February 26, 2026 By CDHD Attending Disability Advocacy Day 2026 The Idaho CDHD recently attended Disability Advocacy Day (DAD) in Boise. We were able to partner with our triad organizations to provide resources and information to all who attended. It was an exceptional day and we couldn’t be prouder to be part of it. As always, part of our excitement is the chance to send our CDHD student trainees to help with the event. It’s a wonderful learning opportunity as it shows the depth and breadth of services and achievement, while recognizing and speaking about the issues that pave the road ahead. Our trainees get to see firsthand the passion, enthusiasm and lived experience. This year, three student trainees traveled to Boise: Avery Zill, Corey Dix and Natalie Tomsic. The trio attended Disability Advocacy Day and spent four days touring different facilities in the area to learn more about services available to Idaho’s disability community. This included Lotus Tree, Southwest Idaho Treatment Center, DAD, Northwest Neurobehavioral Health, Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse and University of Idaho Water Center. They provided their highlights on what stood out to them and why. Here’s what they had to say … Avery Zill The Lotus Tree On our first full day in Boise, the Lotus Tree was the first stop we made. This is an occupational therapy center that specifically focuses on pediatrics. Here, we met with Laurie Appel who graciously took us on a tour of the facility, answered our questions, and let us try out the therapy tools she uses. In one main therapy room, we observed a rope course, swings and a lot of other tactile games that she demonstrated. They help with balance, coordination, communication and more. For example, we all had to chance to stand on inflatable balance bubbles at a raised table while playing games. It allowed us to experience her information on balance first hand. Another specific area she showed us in the facility was the room where she performs craniosacral therapy. This was not a practice I was familiar with before touring the Lotus Tree, but it was very cool to learn about for the first time. Laurie explained to us how she uses this type of therapy (which involves using light touch on the fascia of the skull to detect tension areas in the body) in conjunction with more traditional occupational therapy (OT) practices. In touring the facility and engaging with the therapy tools in a hands-on way, I got to further understand how the field of OT uses a holistic approach to examine all aspects of a client and use creative solutions to help with areas that need improvement. As someone who is heading into the field of OT, it was really valuable to talk with a professional like Laurie and get excited about doing that type of work in my own practice. One last conversation that stood out to me occurred towards the end of our visit, regarding therapist–parent relationships. Since Laurie specializes in pediatrics, interacting with parents and building trust with them is so essential. She said that she enjoys being a professional who can deliver positive news about a child in a time where parent and child might be struggling. I really admired that element of her approach. I think in OT it is so important to focus on those improvements and accomplishments that may seem “small” to some but are so monumental and deserve to be celebrated. Ultimately, our visit to The Lotus Tree was a very immersive experience and helped me better understand a day in the life of a pediatric OT and team who cares a lot about their clients. The Outdoor Fieldhouse The Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse was an unexpected but very informative stop we made while on our trip. The Fieldhouse is a large facility that serves veterans and people with physical disabilities by providing access to an accessible gym and a variety of adaptive sports equipment. The Fieldhouse and the Challenged Athletes Foundation help to get this population of people engaged in sports and recreational activities they enjoy, and also involved in the community by connecting them with coaches and fellow athletes. We met a former physical therapist named Heather Lopez who now works at the Fieldhouse helping people with physical disabilities. She took us on a tour of the facility and showed us many cool things! We saw an adaptive climbing wall, a weightlifting area filled with both athletes and coaches, and an accessible pool area. The pool area got my attention because of the adaptive features that you don’t see every day. For example, it was equipped with a long ramp wide enough for a wheelchair and a lift to assist people with getting in and out. There were also water chairs that a person who uses a wheelchair could use in and around the water. We also got a brief tour of the locker rooms and bathrooms and it really struck me how every little detail had been thought out through the lens of accessibility and inclusion. The lockers and sinks were low so a person using a wheelchair could reach them. Showers were wide enough to fit a wheelchair or other mobility aid, and doorways and halls were wide and roomy. One of the last areas of the facility we visited was a storage area where people with disabilities can rent or check out various kinds of adaptive sports equipment. I think it is so important and amazing that this facility can provide this service for athletes who otherwise may not have access to sports and activities. Everyone deserves to live in a community that can provide these services and features for recreation, so it was really great to see how this facility/foundation serves the population in this way. Corey Dix Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC) After visiting the Lotus Tree on Tuesday, Natalie, Avery, Olivia, Erik and I headed to the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC). This used to be an institution in Idaho, and is the only center in Idaho that permanently houses individuals with disabilities. Upon arrival we met with Blayr Thompson and Geoff Putman, who serve two very different roles at the facility. Geoff Putman, one of the facility’s head psychologists, explained to us that SWITC serves as a last resort for most of those who live there. Many residents are awaiting court trials and did not pass competency to stand trial assessments. Other residents do not have family members to take care of them or require care that exceeds the amount a family can afford. Most of the residents at SWITC are adults, while two are minors that attend public school during the daytime. There are currently 17 individuals at SWITC, and the max capacity is 18. I questioned Putman about what the residents do on a daily basis, and their contact with society at large. SWITC is located away from the rest of Nampa. It stands secluded by surrounding golf courses, and up a steep hill. Blayr Thompson, SWITC’s recreational therapist, had an answer for us. She focuses on giving the residents constructive activities that align with their interests: setting up goals with them and helping them to reach those goals. She told us about one resident who wished to get a job