Kelsey Bell, Executive Director of Southwest Independence Center in Durango, Colorado, joins us on this episode to share her powerful journey of growing up with multiple disabilities and how she embraced her disability as part of her identity. She reflects on her experiences from elementary school through college, offering practical strategies for navigating academic success at each stage.

She also delves into her early role as a Youth Transition Specialist at the center and how it shaped her leadership style. Now at the helm of the organization, Kelsey talks about the importance of engaging the post-ADA generation in the disability movement and independent living, exploring what that engagement looks like and how to foster it.

Kelsey highlights the critical role of integrating the independent living philosophy into both the services and the culture of independent living centers. She explains how this approach is essential to creating healthy, collaborative, and efficient environments for staff and the people they serve.

Episode Resources:

Southwest Center For Independence

Contact: (970) 259-1672

Tony is joined by Dr. Carol Lewis, a community health expert who recently conducted a transformative workshop for the CIL staff. The session emphasized the importance of mental health and wellbeing, particularly for those who dedicate their lives to serving others. Dr. Lewis shares practical strategies for promoting mindfulness, healthy sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and social connections—practices that are accessible to everyone, anywhere, anytime. The conversation explores the mental health spectrum, offering insights into managing situational anxiety, depression, and stress. Dr. Lewis provides clinical explanations and actionable tools to help us all enhance our mental health and support the wellbeing of others in our communities. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of mental health and discover practical ways to nurture it daily.

Dr. Carol Lewis is a clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience, specializing in the treatment of chronically suicidal and self-injurious individuals through skills-based and mindfulness approaches. She previously worked at UF Health Psychiatric Hospital and now serves in the UF Department of Psychiatry. With a Masters of Public Health and board certification in public health, Dr. Lewis focuses on evidence-based behavioral health treatments for underserved populations. Her research includes developing public health interventions for non-professionals, and she is a founding member of Peace4Gainesville, a trauma-responsive community initiative.

Episode Resources:

• https://psychiatry.ufl.edu/profile/lewis-carol/: carollewis@ufl.edu

Dr. Jessica Kramer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Florida's College of Public Health and Health Professions. Her research focuses on collaborating with youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to create and evaluate rehabilitation products, developing community-based interventions to help these youth and their families address environmental barriers, and designing high-quality patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Dr. Kramer employs a variety of methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative, and participatory approaches, to address complex research questions and meet the needs of various stakeholders. She has received grants from organizations such as PCORI, NIH, NIDILRR, and AOTF, and collaborates with multiple universities and advocacy groups. Her practical experience includes helping children and youth with severe disabilities participate and learn in public schools.

Resources:

• Path to adulthood: Empowering young adults with disabilities
• Dr. Jessica Kramer’s overview of UF OT Research