Thank you for your interest in applying to UW LEND. Our Program prepares individuals from a variety of disciplines, including family members and self-advocates, to be future leaders serving and advocating for the disability community. The UW LEND mission is to develop a workforce of leaders who represent the communities we serve. We are committed to bringing together learners from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences.
As a UW LEND long-term trainee you will:
- Complete ≥ 300 hours of training to include classroom learning and discussion, clinical practice, community-based experiences, and leadership activities
- Commit 6-8 hours per week on LEND activities for 9 months
- Complete a mentored leadership project
- Meet with assigned faculty mentor on regular basis
- Receive a base stipend with opportunity to apply for additional needs-based funding*
*The UW LEND program is supported by a federal HRSA/MCHB grant, as such stipends are based on availability and offered only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Applications accepted from:
- Students enrolled in an advanced graduate program
- Individuals completing a post-doctoral fellowship
- Mid-career community professionals
- Family members of a loved one with a developmental disability
- Self-advocates: individuals who self-identify as having a developmental disability or neurodiversity and are ready to grow their leadership and advocacy skills
Are you a Self-Advocate applying to UW LEND? Click here to learn about the self-advocate training experience and how to apply. Please email our Self-Advocate Faculty team and let them know you want to apply to UW LEND: Ben Moore bmoor2@uw.edu , and Kathleen Lehman lehmank@uw.edu. They want to meet you and will help you complete your application.
For questions or to request assistance completing your application, please contact nan Ringera.
*For those in Speech Language Pathology completing their Clinical Fellowship Year, UW LEND does not fund/hire SLP clinical fellows. SLP applicants with CFY placements in the community are welcome to apply to UW LEND with the agreement of the CFY supervisor.
Applications for enrollment for the 2026-2027 program year are now open through April 17, 2026.
Please note that we are applying for a 5-year renewal of our federal LEND grant. We encourage you to apply to be a UW LEND trainee. We will make admission announcements in early Summer upon confirmation of our funding award.
