Experience


Curriculum Vitae

Shelly Christensen, MA

My experiences as an advertising, marketing and sales consultant provide the important skills required to develop Inclusion Initiatives for diverse faith communities and institutions. My creative abilities as a program manager in a not-for-profit agency provide a well-grounded understanding of the nature of the organizations I serve. My personal experience as the parent of a child with a disabilities provides an important perspective on collaboration and empowerment. My passion for including people with disabilities and their families is based on an inherent belief that when even one person is denied access to their sacred community, the community itself is not complete. Regardless of ability, a person should have access to meaningful participation if they choose.

Academic Background

  • Master of Arts degree in Developmental Disabilities, January, 2003.  St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.  GPA 4.0. Thesis: Potholes and Detours: Parenting a Child with Disabilities, co-authored by Carol Welton, OTR.  Research on best practices for parent support and development of a Parent-to-Parent mentorship program in school and community settings.  Articles and Research Documents:  Journey to Hope, Understanding Adolescents with Asperger syndrome; A Jewish Perspective on Supporting Parents of Children with Disabilities; Understanding Down syndrome.
  • Bachelor of Arts degree. Major: Journalism; minor: French.  University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

Professional Honors and Awards

  • Recipient of the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies Goodman Award recognizing innovative response to a community-wide issue and replicability by other communities. Awarded in San Diego, CA 2003.
  • Recipient of the MENTOR Fellowship to attend National Consortium on Developmental Disabilities Leadership Institute, 2009.
  • Recipient of the Bettie and Bernard Farfel Award for excellence in initiatives in support of Jewish Families. Awarded by Jewish Family Service, Houston TX. 2010

Leadership and Membership Affiliations

  • National Consortium on Developmental Disabilities Leadership Institute at the University of Delaware, Graduate July, 2009. Recipient of the MENTOR Fellowship.
  • American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) member, editor of the B’Shalom column for Religion and Spirituality Division.
  • University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration Community Advisory Council member, Minneapolis MN.
  • Union for Reform Judaism Access to Lifelong Jewish Education committee co-chair, New York, NY.
  • Jewish Disability Network member, Washington DC.
  • Jewish Special Education International Consortium member and facilitator for Jewish Disability Awareness Month (JDAM).

Publications

  • Jewish Community Guide to Inclusion of People with Disabilities, first printing 2007, fourth printing 2010. Author. Published by Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis.
  • V’khol Banaikh, published 2010.  Contributing writer of these chapters: “A Community Responds: Minneapolis Jewish Community Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities”; and “Finding Your Voice-Advocating for Your Child.” Torah Aura Productions.
  • Torah at the Center contributing writer Vol. 13 No. 2 Winter 2010 “Turning Good Intentions into Action,” and Vol. 14 No. 2 Inclusion Issue “February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month.”
  • Editor, B’Shalom Column for AAIDD Religion and Spirituality publication.
  • Exceptional Parent magazine. Programs of Inclusion and Acceptance in the Jewish Faith, March, 2009.
  • Shelly’s writing appears online in blogs and articles about inclusion of people with disabilities and faith communities, including the Union for Reform Judaism and the Religious Action Center.

Professional Experience

Program Manager, Jewish Community Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities, 2001-present.  Jewish Family and Children’s Service, Minneapolis, MN.

The Inclusion Program provides a central resource for synagogues, schools and agencies in the community, as well as for individuals with disabilities and their families.   The overarching objective is to raise awareness and support institutions as they journey toward inclusion.  Achievements include:

  • Wrote the Jewish Community Guide to Inclusion of People with Disabilities, a comprehensive guidebook enabling Jewish organizations to evaluate, prioritize and facilitate inclusion.
  • Guided, mentored and coached Jewish organizations to establish inclusion initiatives through strategic planning and institutional structure. Designed a customized approach to engage congregational boards and professional staff to prioritize and set goals for inclusion.
  • Created the “Community Liaison Committee” of lay leaders from each organization which met monthly for training and strategic planning. Committee members organize Jewish Disability Awareness Month for their organizations and participate in the development of community-wide programming.
  • Consultant to Jewish communities and collegial organizations initiating Inclusion efforts including training and development, parent workshops, keynote speaking and seminars.
  • Co-founder of Interfaith Inclusion Consortium, a Twin Cities based collaborative of faith community inclusion leaders. Developed three “Faces of Inclusion” Conferences.
  • Established collaborative model for training and programming for staff of religious schools, camps, boards, and membership.

Academic/Teaching Experience

Guest lecturer.  University of St. Thomas, Collaboration in Special Education class, March 2006 to present.

Primary topics include parenting a child with disabilities, parent empowerment, professional empowerment, building collaborative teams.