at Wendy's, so she gave him a position at the facility’s Jitterbug (a social and nutrition hub) to make drinks and serve food. He works one shift a week and is paid for it. She also explained that the residents make regular trips outside the facility, traveling to Boise and other locations to be with their community. Additionally, residents are always allowed guests and have autonomy. This is something both Blayr and Geoff emphasized the importance of. Residents keep their autonomy. The facility is meant to be a resource. It allows residents to leave when they feel ready. There is no strict set of guidelines or accomplishments to be met. Many previous residents have left when they are capable of living outside SWITC sufficiently. The facility hopes to give them the means to thrive in their community once they leave and not hesitate to ask for help or advocate for themselves if they need it. Exploring SWITC gave me a new appreciation for how communities might approach the need for services, especially with the judicial and healthcare systems. This is one avenue of resources available for those who might not have anywhere to go otherwise. It is important to keep in mind what this implies for the state of care we provide for individuals with disabilities in Idaho. Northwest Neurobehavioral Health After Disability Advocacy Day, we were tired! However, we still had a lot to experience. We drove from downtown Boise to Meridian, where we visited Northwest Neurobehavioral Health. The center provides both diagnostic and treatment services. I had heard a lot about Dr Jeff Hall – a clinical psychologist who specializes in Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule (ADOS) for children ages 0-5. There are only a handful of pediatric psychologists who perform assessments in Idaho, and even less for young children. This has resulted in long waitlists for children who need urgent care. Dr Hall opened Northwest Neurobehavioral Health himself alongside 10 other providers, seeing the pressing need for assessment. He told us that while he has been more interested in other avenues and age ranges, he continues to prioritize these assessments and ages because of how few providers there are. Often, his clients come from over 100 miles away to get formally assessed. He noted that thankfully, because of technology, what used to be three appointments for a diagnosis is now only one. His clinic is not like others, he explained. While he hires other providers, they make their own schedules and have their own clients. Their amount of work is up to them, unlike other centers whose clients are all under the same name. Dr Hall spoke very positively of the other providers there and we briefly met Laura Curtis, a licensed and certified social worker. There are a few social workers at Northwest Neurobehavioral Health, and all of the employee’s baby pictures are framed in the waiting room. Dr Hall himself was very warm and open to questions, emphasizing the need for community and connection as we continue to provide those in need with treatment and diagnostic services. He discussed his own family, including his daughter who has a disability and her Make-a-Wish trip. After talking with us we were given a tour of the center. Every hallway had pictures of individual children with an excerpt of their diagnosis and how that may affect their day-to-day life. This addition made the center seem personal and welcoming, especially to children who enter. Visiting Northwest Neurobehavioral Health has made me hopeful and more informed about the current state of pediatric providers. I major in psychology with an emphasis in child development myself, and the accessibility of resources to children who might need screening and assessment is important to me. While there is a lack of resources in Moscow and there is room for improvement, there are providers who work tirelessly every day to make that happen. There are communities in Idaho that need support, and this center is an amazing example of someone who saw that need and did something about it. Natalie Tomsic Disability Advocacy Day Disability Advocacy Day, or Fred Riggers Day, is an annual Idaho event held in February that brings together the disability community to meet with legislators, advocate, raise awareness, and promote accessibility. We were there to experience the day and help the CDHD with a display on the history of disability, which we set up around the Capitol Rotunda. As the event began, we introduced ourselves to people from the DD Council, LIFE, LINC Idaho, CDHD employees and State Independent Living Council (SILC). This included Mel Leviton, who is the Executive Director of SILC. Mel spoke to the people in attendance about the importance and effectiveness of advocacy. She explained how being loud and showing that people with disabilities exist and want the world to be accessible is necessary for meaningful change. We learned about resources, issues facing Medicaid, housing, and direct care. Individuals with disabilities, family members, and caregivers/teachers were able to meet with each other alongside state employees and legislators to advocate for change. A particularly memorable moment for me was being approached by a mother who told me how her son is limited in his speech. She was looking for a way to support him. I was able to tell her about our Idaho Assistive Technology Project (IATP), which I work on as a student trainee. I told her about the lending library and how she can check out items, including AAC devices to assist her son. What stood out to me was that there are many resources out there that people might not even know about. These resources could help others, and they might not be fully utilized. DAD is an important place for people to gather and advocate for themselves and others. It’s also a means to expose people to resources they may not otherwise know about. This was powerful because I usually only hear negative news. I got to see firsthand how people are working to create positive change. I took away a lot of valuable insight from the people who are advocating and explaining that “your voice does matter” and “people will listen”. University of Idaho Water Center The next day (February 5), we went to the University of Idaho Water Center, which is where the Boise CDHD office is located. This includes one of our IATP Resource Centers. When we arrived, we were greeted graciously by Etta Cobb and Christine Kruse who gave us a tour and sat down to chat with us. Christine, Regional Secondary Transition Coordinator, discussed the work she is doing for the Idaho Competitive Integrated Employment (ICIE) Center. We learned about the work for students and special education teachers that ICIE is focused on. They have tons of resources. For example, they can provide a progress sheet that students can use to stay on course for graduation. This is done by following resources for things like college preparation and job readiness. The opportunity to understand and see firsthand how CDHD projects and services, like the AT Lending Library (that I help with), get used brought a lot of meaning on the work I do as a student trainee at the CDHD.