Director’s column: MMI and home

As my husband, three children, two dogs and I prepare to move across the country to make Omaha and the Munroe-Meyer Institute our new home, I find myself reflecting on the word "home."

The obvious definition is one’s place of residence. In this sense we are incredibly excited as we learn more about schools and neighborhoods in Omaha. It is clear that Omaha is a city rich with community and one we look forward to joining as we search for a new house to call home.

"Home" also means "relaxed, comfortable, at ease" — which is exactly how I felt when visiting the new MMI facility and meeting with the dedicated team of clinicians, faculty and supporting personnel. Every detail of the new facility is carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of the patients welcomed through the doors, and every discipline is carefully planned and present under one roof. I can imagine the tremendous sense of belonging and comfort that families and individuals receiving care at MMI must feel … a feeling of being at home.

But it’s another definition of "home" that most resonates with me as I think about my responsibilities when I join the integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders team at MMI. "Home" means "to proceed or direct attention toward an objective," such as homing in on a target.

In my new role as director of iCASD, my objective is clear — unfettered focus on expanding access to evidence-based diagnostic and intervention services for children with autism in the state of Nebraska.

As I reflect on almost two decades of providing clinical services to children with autism and their families, access to care has been fundamental to my mission. Whether through free clinics in Alabama, advocating for insurance reform in Georgia or supporting clinical teams to keep doors open safely during a pandemic, I have kept sharp focus on access to services.

I look forward to continuing to promote access to care through training and supervision of the next generation of clinicians, through the dissemination of new research and through the development of innovative service lines.

Although Nebraska is not yet technically my home, I have learned that, regardless of one’s home state, the goals, hopes and dreams of children with autism and their families share similarities. It is through access to timely and effective services that those goals, hopes and dreams are achieved.