Advanced Leadership Fellowship Program

This Fellowship program is designed for clinicians, self-advocates, individuals with disabilities, family members, and other professionals working in disability-related fields who wish to develop or further sharpen their leadership skills.

Fellows are taught to rethink the ways in which healthcare, education, and social services are delivered, and the goals and quality of these services. They are taught how to analyze policy, the way in which policy affects and influences services and practice, and how to devise new policies to address service and systems gaps. The program equips Fellows with the knowledge and skills to bring about change within institutions, organizations, and communities.

Program Components

  • LEND Core Curriculum
  • Master's in Public Administration (MPA) in Disability & Health Policy option through Suffolk University
  • Stipends

Applicant Qualifications

  • A graduate degree in a clinical or disability-related discipline or
  • Individuals without a graduate degree may participate in the program if they enroll in the MPA degree program offered in conjunction with Suffolk University. 
  • Clinical and/or relevant experience with individuals with autism/DD and their families
  • Evidence of leadership experience and leadership potential
  • Commitment to improving the status of people with autism/DD and their families
  • Strong academic record
  • Ability to commit the time necessary to complete the program successfully

Applications

Applications for the 2027-2028 academic year will open January 7th through the online LEND application system; the deadline to submit applications for the 2027-28 academic year will be May 7, 2027.

Applications are reviewed and processed through SurveyMonkey Apply. (To review SurveyMonkey Apply policies, see: https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/legal/)

Advanced Leadership Fellowship Courses

Fellows attend the program 1-2 days per week over 9 months, from September to June. The “Core Curriculum” occurs on Fridays and is required of all Fellows participating in the program; it is composed of nine (9) courses/seminars.

Fellows who are earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) in Disability and Health Policy from Suffolk University take additional courses on Saturdays.

  To receive a stipend, the trainee or fellow must be one of the following: A U.S. citizen, a non-citizen national of the United States, an individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States, any other “qualified alien” under section 431(b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L 104-193, as amended. Individuals on temporary or student visas, or with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, are not eligible to receive financial support from grant funds, Stipends are used in one of two ways:

  1. Fellows receive a stipend of $12,000 for participation in the LEND Program Core Curriculum on Fridays.

or

  1. For Fellows participating in the Suffolk University Masters in Public Administration (MPA) program, the stipend will be applied towards tuition. Suffolk also provides a scholarship toward tuition costs, as well as four tuition-waivered courses.

LEND Core Curriculum (Fridays at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA)

Required 30-hour courses and seminars (Mini Courses):

US Health System: Understanding Health Care for People with autism/DD, taught by Linda Long-Bellil, JD, PhD and Richard Robison, MDiv, covers the major U.S. health institutions focusing on clinical care services for individuals with autism/DD and their impact on the lives of people with disabilities, including access to services, employment, education and health. Fellows identify strengths and barriers to care for relevant populations using critical thinking skills.  

Disability & Public Policy-Expanding Access, taught by Alexandra Bonardi, MHA, OTR-L, and Elizabeth Bostic, MBA, provides an opportunity for Fellows to engage directly with local, state, or national organizations to explore how people with autism/DD and their families’ needs are met or unmet in all aspects of community life, including aspects of public policy and clinical and social services; understand a broad range of opportunities to expand access for people with autism/DD and their families’ full engagement/living in communities of their choosing; and gain skills in organizational needs assessments/gap analysis using a model to develop, prioritize, and communicate effective strategies to expand access for people with autism/DD.

Family & Community Perspectives (FCP) course taught by Elaine Gabovitch, MPA and Elizabeth Bostic, MBA pairs Fellows with families/individuals with autism/DD living in the community who act as mentors to Fellows and provide them with insight into their lives, with a focus on how medical, education, service, and other systems do or do not meet their needs. The course includes case-based discussions on protective and risk factors and how clinical and systems interventions might reduce risks. Fellows learn about Charting the Life Course (CtLC), a practice increasingly adopted by MA state agencies; they complete CtLC worksheets based on their mentor family interviews to learn about family systems, the life course, and transition to adulthood. CtLC is a practical tool to teach Fellows how to drive person-centered change for individuals with disabilities and can also be used to drive transformational change for organizations, policies, and communities as a key part of leadership training. Ms. Bostic is a trained CtLC Ambassador.

