San Diego Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (San Diego LEND)

• San Diego LEND faculty have expertise applying implementation science, the scientific study of methods and strategies to promote the use of evidence-based practice and research by practitioners and policymakers, across community service systems caring for individuals with Autism/DD.
• We offer specialized training in implementation leadership, which is strategic leadership focused on supporting the use and sustainment of evidence-based practices.
• We leverage strong community partnerships and multi-institutional collaboration offering opportunities to use the strengths and expertise of both academic institutions and community partners to promote access to evidence-based Autism/DD services.
• We strive to provide interdisciplinary training that is responsive to the unique characteristics of San Diego and Imperial Counties with the goal of improving service and clinical outcomes for our residents.

Why become a LEND trainee?

Benefits to being a San Diego LEND trainee include:

• Building expertise in autism, developmental disabilities, and other neurodiverse populations
• Developing advocacy and leadership skills
• Co-learning with trainees and faculty from multiple disciplines and perspectives
• Collaborating with experts in developmental disabilities, implementation science, and community partnerships across service systems.
• Receiving stipend payment (for some trainees)

Who is eligible to be a LEND trainee?

San Diego LEND trainees will be:

(1) Graduate and post graduate trainees  

(2) Practicing professionals working with autism/DD populations.  

(2) Family members of autistic or neurodivergent individuals

(3) Autistic or neurodivergent self-advocates

Family members and autistic/neurodivergent adults are critical contributors to San Diego LEND. These trainees participating as Long Term Trainees can complete the 300 required hours over 1 or 2 years depending on their needs; LEND faculty will work closely with trainees to individualize training schedules as needed.

Long-Term Trainees

San Diego LEND will enroll 9 Long-Term Trainees annually. Long-Term Trainees will participate in 300+ hours in the San Diego LEND program during the training year.  Long-Term Trainees will engage in weekly didactic training, clinical observations, community experiences and will complete a Community Action Project. Supplemental funding will be provided for up to nine Long-Term Trainees annually.

Medium-Term Trainees

San Diego LEND will enroll 25 Medium-Term Trainees annually. Medium-Term Trainees complete between 40- 299 hours of training. Medium-Term Trainees will engage in selected didactic or practicum experiences through LEND as part of a formal course of study.  The schedule is individualized for MTT to accommodate working professionals.

LEND Trainee Training Requirements

 * See LEND Training section below for detailed description of training activities.

San Diego LEND is a comprehensive leadership training program that runs August through May. The program provides interdisciplinary and person-, family- centered training through didactic, community, clinical, leadership, and research training experiences emphasizing the promotion access to evidence-based care. 

 Training activities are a combination of virtual and in-person activities in accordance with institutional and public health guidelines.

LEND training includes (1) didactic trainings, (2) continuing education activities, (3) clinical observations, (4) community service and engagement activities and (5) community action projects.

Didactic Trainings

Didactic training includes LEND seminars and continuing education activities.

LEND Seminars

San Diego LEND will provide didactic educational experiences for trainees through a weekly seminar series with content from an autism and related developmental disabilities, educational, medical, mental health and other services, implementation science and leadership.  Seminar content is guided by the Maternal Child Health competencies and faculty expertise. Seminar sessions are both in person and virtual (via zoom). LEND didactic training will also include a technical assistance roundtable and "Interviews with a Local Leader" series.

Implementation Leadership Workshop

Our intensive workshop provides training in Implementation Leadership to promote delivery of evidence-based practices.

Attendance: Long-Term Trainees are expected to attend LEND seminars weekly, while Medium-Term Trainees will be asked to participate in a subset of seminars, with the option to attend as many seminars as their schedules allow. The Implementation Leadership workshop is required for Long-Term Trainees but open to all LEND participants.

Continuing Education Activities

 LEND trainees will be invited to participate in continuing education and professional development activities.  

•  The UC San Diego/Rady Children’s Autism Research and Practice CME seminar is designed to (1) increase knowledge of the latest research and practice innovations related to the causes, assessment, treatment, or services for individuals with autism; (2) identify applications of evidence-based diagnostics and treatment practices to routine care for individuals with autism; and (3) understand approaches to navigate complex community services for autism. The UC San Diego/Rady Children’s Autism Research and Practice CME seminar is offered monthly.
•  The Dissemination and Implementation Science Center (DISC) Monthly Seminars is a monthly learning community to discuss the latest in D&I literature, workshop new proposals and learn from D&I experts. DISC Seminar is held monthly on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 2-3:30pm.
•  The Introductory Clinical Workshop in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) will teach participants how to assess and diagnose ASD using the ADOS-2. The CME workshop is designed to (1) demonstrate a basic understanding of how to administer and score the ADOS 2; (2) explain issues in the clinical application of ADOS-2 results; and (3) describe use of ADOS-2 for operationalizing diagnostic criteria for ASD. The two-day CME workshop will be offered once each training year and LEND trainees and the professional community will be invited to attend.
•  The “Expo” is an interactive conference designed to showcase trainee Community Action Projects. It will be organized through the UC San Diego Dissemination and Implementation Science Center. Trainees will present their projects and community partners and the broader community will be invited to attend.

