START: From Pilot to Program – Medical and System-Level Lessons Learned from Denver START’s Crisis Model for People with Autism and Developmental Disabilities - Webinar - April 8, 10:00-11:30 a.m. (MT

Individuals with Autism and other Developmental Disabilities (IDD) frequently experience crises that are driven by under-recognized medical factors—particularly sleep disorders and other biological contributors. This webinar will explore how medical complexity intersects with behavioral crisis in Autism and IDD populations, and how fragmentation between medical and mental health systems can worsen outcomes. Presenters will share Denver START’s evolution from pilot to fully certified program, highlighting medical and system-level lessons learned from implementing a coordinated crisis prevention model. Through case examples and program data, participants will gain practical strategies to improve early identification of medical drivers, strengthen cross-system collaboration, and reduce crisis—even in communities without a formal START program.
 
Learning objectives: 

• Recognize common medical contributors— including sleep disorders—that present as behavioral crises in individuals with Autism and other Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities.
• Learn from case examples demonstrating how medical complexity drives behavioral dysregulation and how coordinated systemic interventions improve outcomes.
• Apply practical strategies to improve early identification of medical drivers, enhance cross-system collaboration, and reduce crisis—even in communities without START.

Speakers:  

• Adam Ovadia, MD, Medical Director, Denver START Program
• Mariam Alami, LSW, Associate Director, Denver START Program

Intended audience: Medical providers including psychiatrists, pediatricians and primary care providers, psychologists, social workers, mental health clinicians, emergency department providers, crisis responders, case managers, health system administrators, and program leaders.

Accommodations, including captioning and Spanish interpretation, may be requested during registration. Accommodation requests should be submitted no later than March 30, 2026.
 
Questions may be directed to Christine.Cook@cuanschutz.edu.