Assistive Technology for Mental Health

Program Description

Scrabble tiles that say Mental Health

Recorded: November 1, 2023 – Ignoring the impacts of mental health challenges can have devastating consequences. Rates of suicide are up in our population, and feelings of isolation and loneliness shot up during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We know that connection matters, and that connection can take many forms. How can AT serve as a bridge to support the management of mental health? How can you build your own AT toolkit to support not only your own mental health, but the mental health of others? Participants will walk away with a toolkit they can easily implement for themselves, their learners, or for someone they love.

We can no longer ignore the importance of not only addressing mental health, but to develop a set of strategies and supports, which includes AT, to manage mental health.

Session Objectives:
Participants will:

  1. Examine how stigma affects mental health for individuals who need help and support.
  2. Distinguish how AT can be a support for mental health.
  3. Develop their own AT Toolkit for mental health. 

Presenter

Hillary Goldthwait-Fowles, Ph,D. ATP – Hillary is a nationally certified Assistive Technology Professional, providing consultation, training, and evaluation services to educational and other institutions in the areas of Assistive Technology (AT), Accessible Educational Materials (AEM), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in her own private practice. She also works at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD  as an Instructional Design Specialist. She is also an adjunct faculty member and subject matter expert in Inclusion, AT and UDL at the University of New England’s Graduate Programs in Online Learning, as well as the University of Maine at Farmington. She has presented across the country on a variety of topics, including accessibility, AT, AEM, UDL, iPads and apps, and Chromebooks and apps. Prior to this, she has served as an Intervention Specialist and Special Educator with 25 years of teaching experience. Hillary is most passionate about educating others about the importance of ensuring that the curriculum is accessible to all students first, rather than after it’s been developed. Home is where her heart truly is – empty nesting with her husband in Saco, Maine and is most proud of her son and stepson. 

Resources

Please note that a certificate of attendance is not provided for watching the recorded webinar. To receive a certificate of attendance you must have attended the live training, completed the evaluation, and included your email address.

Resources discussed in webinar:
Assistive Technology for Mental Health PowerPoint – PDF

Rev: 11/9/2023