Clinical Observations  

 San Diego LEND clinical observations will occur at Rady Children’s Hospital- San Diego through the Autism Discovery Institute Multi-Disciplinary Team and other Autism/DD screening, assessment, and intervention programs and are designed to provide exposure to state-of-the-art interdisciplinary care. Clinical observations are required for Long Term Trainees and will be included for Medium Term Trainees based on trainee availability and individual training goals.

 Examples of potential clinical observations include:

• John M. Sachs Family Clinic for Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Autism Discovery Institute
• Down Syndrome Center
• Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
• Neurology
• Audiology
• KidSTART Center
• Developmental Evaluation Clinic
• Alexa's Playful Learning Academy for Young Children (PLAYC)

Community Activities

 San Diego LEND will provide community service and engagement volunteer activities at programs throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties providing, coordinating, or studying care for individuals with developmental disabilities. Community programs span multiple community service systems (e.g., early intervention, educational, mental health, rehabilitation and vocational) and disciplines. Placements include services for traditionally underserved communities. LEND trainees will work with the Training Director to match at a placement relevant to their experience and LEND training goals.

Community Action Projects

 The primary activity completed at partnered community organizations for long-term trainees is the Community Action Project (CAP). Specific project topics are individualized based on a need identified by the organization and of interest to the trainees and typically take one of the following forms: (1) needs assessment; (2) program evaluation; (3) resource development; or (4) tool development. San Diego LEND long term trainees work on their CAP from September through May.  Summaries of the projects are presented by the trainees at the end of the year “LEND Expo” in mid-May.

San Diego LEND Faculty

The San Diego LEND faculty represent individuals from different disciplines, backgrounds, & institutions. We have faculty represented from UC San Diego (UCSD), San Diego State University (SDSU), Rady Children’s Hospital- San Diego (RCHSD), and Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC).

San Diego LEND Directors

Program Director: Lauren Brookman-Frazee, Ph.D.

Co-Director: Jessica Suhrheinrich, Ph.D.

Training and Evaluation Director: Colby Chlebowski, Ph.D.

Core Faculty

 Mary Baker-Ericzén, Ph.D. (SDSU; CASRC)

Lauren Brookman-Frazee, Ph.D. (UCSD; RCHSD)

Themba Carr, Ph.D. (RCHSD)

Colby Chlebowski, Ph.D. (SDSU; CASRC)

Kelsey Dickson, Ph.D. (SDSU; CASRC)

Lauren Gist, MD, MPH (UCSD; RCHSD)

Rachel Haine-Schlagel, Ph.D. (SDSU; CASRC)

Anuja Jindal, MD, MPH (UCSD, RCHSD)

Paul Luelmo, Ph.D. (SDSU)

Sonja Pruitt-Lord, Ph.D., CCC-SLP (SDSU)

Jessica Suhrheinrich, Ph.D. (SDSU; CASRC)

Nicole Stadnick, Ph.D., MPH (UCSD; CASRC)

San Diego LEND administrative coordinator: Martha E. Perez, M.S.

Application Process

All applicants must complete the San Diego LEND online application and submit 1) one letter of reference (using the LEND reference form), 2) a statement of interest, and 3) a CV/resume (CV/resumes are required for practicing professionals and graduate/post-graduate applicants only).   

San Diego LEND is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 training cohort

 Apply Here

Statement of Interest

Please provide a one-page statement of interest that addresses applicant’s interest in evidence-based service access, leadership strengths, experience in the field of autism/developmental disabilities, and the skills and competencies applicant is interested in developing during San Diego LEND training.

For self-advocates/individuals with autism or other disabilities and/or family members of individuals with autism or other disabilities, please describe your experience as a self-advocate or family member. Please include any leadership, community, or advocacy interest or experiences related to autism or other disabilities that you may have.

Application Support

Martha Perez Lopez, LEND Administrative Coordinator will be available to support applicants though the submission of application materials. She can be contacted at sandiegolend@health.ucsd.edu. 

Applications will be reviewed by the Training Director and the San Diego LEND faculty team. Applicants meeting initial requirements will be contacted for a semi-structured interview with one or more core faculty members. Final decisions will be communicated to the applicant via email.

You can contact the San Diego LEND program at

sandiegolend@health.ucsd.edu