News & Blog

Executive Director and Guest Blogs

Two people holding hands to share support

July 25, 2025

Times Like These, Opportunities Abound.

Times Like These, Opportunities Abound. Written by Sandi Gerdes Executive Director of Laura Baker Services Association. When times are tough, it’s easy to be turtle-like and pull into our shell, waiting for danger to pass and better times to come. That reaction can be seen as safer. Is it? What… Read More

July 3, 2025

When the System Fails: The Consequences of Ignoring Behavioral Health in IDD

When the System Fails: The Consequences of Ignoring Behavioral Health in IDD As healthcare leaders, we strive to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care. Yet for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), our systems often fall short, especially when it comes to behavioral health. While we readily address physical needs, behavioral… Read More

May 21, 2025

Bridging the Gap – Why mental health care often overlooks people with IDD

Bridging the Gap – Why mental health care often overlooks people with IDD As someone who has worked in the mental health arena in multiple states for nearly 40 years, I have a vast knowledge of our mental health systems, services, clientele, etc. I am pleased to see that mental… Read More

May 14, 2025

From Referral to Results: How to Navigate Behavioral Health Services

From Referral to Results: How to Navigate Behavioral Health Services When and how should a person determine if they need behavioral health services? The process of determining the need for mental health care varies from person to person. Many people seek out care on their own, and others have a… Read More

March 4, 2025

Together We Can

Together We Can By Sandi Gerdes, Executive Director Transitions. They are an unavoidable fact of life. Despite their unavoidability, we resist them. We complain about them. We mourn the old. As the world moves faster and faster, we have less time to acclimate to transitions, to prepare ourselves. Sometimes they happen so quickly we… Read More

October 17, 2024

Together We Can

Together We Can By Sandi Gerdes, Executive Director “Our joint conviction is that much, much more is possible than people ordinarily think.” — Rosamund Stone Zander, The Art of Possibility It’s so easy to constrict ourselves. It’s easy to believe that what the world tells us is possible, is indeed… Read More