This year’s summit is scheduled for August 20 & 21, 2024. If you’re interested in attending, please sign up for updates and you’ll be the first to know when registration opens. If you’d like to give a presentation or lead a discussion, please propose a session. We’re excited to have you!
The Youth IDD Mental Health Summit is an opportunity to meet, learn from each other, and create professional relationships that can transform systems that serve support young people with both a mental health diagnosis and an intellectual or developmental disability.
Greg Santucci has been a Pediatric Occupational Therapist for 25 years. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science and received his Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He is the founding director of Power Play Pediatric Therapy, and a Supervisor of Occupational Therapy at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Jersey. Greg is the creator of the Model of Child Engagement, a developmentally informed approach to improving regulation and engagement in children of all levels of ability. He is certified in Sensory Integration and presents nationally and internationally on topics related to sensorimotor development, sensory processing, regulation and behavior. He recently received the Award of Merit from the NJ Occupational Therapy Association for his advocacy work related to neurodiversity-affirming care, and his most important credential is that he’s the proud father of two teenagers.
Sen Sara Gelser Blouin (D, Dist 8) has been a champion for Disabled Students in Oregon for over 20 years.
Sara Gelser Blouin was sworn into the Oregon House in 2005 where she served until she was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 2014. She is Chair of the Senate Human Services Committee. She also serves on the Judiciary Committee, the Education Committee and is a member of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, and the Human Services Subcommittee of Ways and Means.
Sara entered public services through the disability rights community. She is a consistent champion for those often not heard or seen in the halls of the legislature, including children in care, people with disabilities, those with mental illness, people living in poverty and the aging. She is a national leader in the effort to reform abusive residential programs for youth that comprise what is known as the Troubled/Exploited Teen Industry. Sara’s legislative accomplishments include spearheading legislation to end Oregon’s backlog of untested rape kits, dismantling discrimination in health care delivery, improving staffing and services in memory care facilities, establishing a Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights, eliminating discriminatory use of abbreviated school days in Oregon schools, establishing statewide standards for modified and extended diplomas and implementing clear, enforceable policies to limit the use of physical restraint and seclusion in public schools and residential programs.
Sara served on the Corvallis School Board from 2001 until 2006. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Sara to the National Council on Disability. The nomination was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the US Senate.
Democrat, Oregon, District 8
Please use the link below to submit a proposal to present at the 2024 Summit.
Attend sessions designed to facilitate building connections with other attendees who serve youth with IDD and mental health diagnoses
Learn about the latest research, best practices, and techniques.
Discover new resources, collaborate with colleagues, and contribute your expertise to our shared goal of supporting youth with dual diagnoses
