Awareness to Action: Supporting Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Mental Health Challenges
Friday, October 23, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
St. Vincent DePaul Auditorium, Ascension Seton Texas Administrative Offices, 1345 Philomena Street, Austin, Texas 78723
8:30 a.m. Registration and light breakfast
8:45 a.m. Welcome
9:00 a.m. Mental health needs of youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities, Young Shin Kim, MD, MS, MPH, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, Division Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Dell Children’s Medical Center
10:00 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m. Belonging, Wellness and Mental Health: Supporting Youth with Developmental Disabilities Across Systems – a panel discussion
Moderator: Katie Mitten, LMSW, Texas Center for Disability Studies at UT Austin
Panelists:
- Adrian Heston, youth
- Rachel Alhanti, LCSW, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Pediatric Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, UT Health Austin Pediatric Psychiatry at Dell Children’s Medical Center
- Jessica Arjet, Owner, Hideout Theater
- Jon Lasser, Ph.D., Regents’ Professor & University Distinguished Professor, Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology, Texas State University
11:45 p.m. Lunch
12:45 p.m. Presentation of the Henry McMahon Award to Seanna Crosbie
1:00 p.m. Trauma-informed Care for Individuals with IDD, Holly Fulmer, MS, CDCOR, Trauma-Informed Policy and Training Specialist, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
2:00 p.m. Assume a sensory reason. Behavior may not mean what you think. Jordan Smelley, Certified Mental Health Peer Specialist
3:00 p.m. Adjourn
If you have questions about this event, please contact mary.dodd@integralcare.org