Strategic Leadership, taught by Fatima Watt, PsyD, emphasizes Fellows’ personal leadership development. Fellows learn about theoretical models of leadership and the skills/strategies needed to mobilize action and engage varied stakeholders. Kouzes & Posner’s The Leadership Challenge,39 an evidence-based leadership model, is used to help Fellows learn about and practice effective leadership behaviors. Fellows engage in self-reflection of their own leadership skills using Kouzes & Posner’s model and practice these skills which they report on in bi-weekly written or video/audio- recorded self-reflections. The course also includes an all-day conflict resolution/negotiation session with a nationally recognized expert from Mediation Works Inc (MWI) in Boston, MA. Additional content and skills practice within the course include: (1) a session on the Myers-Briggs to enhance self-awareness and appreciation for others’ differences and how they can be used to achieve goals; (2) strategic planning; (3) communication skills; (4) coaching others; (5) and ethics/values in leadership dilemmas. As a final assignment, the Fellows have the option to write a paper on a selected leadership topic, conduct an interview with an admired leader, or complete a leadership book review.

Strategic Grant Writing course, taught by Jean Frazier, MD, Eileen Crehan, PhD, Terri Farrell, MBA, and Amy Weinstock, MArch, supports fellows to develop a project idea that addresses the needs of people with autism/DD /family members and to write a fictional grant to fund the project. Fellows will learn how to conduct a literature review, to properly use of AI and to give an elevator pitch about their grant idea. Lectures, interactive exercises, small group work, weekly assignments, and instructor feedback support fellows to write a coherent and compelling grant application. The course also covers grant seeking and grants management skills.

Human Services Nonprofit Management, taught by Eric Mitchell, MS, MPA provides an in-depth examination of nonprofit organizations within the broader public service sector, with a focus on human services. The course explores the history, structure, and challenges facing nonprofit organizations, including labor shortages, funding instability, and evolving community needs. Using a “client and community relations” framework, fellows analyze relationships among stakeholders—such as clients, funders, employees, regulators, and the general public—and apply a SWOT analysis for strategic decision making. Through case studies, simulations, and applied exercises, fellows develop leadership, problem-solving, and organizational analysis skills necessary to maintain effective community relations and achieve mission-driven outcomes.

Mini course Leading Clinical Systems of Care for Neurodevelopmental Disabilities taught by David Cochran, MD and Melissa Desroches, MS, RN, PhD. This course provides Fellows with a foundational understanding of clinical care systems serving individuals with autism/DD, with an emphasis on leadership for clinicians and non-clinicians working within these systems. Course content includes overviews of the signs/symptoms of several diagnoses including autism, DD, ADHD, CP, LD, and various syndromes. Fellows also gain exposure to core components of clinical assessment and evidence informed interventions, including diagnostic processes, behavioral and developmental approaches for those with autism and DD, and management of co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions. The course examines the structure, financing, and operational challenges of clinical programs, including insurance access and interdisciplinary care coordination. Through integration of family and individuals with disability perspectives, Fellows analyze how clinical services intersect with education, community supports, and policy systems across the lifespan. The course emphasizes disability-affirming, person-/family-centered approaches and prepares Fellows to identify gaps, partner with clinical stakeholders, and lead improvements in systems of care within their respective disciplines.

Mini Course Working with Disability Data, taught by Nassira Nicola, MA, Fellows learn principles of data literacy, including interpreting data presented in multiple common formats, and evaluating the quality and applicability of data for decision making, and data communication. The course also includes methods for presenting data,  to lay audiences such as individuals with disabilities and their families.

Mini Course Current Topics in Maternal and Child Health: Led by Jean Frazier, MD includes lectures on evidence-based screening, diagnostic, and intervention approaches with an opportunity to discuss ethical and controversial topics associated with these issues.

Additional Courses for MPA Candidates (Saturdays at  Suffolk University, Boston, MA)

Foundations of Public Service Organizational Administration, taught by Brendan Burke, PhD, provides a broad overview of the structure and functions of government, nonprofits, and the private sector. With an emphasis on health/disabilities, historical trends, current perspectives, financial management, human services, ethics, and political rationales for leadership decisions are explored.  

Program Evaluation, taught by Nicole Rivers, MPA, focuses on how public programs/policies can be made more responsive, efficient, and effective using social science research techniques and measurement of programmatic outcomes. The course includes lectures, text/readings, and policy analysis techniques. The course consists of lectures on identified topics, texts and supplemental readings on program evaluation (analysis of existing programs), and policy analysis (analysis of prospective programs) techniques and issues.

Organizational Change, taught by Nicole Rivers, MPA, supports Fellows to develop the capacity for intelligent organizational analysis, design, and improvement. Theoretical and practical perspectives with an emphasis on creating/enhancing organizational effectiveness are covered as well as the structural environment of organizations, managerial motivation(s), exercise/engagement of power/influence; work culture, and a framework to move from ideas to delivery of public service improvements.

Managing Human Resources, taught by Jessica Ducrow, MS, explores complex Strategic HR Management issues in public service by examining policies/practices that support/enhance the value/contributions of individuals in organizations. Specific processes/skills are covered, including theory, new HR views, personnel management , recruitment/selection, compensation/benefits, training, and performance appraisal.