Our Mission
The Council engages in advocacy, system’s change and capacity building activities for people with developmental disabilities and their families in order to promote equal opportunity, self-determination, and community inclusion.
Message from the Executive Director
The Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities is more than your everyday Council or board. We advocate on behalf of and in support of initiatives that increase the self-advocacy, systemic change, and capacity building for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families. This is more than a job for most of us. This is our community. This is the world we live and breathe every single day. In order to ensure that people with disabilities have their rights protected, we must fight every single day. If you or your family need help with something disability related, please contact us, so that we can connect you with the resources that can best serve you. If you will be testifying at the legislature, please contact us, so that we can hopefully support your efforts.
I am a person with a disability. However, I am more than just my title or disability, I am a friend and an advocate that will never leave you standing alone. Should you or your family need information or resources, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
Lastly, all of our meetings are open to the public. We highly encourage you to attend and participate in our advocacy activities and planning.
– Catherine Nielsen, Executive Director
Council Staff
To send an email to our office, please send your email to: roritz@nvha.nv.gov. All emails will be routed to the appropriate contact!
Catherine Nielsen, Executive Director
Marisol Rivas, Projects Manager
Ellen Marquez, Outreach and Fiscal Manager
Rebecca Ortiz, Executive Assistant
Alysa Marquez, Intern
To learn more about our Council Staff visit: CONTACT INFORMATION – Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (nevadaddcouncil.org)
How We Operate
We are authorized in accordance with Public Law 106-402 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) and established under NRS 232.320 within the State of Nevada. The NGCDD is funded annually by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services with matching funds of 25% appropriated by the Nevada Legislature.
The Council has designated the Nevada Health Authority as our Designated State Agency with the purpose of providing support to the Council under the regulations of the DD Act Section 125(d).
The Council operates in partnership with the Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center (NDALC) and the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities (NCED) under the “Developmental Disabilities Network”.
Principles of the DD Act
The DD Act has come to represent a fundamentally different vision of what it means to live with a developmental disability. It is a vision rooted in the belief that:
“Disability is a natural part of the human experience that does not diminish the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently, to exert control and choice over their own lives, and to fully participate in and contribute to their communities through full integration and inclusion in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of United States society.
That people with even the most significant disabilities are capable of: “Independence, Self Determination, Productivity, Integration and Inclusion in all areas of community life.”
– DD Act
Core Beliefs
The Council believes in, advocates for and uses the best practices of:
- Community Inclusion = the opportunity to live and exist as a contributing member of society while being valued for your abilities and uniqueness.
- Cultural Competency = ensuring people of all cultures and backgrounds are respected and included in all aspects of Council work.
- Empowerment Through Self Advocacy = empowering individuals through activities that teach self-advocacy skills and support self-determination.
- Experienced Based Informed Choice = respecting the rights of individuals with disabilities to fully experience ALL options and then making their own decisions about the choices best for them based on those experiences.
- Dignity of Risk = the right to take risks when engaging in life experiences, and the right to fail in those activities.
- Nothing About Us Without Us = no discussion or decision that effects people with disabilities should happen without their input.
- Person First Language = puts the person before the disability. It describes what a person has, not who a person is. Visit the Disability is Natural website for more information on person first language. Note: some members of the disability community prefer identity first language in place of person first language which views disability as being a core component of identity, much like race and gender. It’s always best to ask first!
“To deny the right to make choices in an effort to protect the person with disabilities from risk is to diminish their human dignity.”
Robert Perske, advocate for people with intellectual disabilities
Planning and Activities
To serve their communities, Councils design five year state plans, reviewed annually by the Council, that address new ways of improving service delivery. To implement the state plans, Councils work with different groups in many ways to advance: (Read More)
Advocacy: the support of policies and practices that increase self‐determination and inclusion in all aspects of community living for individuals with developmental disabilities, and their families.
Capacity Building: activities that expand and/or improve the ability of individuals with developmental disabilities, families, supports, services and/or systems to promote, support and enhance self‐determination, independence, productivity and inclusion in community life.
