Strength In Neurodiversity: Inclusive Mental Health Care for Providers, Professionals, & Community Members

Merge Webinar Series
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
2:00 – 3:00 pm, Eastern time

Hosted by the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI)

Register for webinar
http://bit.ly/3ODpiSP

Description:
Today, the dominant worldview of mental health is the medical model. Within the medical model, differences from the norm (such as autism or ADHD) may be seen as problems to be fixed. All too often, this causes us to “fix” people who aren’t broken. We attempt to transform the neurodivergent person into a “normal” person. And in doing so, we completely miss sight of what our goal should be – which is to help that person live the best life they can, even if that looks “different” than what we expect. Learn from neurodiversity expert and Autistic Psychologist Dr. Daniel Wendler how you can transform your understanding of mental health and unlock new pathways to genuine inclusivity.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand and apply the foundational principles of neurodiversity.
• Identify the limitations of the medical model in mental health care, and contrast with the neurodiversity framework.
• Design and implement practical strategies for creating greater inclusion and effective support for neurodivergent people.

Presenter: Daniel Wendler, PsyD.

Webinar Presenter Daniel Wendler, PsyD, is a bestselling author and nationally recognized keynote speaker on topics including neurodiversity, loneliness, and leadership. Daniel built a life of deep connection despite the social challenges of his autism diagnosis, and went on to found ImproveYourSocialSkills.com and become a clinical psychologist so he could help others find social success too. He is also the founder of Marketing for Therapists, an online marketing agency for private practice therapists.

About Merge:
Merge is the Kentucky Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Training initiative. Merge is a five-year initiative funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to improve services for individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions and intellectual and developmental disabilities.