Utah Regional LEND - Urlend

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Utah Regional LEND - Urlend LEND is a collaborative & interdisciplinary training program dedicated to improving the care of children and youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

The Utah Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other Related Disabilities (URLEND) is a training program that covers five states: Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota. Our program uses state-of-the-art technology to connect groups of trainees across our partner states. Professionals are trained to move beyond discipline boundaries to provide optimal services to child and adolescents with special health care needs. Because families are essential to well-being, this program emphasizes the role of family-centered care in all we do. URLEND is funded with a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents of this page are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Health Resources and Services Administration or the U.S.

We need family mentors to share their experiences one on one with a URLEND trainee, payment available. Please pass the ...
09/29/2026

We need family mentors to share their experiences one on one with a URLEND trainee, payment available. Please pass the word along!

We have been a little MIA lately due to a flurry of work in grant reports. We have some deadlines due this month and wi...
09/21/2026

We have been a little MIA lately due to a flurry of work in grant reports. We have some deadlines due this month and will be able to focus on highlights of our trainees and faculty after we can breathe a sigh of relief from hitting that "submit" button!

Grant funding makes our work possible and we receive federal funding through Maternal and Child Health Bureau. You can learn more about their mission at https://mchb.hrsa.gov/

09/08/2026

Celebrating 55 Years of AUCD

For 55 years, AUCD and its network have advanced leadership, strengthened partnerships, driven progress, and expanded possibilities for people with disabilities and their families.

Today, we celebrate the people and partnerships that have shaped our work and the lasting impact of the AUCD Network across the country.

Thank you to our members, partners, advocates, and supporters for being part of this journey. Together, we continue building a future where everyone belongs, participates, and thrives.

Here's to 55 years of impact and the possibilities yet to come.

https://www.aucd.org

ID: Graphic celebrating AUCD's 55th anniversary. The center features a blue background with the text "Leadership • Partnership • Progress • Possibility" at the top and "55 Years of Impact" in large white lettering. Below, text reads, " Celebrating the people, partnerships, and progress shaping a better future " The AUCD logo and the full name, "Association of University Centers on Disabilities," appear at the bottom. Along both sides of the graphic are photographs depicting disability-related programs, community engagement, healthcare, advocacy, education, and support activities. The overall design highlights 55 years of leadership, collaboration, and impact in advancing inclusion for people with disabilities and their families.

It's coming and we couldn't be happier! Two afternoons of activities are coming up for our new trainees.
08/05/2026

It's coming and we couldn't be happier! Two afternoons of activities are coming up for our new trainees.

07/28/2026

Matt was a tremendous asset as a URLEND trainee. We are so glad to see him sharing his perspective in this video from Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18x1sKA8ZK/

We love to see what former trainees are doing. Jordan and his sister participated in the same year as a URLEND trainee,...
07/23/2026

We love to see what former trainees are doing. Jordan and his sister participated in the same year as a URLEND trainee, and we wish him all the success at the University of Washington.

Haley Permar is leaving us as Speech Language Pathology Faculty and the Montana Coordinator. The Rural Institute at the...
06/26/2026

Haley Permar is leaving us as Speech Language Pathology Faculty and the Montana Coordinator. The Rural Institute at the University of Montana is starting up their own LEND program, and we look forward to seeing what happens next! Information on their upcoming program can be found at https://www.umt.edu/rural-institute/programs/education/ and any important announcements will be made on Facebook, Rural Institute.

Haley had this to say about her time with URLEND:

"I was a URLEND trainee, both in the core and autism-enhanced track during graduate school, and it was an honor to come back and serve as a faculty member. The URLEND experience is valuable for so many reasons, but most of all because it teaches trainees to partner and collaborate with families, individuals with disabilities, and professionals from different disciplines. It teaches them to know their role but also value other perspectives. It teaches them how to critically think, and solve problems within resource-strained, ever-changing systems. I will miss being a member of a team that embodies and models best practices for a future generation of professionals working in the neurodevelopmental disability field. "

We wish Montana all the best and appreciate partnering with them through the years.

We have some faculty changes as we end this current program year and will be highlighting those over the next weeks. Sa...
06/23/2026

We have some faculty changes as we end this current program year and will be highlighting those over the next weeks.

Sadly we say goodbye to Heidi Wengreen, Heidi Wengreen, RD, PhD. Heidi has been instrumental in our program and has served as Nutrition faculty since 2013. She sent along a message to share:

"I will miss all of the amazing people that I got to meet and work with through URLEND. This program does an incredible job of preparing future leaders while also improving the care, services, and opportunities available to children and families with disabilities. It has been a true honor to be a part of this tremendous team and network of care providers, families, and self-advocates! "

A big congratulations to all the trainees, faculty, staff, and the many partners who supported us this year. We had 33 ...
06/04/2026

A big congratulations to all the trainees, faculty, staff, and the many partners who supported us this year. We had 33 core trainees and 9 Autism Enhanced trainees who graduated.

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Logan, UT

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