Systemic Change: a large, long term change that promotes positive or meaningful outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Other activities include educating communities to welcome people with developmental disabilities, funding projects to show new ways that people with disabilities can work, play, and learn, conducting outreach, providing training and technical assistance, removing barriers, developing coalitions, encouraging citizen participation, and keeping policymakers informed about disability issues.
The goals of our State Plan are based on gaps in service identified through information from the public as well as state and national sources based on Federal “Areas of Emphasis” as outlined in the DD Act. The DD Act allows the State Councils to determine the areas of emphasis upon which to focus.
We accomplish our goals through activities carried out by NGCDD staff and partnering with other established agencies and organizations to address areas of mutual concern through sub-grants to develop and implement projects that address innovative ways to fill service gaps and develop infrastructure for the State.
Our Council works on a Federal Fiscal year making our reporting period October 1st through September 30th.
An Annual Program Performance Report is submitted to our federal funding source, the Administration for Community Living (ACL), documenting Council activities and progress made toward achieving each goal in our five‑year State Plan.
We also submit a yearly State Impact report to the Governor.
2022-2026 State Plan
Goals established by the Council to be addressed during the current Plan effective October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2026:
GOAL 1: Individuals with I/DD and/or family members of individuals with I/DD will be able to make more informed decisions about their lives by improving access to information on services, supports and rights.
GOAL 2: Individuals with I/DD will have the information, education and training necessary to participate in local and state advocacy and policy making activities.
GOAL 3: Develop and strengthen systems that improve quality services and access to quality services and supports for individuals with I/DD and their families.
2022 – 2026 State Plan Documents
- Initial findings to support the 2021-2026 Draft Five Year State Plan (effective October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2026) describes how we solicited input on the current needs of Nevada and how we used the information we gathered to inform our Plan.
- Borrador del Plan de Cinco años 2021-2026 que lista las metas, objetivos y actividades de nuestro borrador de plan en Español.
Position Statements
To view our Position Statements, please visit: https://www.nevadaddcouncil.org/position-statements/
Diverse Council Membership
Council members are appointed by a state’s governor; by law, more than 60% of a Council’s membership must consist of individuals with developmental disabilities or their family members. Advocates and state agency representatives also serve as members. Council’s must also represent the ethnic and cultural diversity of the state. This enables Councils to ensure the voices of people with developmental disabilities and their families are the majority vote when it comes to decisions that affect their lives.
Council Members
To get more information on who are current Council Members are, please visit our Meet the Council page.
- Anna Marie Binder – Council Chair, Self-Advocate, Family Member/Parent
- Stacy Alaribe – Council Vice-Chair, Self-Advocate
- Cate Guzy – IDEA (Department of Education)
- Vivian Turner – Rehab Act of 1973 (Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation)
- Ellen Frias-Wilcox – Title XIX of the SSA (Medicaid)
- Randall Owen – University Centers for Excellence in Disabilities (Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities)
- Vickie Ives – Title V of the SSA (Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health)
- Melissa Bart-Plange – Family Member/Parent
- Kate Osti – Protection and Advocacy Center
- Autumn Blattman – Older Americans Act (Department of Health and Human Services, Aging and Disability Services)
- Margaret Marcucci – Non Governmental Agency (RCIL)
- Evan Smith – Self-Advocate
- Alex Hilke – Self-Advocate
- Amy Stephenson – Family Member/Parent
- Meredith Toddre – Family Member/Parent
- Maria Katrina Ojeda – Family Member/Parent
- Michelle Metheny – Family Member/Parent
- Melody O’Conner – Family Member of someone with an I/DD who has previously resided in an institution.
- Stefanie Abila – Family Member/Sibling
- Vacancy – Self-Advocate (Pending Appointment)
- Vacancy – Self-Advocate (Pending Appointment)
- Vacant – Private Non-Profit Representative concerned with services for people with I/DD
- Vacancy – Self-Advocate
If you’re interested in joining the Council visit our Current and Potential Council Members Page.
Copies of our Position Statements, By-Laws, Governance Policies, Five Year State Plans, State Impact or Federal Reports can be obtained by contacting our Executive Assistant, Rebecca Ortiz, at rortiz@nvha.nv.gov or 775-684-8619.