Utah Regional LEND - Urlend

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Utah Regional LEND - Urlend

LEND is a collaborative & interdisciplinary training program dedicated to improving the care of children and youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

The Utah Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other Related Disabilities (URLEND) is a training program that covers five states: Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota. Our program uses state-of-the-art technology to connect groups of trainees across our partner states. Professionals are trained to move beyond discipline boundaries to provide optimal services to child and adolescents with special health care needs. Because families are essential to well-being, this program emphasizes the role of family-centered care in all we do. URLEND is funded with a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents of this page are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Health Resources and Services Administration or the U.S.

11/20/2025

Meet our faculty at www.urlend.org

Olivia Lebens, MPA
Community Liaison

Olivia Lebens is the Interdisciplinary Training Coordinator for the Center on Disabilities and Human Development, Idaho’s UCEDD. Olivia works with undergraduate students, across all disciplines, placing them in meaningful work and academic opportunities that demonstrate the empowerment of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

With 20 years of experience working with Idaho’s DD Network and self-advocacy organizations, Olivia connects university students with the wider community focusing on capacity building and systemic change. Disability history and policy are significant areas of interest to Olivia, which has led to her earning a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Idaho.

11/20/2025

Meet our faculty at www.urlend.org

Eduardo Ortiz, Ph.D., J.D.
Cultural Competency

Eduardo got his Ph.D. in Sociology (2009) from Utah State University. His dissertation work was about the influence of family structures and the role of siblings on early language development of preschool Latino children. Currently, he is a Senior Research Associate at the Early Intervention Research Institute (EIRI) which is the Research Division of the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. Eduardo has been working on research projects mainly focused on early education. He also has taught some classes at Utah State University such as Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Social Research Methods, Population and Society (Soc. 3200). Eduardo also holds a Law Degree (J.D.) from the Catholic University of Ecuador, his native country. Eduardo has been highly involved in community work through schools, non-profit organizations, hometown media, and city boards

11/17/2025

Meet a trainee at www.urlend.org

Nikita Rogers, Occupational Therapy

Nikita Rogers is a doctoral student in occupational therapy at the University of Utah. Originally from Cache Valley, Utah, she now lives in Salt Lake City with her husband. Over the past eight years, Nikita has worked with children and youth across a range of settings, supporting individuals with mental health needs, behavioral challenges, and physical and developmental conditions. This has included roles as a behavioral therapist, respite care provider, direct support professional, and recreation therapist. She is especially passionate about working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and hopes to pursue a career in pediatric occupational therapy that integrates family-centered, interdisciplinary care. Nikita is drawn to the URLEND traineeship for its strong focus on advocacy, leadership, and collaborative learning with both families and other professionals. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, playing pickleball, and recently completed the Salt Lake City marathon.

11/17/2025

Meet a trainee at www.urlend.org

Taryn Nicksic-Springer, Psychology

I am a licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst with specialized training in developmental and neuropsychological assessment. Currently, I work at Psychology Specialists of Utah, where I focus on evaluating and supporting children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. I was born and raised in Utah and love being surrounded by mountains, which offer both inspiration and balance in my personal and professional life. My professional goal is to deepen my expertise in interdisciplinary care, especially for children with complex needs, and to contribute to more equitable, family-centered service systems.

In my free time, I enjoy going to sporting events (especially soccer), traveling, gardening, and spending time with my family and dogs. I am excited to participate in URLEND because I value collaborative learning and am eager to build connections with professionals across disciplines. I’m particularly interested in how systems-level thinking and leadership training can enhance the quality of services for underserved children and families.

11/13/2025

Meet our faculty at www.urlend.org

Eric Stoker
Consumers

Eric is a compassionate leader for individuals with disabilities and their families. He is a huge West Jordan Jaguars fan, which is where he attended high school and is currently the high school’s boys basketball manager for West Jordan High School. He showed his skills by being selected his senior year to give one of the graduation speeches. Eric shares his expertise and experiences of a young man with Autism, which is a gift among the many friends, individuals with disabilities, families, professionals and fellow leaders across the state of Utah.

In 2010, Eric received the Flame of Hope Award from the Utah State Office of Education for helping people with disabilities. In 2014, Eric received the Champions of Equal Opportunity Award from the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. Eric served on the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, Utah Parent Center Board of Directors and the Utah Special Education Advisory Panel as well as being a mentor and faculty member of the URLEND program. Eric currently sits on the Consumer Advisory Board at Utah State University and is also a part of the Advocates as Leaders Speakers’ Network.

Eric is an enthusiastic fan of the Utah Utes football and basketball teams and is also a big Utah Jazz fan. Eric is a reliable and vital part of many of the state's activities and initiatives. He is busy with multiple commitments, but is always willing to do whatever is needed to help with disability advocacy, policy and empowerment.

11/13/2025

Meet our faculty at www.urlend.org

Terisa Pavia, Ph.D.
Health Services

Dr. Pavia is a tenured Professor of Marketing and past chair of the Marketing Department at the David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah. Dr. Pavia teaches the Marketing class in the Administrative Services Program for Physicians at the University of Utah. She has worked with Utah Children (a private nonpublic advocacy organization) and directed an MBA field team with this organization, as well as a field team with the University of Utah's Nutrition Services group. She is a regular speaker in their Medical Ethics module. In recognition of the broad range of community service that she has given, she received the Faculty Professional and Community Service Award (1997).

