• This course closed on 07/16/2024.

May 7, 2024 @ 8:45 am – 2:30 pm

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Registration: 8:15 – 8:45 am
Conference: 8:45 am – 2:30 pm

Attend In Person or Via Zoom

Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School
565 Maple Street
Danvers, MA 01932

SpeakerS
  • Maggie Bowlby, M.Ed., (She/Her), Association for Autism and Neurodiversity
  • John Crocker, M.Ed., Director of School Mental Health & Behavioral Services, Methuen Public Schools/Founder and Director, Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium
  • Jay Eveson-Egler (They/Them), Association for Autism and Neurodiversity
  • Meredith Maroney, Ph.D., L.P. (she/her), Assistant Professor, Counseling Psychology, Department of Counseling and School Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston
  • Gabrielle Montevecchi, M.Ed., (she/her), Principal, Hannah Elementary School, Beverly
Description

Transgender and nonbinary individuals are three to six times more likely to be autistic than the cisgender population. Participants will gain a greater understanding of autism spectrum disorder and explore the connection between autism and gender identity and think critically about our role in supporting transgender autistic individuals. Presenters will offer strategies to support students and families with education, social/emotional resources and community, in an inclusive atmosphere of validation and respect.

About the Speakers

Maggie Bowlby, M.Ed, (she/her) is a Senior Manager of Individual & Family Services and a LifeMAP Coach at AANE, and has been with the organization since 2020. At AANE, Maggie manages and facilitates support groups and workshops, provides 1:1 coaching to autistic adults, and meets with families to support their understanding of the IEP process. Prior to joining the AANE Staff, Maggie spent 8 years as a Special Educator in Massachusetts. Maggie is committed to amplifying autistic voices and incorporating an understanding of a variety of autistic perspectives into her practice as she serves autistic people, their families, and other professionals in the field.

John Crocker, M.Ed.

John Crocker, M.Ed.,(he/him) has worked in public education for fifteen years, primarily as the administrator for the Methuen Public Schools Counseling Department. He has overseen the planning and implementation of the “Mental Health Initiative,” which has focused on the establishment of a comprehensive school mental health system (CSMHS) in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH). John has worked with the NCSMH as a member of the National School Mental Health Task Force and as the Massachusetts team leader for the National Coalition for the State Advancement of School Mental Health (NCSA-SMH). In his role as the director of school mental health & behavioral services, he is charged with overseeing the district-wide implementation and evaluation of Methuen’s CSMHS and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). His work has focused on developing a district-wide system of universal mental health screening, advancing the use of psychosocial data to inform school mental health staff’s therapeutic practice, and the development and evaluation of the CSMHS in Methuen. He has worked to scale up evidence-based therapeutic services across Methuen through the provision of district-wide professional development and the design and implementation of group- and individual-therapy programs. Mr. Crocker founded the Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium (MASMHC), a group of approximately one-hundred and fifty school districts across Massachusetts committed to advocating for and implementing quality and sustainable school mental health services and supports. Most recently, MASMHC co-led the Massachusetts Collaborative for Improvement and Innovation Network (CoIIN) for Comprehensive School Mental Health, the School Mental Health Leadership Institute, and Thriving Minds, a professional development series focused on building comprehensive school mental health systems. He received the National Center for School Mental Health’s School Mental Health Champion Award in 2018 and was nominated the 2019 Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA) Administrator of the Year, the 20-21 Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Counselor of the Year, and the 2021 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Michael J. Kane Wellness Award recipient.

Jay Eveson-Egler (they/them) is an autistic self-advocate and current program manager with AANE. They’ve worked with neurodiversity-based organizations in a variety of roles, including as a 1:1 community companion, teacher, recruiter, and administrative assistant. Jay’s primary interests lie in assisting autistic individuals with transition into post-secondary educational settings, supporting autistic peer-to-peer connections, and understanding LBGTQ+ issues, and their intersections with autism. They have prior experience founding and facilitating neurodiverse peer support groups at both Holyoke Community College and Mount Holyoke College and remain active as an adviser with the Neurodiverse Students Association at Mount Holyoke, where they graduated with their bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Education in 2020.

Meredith Maroney, Ph.D., (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston and a licensed psychologist (MA and NY). Prior to her current role, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary. She conducts social justice-oriented and community-engaged research on sexual and gender minority individuals, with a particular emphasis on the intersection of Autistic and LGBTQ+ identities. Specifically, her research focuses on understanding minority stress and intersectional stigma, promoting well-being, and developing and evaluating interventions. She co-authored Gender, Sexuality, and Autism, which was honored as the 2021 Distinguished Book of the Year by the Society for Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. See more about her work here: https://double-rainbow-lab.dudasites.com/.

Gabrielle Montevecchi, M.Ed., CAGS, (she/her) is a Beverly native, career educator and trans youth advocate. As the principal of the Hannah Elementary School in Beverly, Gabrielle is living her dream and making a positive impact on the students and families she serves. She is a member of the Beverly Human Rights Committee. Gabrielle was awarded the 2021 Salem State Alumni Award for her consistent and demonstrated best practices to the field of education. Gabrielle lives in Danvers with her husband and two children, one of whom is transgender. 

Membership Information

Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.

PDPs and CEUs

MPY is an approved Professional Development Provider through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (Provider No. F20180079). Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for most MPY professional development webinars. PDPs are issued in 10 hour increments, per DESE requirements.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for clinical staff through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). The NASW and the MaMHCA approve each event individually. CEUs may be given in hourly increments.

To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must pass the quiz. The PDP quiz will be made available only to participants who have registered for and attended both conferences.

Event Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.

For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.

  • Enrollment in this course closed on 05/07/2024.

Registration: 8:15 – 8:45 am
Conference: 8:45 am – 2:30 pm