ADHCE SCHOLARSHIP Recipients 2025-2026 

Student Project Scholarship Winners - Each student was awarded $1,000 for their winning submission!

Congratulations to Dr. Celia McIntosh & Lily Caglianone

Dr. Celia McIntosh -  DNP, RN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, SCRN, CCRN, CEN, CNRN, at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY (DPN) is a Doctoral Prepared Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Health Nurse Practitioner.

Dr. McIntosh as a graduate and DNP student, alongside her extensive practice experience and remarkable efforts to combat human trafficking, exemplifies her dedication to academic excellence, innovation, and deep respect for the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities.

Project Proposal for ADHCE Scholarship

Project Title: AmplifIDD Elevating Awareness and Response for Trafficked Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Background: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are among the most vulnerable and overlooked populations impacted by human trafficking. The reasons are multifactorial in nature from issues related to communication barriers, dependence on caregivers and limited self-advocacy opportunities-which further exacerbate their risk.

Goals: AmplifIDD is a student-led, interprofessional collaborative educational project designed to raise awareness, build competency and active frontline providers to recognize and respond to human trafficking in individuals with developmental disabilities.

Objectives: Develop a training toolkit which would include: 30-60 minute PowerPoint, 1-reference guide and tip sheet. Design and Pilot 1-2 AmplifIDD Educational Workshops or guest lectures for healthcare students or cross- collaboration with community healthcare providers (nurses, social workers, faith-based communities, anti-trafficking coalitions and nonprofit

organizations etc.) working with individuals with developmental disabilities.

ADHCE Core Competency Alignment:

The AmplifIDD Project aligns with these key -ADHCE Core Competency Alignment:

• 1: Contextual and Conceptual Framework of Disability:-Which would explore how structural and systemic inequities increase trafficking risk in the disability community.
• 5: Clinical Assessment and Intervention: Would equip learners with a practical toolkit for recognizing and intervening in the trafficking scenarios.

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Lily Caglianone, Rush Medical College — Master of Science, Clinical Research Expected Graduation May 2026 currently employed at University of Illinois at Chicago — Quality Assurance & Regulatory Manager

Ms. Cagianone is a Scientifically trained professional with 7+ years in clinical research and healthcare communication. Skilled in building relationships, educating people on complex topics, and driving operational efficiency. Eager to keep progressing in my career, bringing a neuroscience background, strong interpersonal skills, and a results-driven mindset. This project seeks to apply natural language processing (NLP) to clinical notes from the EPIC EHR system to identify biased or ambiguous documentation in the year preceding a breast cancer diagnosis among women with Bipolar Disorder. The objective is to test whether exposure to such language is associated with diagnostic delay—defined as >60  days from first symptom documentation to diagnosis (Richards et al., 1999; Salewon et al., 2024). Long term, this project aims to develop tools and education to reduce bias and improve diagnostic equity.

Alignment with ADHCE Core Competencies

This project directly aligns with the ADHCE’s mission and addresses the following Core Competencies:

• 1. Contextual and Conceptual Framework of Disability: By examining how discrimination and structural inequities shape care for women with BD.
• 2. Professionalism and Patient-Centered Care: Analyzing tone, stigma, and respect in clinical communication around breast cancer.
• 3. Legal Obligations and Responsibilities: Reviewing whether documentation reflects appropriate accommodations or perpetuates bias.
• 4. Teams and Systems-Based Practice: Investigating whether multidisciplinary care is collaborative and patient-centered.
• 5. Clinical Assessment: Evaluating if documentation adequately reflects patient symptoms and needs, without distortion from psychiatric labels.
• 6. Clinical Care Over the Lifespan: Highlighting the importance of timely screening and diagnosis across the lifespan for women with psychiatric disabilities.