Dr. Pavia is the mother of a child with special needs and is acutely aware of the problems families face in accessing coordinated care, with experience in both the academic aspects of high quality health care administration and the realities of procuring this care for a child with complex needs.

11/10/2025

Meet a trainee at www.urlend.org

Beth Myers, Speech-Language Pathology

Beth Myers is a speech therapist at Moving Mountains Therapy Center in Missoula, Montana. She is originally from Washington State, but lived overseas in Japan, India, Italy, South Korea, and Hawaii for 15 years, as a military family, before moving to Missoula to settle down with her 4 children.
She enjoys spending time with her partner and children, enjoying nature, cooking food, playing the mandolin, and crafting.
Beth would like to develop her clinical skills as a speech therapist to provide evidence based therapy that is focused on facilitating connection, is culturally responsive, and tailored to meet the needs of individual clients and their families.

She hopes that URLEND will help her to be more aware of different perspectives in healthcare, and will enable her to better understand and meet needs of the clients she serves.

11/10/2025

Meet a trainee at www.urlend.org

Carolyn Morowski, Parent

Carolyn is an early childhood Inclusion Coach, working with licensed childcare providers in the southwest region of North Dakota with USpireND. Carolyn attended the University of Texas (Hook 'em Horns!) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Learning and Development. Her experience with childcare and inclusion spans direct care, parenting a child with a disability, and work within Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Carolyn's child has genetic variant resulting in a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder and autism.

Carolyn currently lives in the Dickinson, ND area with her husband and two children. Outside of work she shares her talents on the local Head Start Policy Council, Dickinson Dolphins Swim Board, the ND Family Engagement Cabinet, and the local Scouting America Troop. She enjoys traveling, Peloton, and spending time with her husband and two children. She is interested in URLEND to expand her knowledge and share her experience navigating disability systems as a parent.

11/06/2025

Meet our faculty at www.urlend.org

Sarah Winter, MD
Co-Director / Medical - Pediatrics

Dr. Winter is a Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah. Dr. Winter joined the Division of General Pediatrics in July of 2006 following her move from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Winter is board certified in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and has special interests in children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, complex medical conditions, neonatal follow-up and early identification of motor disabilities.

Dr. Winter trained at the University of Minnesota and completed her fellowship in Developmental Pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She worked for the Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a consultant. She has worked with LEND programs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Ohio State University, and now URLEND.

11/06/2025

Meet our faculty at www.urlend.org

Hans C. Reinemer, D.M.D.
Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. Hans C. Reinemer graduated from the University of Utah and received a Bachelor's Degree (B.S.) in Biology. He attended the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry where he received his dental degree (D.M.D.) and then completed a residency program at the Baylor College of Dentistry where he graduated with a Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry and a Master's Degree (M.S.) in Oral Biology. While in residency, a considerable amount of time was spent treating medically compromised children at the Children's Medical Center of Dallas and also the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children which specializes in the treatment of children with orthopedic conditions, such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand disorders, hip disorders and limb length differences, as well as certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia.

Dr. Reinemer has practiced Pediatric Dentistry since 1993 and has been an attending dentist at Primary Children's Hospital since 1995. He is certified through the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and now serves as Medical Director for the Pediatric Dental Residency Program at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

11/03/2025

Meet a trainee at www.urlend.org

Bella Moriconi, Physical Therapy

Isabella “Bella” Moriconi grew up in Crozet, Virginia, and recently earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Radford University. She is the current pediatric physical therapy resident at the University of Utah and is working toward becoming a board-certified pediatric specialist. Bella has clinical experience in outpatient pediatric physical therapy and has shadowed in additional settings including early intervention, school-based, and hospital environments.

Through her education and diverse shadowing experiences in Virginia, Hawaii, and Mexico, Bella developed a strong interest in culturally sensitive care and expanding access to pediatric services in under-served and geographically isolated communities. She is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration, family empowerment, and the use of play and assistive technology to promote meaningful participation for children.

Bella is hoping participation in URLEND will strengthen her leadership skills and deepen her understanding of systems-level care for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. In her free time, she enjoys road and trail running, hiking, pilates and yoga, listening to music, and spending time outdoors with friends and family.

11/03/2025

Meet a trainee at www.urlend.org

Jamie Mecham, Speech-Language Pathology

Jamie is an Associate Clinical Professor in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education and the director of the Utah State University Speech and Language Clinic. Jamie has been a speech language pathologist for 28 years focusing her passion for helping others to communicate on the preschool, school-age and geriatric populations, particularly in the area of language. Jamie has been a clinical supervisor for Utah State University students both on and off campus for 20 years. In 2014 she made the Utah State campus her permanent supervision home hoping to mentor future speech language pathologists to find passion and commitment in their work. In 2018, Jamie was appointed to the role of clinic director which encompasses supervision of both students and clinical faculty, administration and leadership. While at USU Jamie has had the opportunity to supervise and mentor as well as research, publish and present with students and colleagues, on language related topics through-out the lifespan. Developing connections with colleagues, students and community members remains the highlight of Jamie’s career. Jamie’s greatest mentorship accomplishment is her own three young adult children who are passionate, intelligent and insightful human beings.

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http://www.urlend.org/

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