A: As an interdisciplinary program, LEND welcomes advocates with a disability, family members, graduate and post-graduate professionals, and professionals who want to develop leadership skills to support people with autism and developmental disabilities.
A: There is no cost to be in the LEND program and some trainees may be able to receive a stipend. See here for LEND Training Level Chart that specifies who can qualify for a stipend.
A: Strong LEND applicants would be people who want to be leaders in their communities. This may include people who would be able to widely share the knowledge and implement what they learn from LEND to support people with developmental disabilities. Other qualities we look for in a LEND applicant include clearly knowing your goals (as they relate to developmental disabilities) and being strong community collaborators, and communicators. We also look for applicants who have many different types of life experiences and/or are interest in serving the diverse demographic of people with disabilities in California.
A: Most LEND activities are offered in a hybrid (in person and online) format. However, depending on the trainee positions, we may require in-person participation.
Trainees required to be in-person:
Trainees encouraged to be in-person:
Important: All trainees must be in person for Orientation Day 1, the Tuesday after Labor Day.
Community Building: all trainees are encouraged to be in-person as much as possible to promote community building with their fellow trainees. One of the many benefits of LEND is the opportunity for networking in this field full of incredible people.
Clinical and Community Site Placement: Although some Clinical and Community Site placements have online access, placement options may be more limited for trainees who can only attend remotely.
A: The LEND Program starts the day after Labor Day (early September) and continues through May.
A: No, due to HRSA federal funding, we can only accept individuals who have permanent resident or US citizenship.
A: The short answer: There is no single schedule for everyone because one of the great things about LEND is the flexibility of the program and many learning opportunities.
A: The long answer: At the beginning of the LEND program, trainees work with a mentor to create a personal schedule that will align activities that best fit with their goals and time restrictions. Here is a Sample Schedule of typical activities that our trainees participate in.
Note: The LEND program offers flexibility to adapt to your personal schedule needs. However, be aware that the more schedule restrictions and limitations you have outside of the LEND program, the more challenging it will be to fully participate and fit in all the LEND activities that you would like to engage in.
A: Currently, we do not offer course credits for our LEND program.
A: See below for the steps of the applications process:
Application
Interview
Acceptance Status
Onboarding
A: All LEND applicants must include:
More info: please see question, “What should I include in my Letter of Interest?” or the LEND application for more information about the attachments.
Note: If you are an applicant who is enrolled in another program at the MIND Institute that requires you to be a part of the LEND program, then you only need to submit an application and resume/CV.