ADDPC Profile: Wendy Parent-Johnson
This article was originally published by ADDPC on their website.
Wendy Parent-Johnson, Ph.D., grew up in Buffalo, NY, and from middle school through college, she lived in the place she calls home, Richmond, Virginia. She is the Director of the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, a role she has held since November 2018. She is also a professor in the UA College of Medicine -Tucson’s Department of Family and Community Medicine and the principal investigator on multiple grants that range across the lifespan of individuals with disabilities from early Intervention to adulthood. In her role, she conducts research, provides training and technical assistance, teaches courses, and provides direct services focused on capacity building, model development, and systems change. In addition, Dr. Parent-Johnson serves as the editor of the Journal of Rehabilitation.
During her college experience at Virginia Commonwealth University, a chance meeting with Paul Wehman, Ph.D. (internationally known for his pioneering work at the outset of supported employment in 1980) led to Wendy being hired as a graduate assistant, where she began her career in the field of disabilities and found her life’s calling. She served in multiple professional roles at the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on the ground floor contributing to supported employment policy and practice.
Two areas Wendy is most passionate about is mentoring students and junior professionals and brainstorming new ideas with a team of diverse perspectives. She has been fortunate to visit and work together within the United States and in other countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Peru, Canada, and Europe to learn from other cultures. She has supported the work of eight international professional fellows and assisted them with development of projects to advance employment and civic engagement for persons with disabilities in Africa. Wendy is appreciative of her collaborative work in Arizona and opportunities to partner and learn from Tribal members, disability advocates, and stakeholders across the state.
On weekends, Dr. Parent-Johnson spends time at the Pima Animal Care Center volunteering in the medical clinic and walking the dogs. She and her husband, Richard, foster dogs with medical needs and hospice care. They also enjoy hiking for relaxation. Dr. Parent-Johnson treasures the time spent with her daughter, Gretel, and takes every opportunity to visit her in Miami. They enjoy many adventures together including recent travels to St. Lucia and Tulum, Mexico.
Arizona is not Dr. Parent-Johnson’s first foray into DD Council service. She has also served on the Developmental Disabilities Councils of Georgia, Kansas, Virginia, South Dakota, and Montana. She notes that one of the strengths of ADDPC is the grants awarded to different organizations, allowing them to initiate programs while seeking ongoing funding to sustain their work. To further strengthen ADDPC, she suggests including more individuals with disabilities in decision-making positions.
Dr. Parent-Johnson “loves working with families; loves working with individuals with disabilities and seeing them succeed on a job.” As one of the pioneers of supported employment in the 1990s, she observed individuals with significant support needs and behavioral issues succeed in being competitively employed. She learned early on that anyone could work with the proper supports provided through good, supported employment services. She changed her course of study from Family Counseling to Rehabilitation Counseling and “never looked back.” Dr. Parent-Johnson has made supported employment her life’s work, and “it is still what I advocate for the most, and what I believe in.”