2025 InterHab Live Courses: Self Care, Health, and Wellness for Direct Service Providers
April 3 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
About the Course:
Providers working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities provide a tremendous amount of support to clients and consumers. The often-ongoing roles, responsibilities, and demands common in these professions can result in burnout and exhaustion. This webinar will provide a framework to understand risk factors associated with burnout and strategies to support one’s overall health and well-being.
About the Presenter(s):
Dr. Christina Marsack-Topolewski is an associate professor of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Services at Eastern Michigan University. She received a bachelor’s of science in Special Education, specializing in Cognitive Impairments, from Wayne State University. She trained under a specialized fellowship at the University of Michigan, receiving her master’s in Social Work and specializing in both school social work and aging from the University of Michigan. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski received her PhD in Social Work with a dual title in Gerontology from Wayne State University. She has worked with individuals with various intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for over 20 years. Her research focuses on individuals with IDDs, their caregivers, caregiver burden and quality of life, caregiver self care and wellness, advance care planning, service delivery, and service utilization. She has over 80 publications in national and international journals and encyclopedias, mainly focusing on individuals with IDDs, caregiving, and aging. In addition, she has presented her work locally, nationally, and internationally.
Dr. Marsack-Topolewski has been the lead on multiple grant-funded programs tailoring services to individuals with IDDs, older adults, and chronic illnesses. She is an appointed board member of the U.S. National Task Group (NTG) on Intellectual Disability and Dementia Practices. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski’s research has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and ABC News Detroit. Over the past five years, she testified before members of the Michigan Legislature to advocate for new laws that protect against the exploitation and abuse of adults with disabilities. The first of these house bills was signed into law in the state of Michigan in December 2023. In 2024, she received the Ronald W. Collins Distinguished Research Award for Research Excellence. In addition, she received the Arc of Oakland County’s Advocacy Hall of Fame Award in 2024.
The link for live courses is shared with those members who have registered for the 2025 Virtual Training Package and cannot be accessed from the main website. The 2025 InterHab Virtual Training Package features 2-3 live courses per month from January to September. These training sessions will be recorded and available to those registered. Organizations benefit from one low cost, and unlimited attendance at each session. To learn more or register now, click here.
All questions should be directed to Travis Walsh, twalsh@interhab.org.