Leading Practices Academy

Join NASHIA’s training initiative that provides a premier level of strategic and customized technical assistance to States.

NASHIA will be launching a dynamic new approach to the Leading Practices Academy (LPA) in January 2025. Highlighting a Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework, participants are invited to focus on one of four populations:

  • Criminal Legal System

  • Housing Insecurity

  • Interpersonal Violence

  • Child Welfare

“Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age.” (cdc.gov)

These nonmedical factors result in well documented health and well being disparities among minority and marginalized populations, including the LPA focus populations. 

The Basics

  • LPA members can be at any point along the continuum of infrastructure development related to their focus population.

  • Cost is $10,000; can be shared among partners.

  • Lead state agencies and partner agencies can apply.

  • New and returning participants are welcome to join!

What’s Included

  • An all states orientation.

  • Three all state academies.

  • Individual state team/lead team meetings.

  • Evaluation and sustainability support.

  • End of year summit.

  • Designated time during academy sessions for facilitated discussion with states focused on the same target population.

  • Participants will receive strategic and customized technical assistance to explore, develop, or implement protocol and practices aimed at improving outcomes for systems engaged individuals with brain injury.

  • NASHIA will support goal development, create a tailored work plan and manage scheduling/outreach associated with team meetings.

Whether you have a resolution, intention, or an inkling of an idea, consider joining the SDOH LPA in 2025 to put thoughts into action!

Please reach out to kmiller@nashia.org with any questions.

Meet the Team

Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L

Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist providing consultative services to national and state organizations. She has clinical experience in working with adults experiencing homelessness to improve quality of life and engagement in their preferred communities. She has studied and developed clinical and program resources to address the intersection of homelessness, poverty, traumatic brain injury and mental health, and their impact on health and community living.

Judy Dettmer, BSW

Judy Dettmer has been working in the field of brain injury for 30 years. Ms. Dettmer serves as NASHIA’s Director of Technical Assistance and Special Projects and a Technical Assistance Lead for the Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center at the Administration for Community Living.

Ms. Dettmer has worked extensively with adults, children and family members of individuals with brain injury. She has provided direct and systems consultation to improve the lives of individuals with brain injury. Judy has also assisted with research efforts related to brain injury and has conducted countless presentations, classes and seminars on brain injury both in the state of Colorado and nationally. 

Ms. Dettmer has provided technical assistance to numerous states on topics including but not limited to; screening on brain injury; developing infrastructure within state systems; interagency partnership development; and creation and management of advisory boards and councils. 

Judy has become a national leader in the field of criminal justice and brain injury, developing screening, identification and accommodations protocols in Colorado that have been routinely modeled by states. 

Kelly Miller, MSW

Kelly Miller joined NASHIA in June 2024 in the role of Senior Manager for Technical Assistance.   

Kelly’s experience in the brain injury field began in 2020 as a Project Manager at MINDSOURCE, Colorado’s lead agency on brain injury.  In that role Kelly supported the Colorado Advisory Council on Brain Injury, facilitated the creation of a new state plan on brain injury and managed multiple priorities related to the Administration for Community Living Brain Injury State Partnership Program Grant. 

Kelly also worked in the criminal justice field for ten years as a Probation Supervisor in Colorado’s 5th Judicial District. Her areas of expertise during that time included juvenile justice, sex offender supervision, victims rights, program quality assurance and motivational interviewing. 

Kelly also brings twelve years of experience related to child welfare to her role. She began her career as a Social Worker in a residential program for adolescents in the late 1990s when people were still saying, “are we having fun yet” and “talk to the hand”.  Roles that followed included Child Protection Caseworker; Youth In Transition Supervisor; Placement Services Supervisor and Executive Director of a child advocacy agency.  

Kelly is motivated by meaningful work and she is a social worker at heart.She earned a masters of social work degree from the University of Wyoming.  The intersectionality of brain injury within the criminal justice and child welfare systems led to Kelly’s career shift to brain injury focused roles and advocacy.     

Kelly lives in the mountains in Colorado. She enjoys hiking, crafting and spending time with her family which includes a 140 pound Rottweiler who loves cheese and snuggles. 

Curious about results? Check out the past accomplishments of prior Leading Practices Academy sessions.

Cohort Hubs

The below links are for current and past LPA members, and will require login information to access.

Behavioral Health and Brain Injury

Criminal Legal System and Brain Injury

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Interested?

Submit an inquiry and NASHIA staff will be in touch to help with any questions you may have.