDI Program and a Statewide Deaf Education Agency
In most states and territories, HRSA grant funding to support the state’s EHDI program is awarded to the Department of Health or its equivalent. However, a growing number of states are seeing the HRSA grant become a competitive one, with applications coming from other state agencies and organizations. In Maine, the HRSA grant for Maine’s EHDI Program is held by the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, a state agency that supports children who are deaf and hard of hearing from birth through age 21. As a result, MECDHH has the opportunity to collaborate with the Maine CDC in effectively implementing the Maine EHDI Program statewide. MECDHH’s existing partnership with the statewide early intervention program, Child Development Services, has proven to be extremely beneficial in supporting the communication between EHDI and Part C in Maine, with resulting improvement in the 6 month benchmark for EI enrollment. MECDHH’s statewide educational audiologist is a member of the Maine EHDI Program, and facilitates a workgroup of pediatric audiologists in the state, increasing buy-in from these crucial stakeholders. MECDHH’s Early Intervention Specialists are knowledgeable regarding 1-3-6 goals and support families through the early process of diagnosis and intervention. This presentation will discuss the benefits and challenges of this arrangement, as well as the roles of various team members, including the Parent Consultant, Quality Improvement Specialist, and consulting audiologist. Participants will also understand how an organization that supports children 0-21 being embedded in the state EHDI system may result in longer-term support for children who are deaf/hard of hearing.
- Participants will be able to identify two ways in which collaboration with a deaf education agency would benefit a state EHDI system.
- Participants will be able to define roles for an Audiology Consultant, Parent Consultant, and Quality Improvement Specialist in a state EHDI system.
- Participants will be able to describe two ways in which this approach benefits children beyond the early intervention stage.
Presentation:
23278_13601KatherineDuncan.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Karen Hopkins
(), The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf, karen.hopkins@mecdhh.org;
Karen Hopkins is the Executive Director of The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf and the principal investigator of Maine's HRSA grant. She brings over 30 years of experience as a collaborative teacher of the deaf, special educator, early interventionist and educational administrator to her work with Deaf and hard of hearing children. Her work with families, coupled with her own personal experience as a Deaf adult and parent of a daughter who is hard of hearing have inspired her to create systems that empower families. Karen oversees early intervention and statewide educational programming for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing birth to age 22 throughout the state of Maine. She is active in many organizations and boards in Maine, the Hands & Voices HQ Board of Directors and is involved with international FCEI programming including the Deaf Leadership International Alliance. Karen's current research is focused on perspectives of family empowerment in early intervention systems for Deaf and hard of hearing children.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary,Grants for Management position from HRSA Maine Educational Center for the Deaf.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Katherine Duncan
(), Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, katherine.duncan@mecdhh.org;
Katherine Duncan obtained her doctorate of audiology (Au.D.) from The Ohio State University. She is currently in her ninth year as an educational audiologist at the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Falmouth, Maine. She supports outreach programs for both the birth to five and K-12 populations. She is also the coordinator of the hearing assistive technology program for Child Development Services, Maine's early intervention system. Katherine is the Audiology Consultant for the Maine Newborn Hearing Program, and she serves on the Maine Newborn Hearing Program Advisory Board.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Darlene Freeman
(), Maine Hands & Voices, darlsfree13@gmail.com;
Darlene Freeman is on the board and the treasurer of the Maine Hands & Voices chapter and a Parent Guide with Maine Hands & Voices. She is also the Quality Improvement Specialist for Maine's HRSA Grant. She is the parent of her 28-year-old daughter, Deaven, who is deaf. Darlene enjoys working with families to help them understand the newborn hearing screening process into early intervention and beyond to encourage them to become strong advocates for their children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Dixie Herweh
(), Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, parentconsultantmnhp@gmail.com;
Dixie is a parent of a deaf child. She currently serves as the Parent Consultant to the Maine Newborn Hearing Program.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -