OHSU UCEDD Community Partners Council (CPC)

01/06/2026

Don't miss out on Free CME and the chance to win a gift card! We invite professionals to take the new 2-part Accessible Mental Health Care training series! These free 1-hour courses are available on-demand. credit is offered, free for a limited time. Participants who complete the training and follow-up evaluation by January 9, 2026 will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card.

Course 1: Improving Mental Health Care for Clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Course 2: Mental Health Assessment and Treatment for Clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Get more info and learn how to access the courses here: https://www.ohsu.edu/oregon-office-on-disability-and-health/mental-health-provider-training-program

[ID: An advisor wearing a black top goes over notes with a young student in a power chair wearing a red sweatshirt.]

Image credit: UK Human Development Institute

01/05/2026

The 2026 UCEDD Summer Internship Program closes in one week!

Application Deadline is Monday, January 12th at 5 p.m. PST.

Find the application and instructions at: https://www.ohsu.edu/university-center-excellence-development-disability/summer-internship-program

[ID: Eight professionally dressed students from the 2025 cohort of Summer Internship Program interns stand in a line outdoors on the OHSU campus. There is a railing behind them and trees in the background.]

12/30/2025

Adventures Without Limits' Winter 2025 Community Trips start in January! These community trips are open to the public and are designed to be inclusive and accessible.

It may be a later start to winter weather, but we know snow is on the horizon, and we're looking forward to getting out on the mountain in the new year!

To make the deal a little sweeter, we're closing out 2025 with a 25% discount for ALL community trips in January. There are two chances to get out for a snowshoeing adventure on January 17th or January 31st, while we watch the sun set on Mt. Hood. Visit https://awloutdoors.org/communitytrips and use coupon code '25for2025' to redeem your discount.

Community trips are open to the public, family friendly, and designed to accommodate a wide range of experience levels and adventure styles.

Don't like driving in snow? No problem. For only $10 we'll include a ride up the mountain and back from a central meeting location. See trip details for more information.
Image description: a group of 5 snowshoers pause along the trail, as Mt. Hood peaks through the trees on a blue sky day.

12/19/2025

How are we educating legislators to inform disability policy?

Answer: We actively reached out to policy makers and had 26 meetings to share information related to policies impacting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). We created 16 products to educate about policy issues and the needs of disability communities.

We created two informational briefs for policy makers and distributed them in-person at the U.S. Capitol with Oregon Developmental Disability Network partners. These briefs outlined the impact of our work, including concrete solutions to problems faced by people with disabilities. Topics included how we are making a difference in rural Oregon, training students and professionals, leveraging state-level health data to improve outcomes, and other data-driven approaches.

See what else we did last year in the Highlights from our 2024-2025 Annual Report:https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2025-10/FY25%20QA%20Core%20Function%20Highlights_FINAL.pdf

[ID: A blue, white, and yellow infographic with text that reads: Q&A Highlights from the OHSU UCEDD 2024-2025 Annual Report. There is a blue icon of a document with a gavel across it and a question that reads: How are you educating legislators to inform disability policy?]

12/17/2025

We invite professionals to take the new 2-part Accessible Mental Health Care training series! These free 1-hour courses are available on-demand. credit is offered, free for a limited time.

Course 1: Improving Mental Health Care for Clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Course 2: Mental Health Assessment and Treatment for Clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Get more info and learn how to access the courses here: https://www.ohsu.edu/oregon-office-on-disability-and-health/mental-health-provider-training-program

[ID: An advisor wearing a black top goes over notes with a young student in a power chair wearing a red sweatshirt.]

Image credit: UK Human Development Institute

12/15/2025

Don’t forget, the OHSU UCEDD 2026 Summer Internship Program application is now open.

Find the application and instructions at: https://www.ohsu.edu/university-center-excellence-development-disability/summer-internship-program

Application Deadline is Monday, January 12 at 5 p.m. PST.

[ID: Three students gather around a table across from two UCEDD staff at the 2025 OHSU Internship Fair. The table is covered in some OHSU swag such as lip balm, notebooks, keychains, and a spin-to-win wheel.]

12/13/2025

Join the National Peer Support Network!

The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Peer Support Project is expanding and we are seeking organizations and committed individuals to help us build a National AAC Peer Support Network. This will be a peer-led, inclusive support system for AAC users.

Learn more and get involved:

A screenshot from the February 2025 AAC User Meeting on Zoom.

12/12/2025

Coming up! This virtual learning conference helps youth with disabilities (14-21), their families, and professionals explore what they need to know to create a roadmap to adult success.

Pathways to Adulthood

12/10/2025

What have we done to help people who need or use Augmentative and Alternative Communication ( )?

Answer: In partnership with Communication First, the AAC Peer Support Project united over 60 people from 30 different organizations into a consortium. The group was made up of AAC users, researchers, providers, and representatives from disability and self-advocacy organizations from across the U.S. and included a steering committee led by AAC users.

"It feels like we have gotten a lot done, and also this is just the beginning of a movement across the U.S. and probably further to open doors for AAC users to get more than language supports." - AAC Peer Support Project Consortium member

See the full Q&A Highlights from our 2024-2025 Annual Report:https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2025-10/FY25%20QA%20Core%20Function%20Highlights_FINAL.pdf

[ID: A blue, white, and yellow infographic with text that reads: Q&A Highlights from the OHSU UCEDD 2024-2025 Annual Report. There is a blue icon of a document with a magnifying glass over it and a question that reads: What have you done to help people who need or use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)?]

12/09/2025

New Accessible Care Training Series for Professionals: OHSU UCEDD has created a 2-part online training to support mental health professionals as they learn to offer quality care for clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The series is free with CME credit available for both Course 1 and Course 2.

Read more from our national network: https://www.aucd.org/news/accessible-mental-health-care-training-series-now-available-on-demand-for-mental-health-care-professionals

Association of University Centers on Disabilities

AUCD’s Community Inclusion Team supports the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Network in partnership with the Administration for Community Living.

12/04/2025

How many trainees did we have this year?

Answer: Trainee opportunities range from our Summer Internship Program for high school students and early college-level students to the year-long Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program offering graduate level training to the next generation of clinical, research, and community leaders.

Our trainees:
- 58 Graduate level
- 26 Undergraduate level
- 27 High school students
- 48% of trainees were individuals with disabilities, or were from ethnic or racial groups underrepresented in medicine

View all of the Q&A Highlights from our 2024-2025 Annual Report:https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2025-10/FY25%20QA%20Core%20Function%20Highlights_FINAL.pdf

[ID: A blue, white, and yellow infographic with text that reads: Q&A Highlights from the OHSU UCEDD 2024-2025 Annual Report. There is a blue icon of an open book and a question that reads: How many trainees did you have this year?]