[FREE IACP2025 Workshop] Beyond Compliance: Recognizing High Support Needs Autism in Crisis Response

Russell Lehmann is a charismatic activist, motivational speaker, & acclaimed author & poet for autism, mental health, & disabilities. He captivates audiences with his powerful message of acceptance & resilience. Lehmann's work has had a positive & life-changing impact on many, and his advocacy and activism have helped to increase understanding & support for individuals in the disability community. Russell’s talent lies in several areas, showcasing his diverse skills and abilities to deliver impactful, educational, and encouraging presentations that incorporate a range of emotions and perspectives, including significant elements of candor and humor.
Russell has emerged as a beacon of inspiration. He shares his intense & painful personal journey of being diagnosed with autism at age 12 after 5 weeks in a lockdown psychiatric ward for severe OCD and phobias. These struggles, on top of a lack of support, compassion, and understanding led him to withdraw from the world for the next 15 years resulting in prevalent isolation. For more information about Russell and his work, visit his website at www.RussL.co and connect with him on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Leigh Anne McKingsley is Senior Director of Disability and Justice Initiatives at The Arc of the United States where she founded and directs The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD), the first national center in the U.S. to address both victim and suspect/defendant issues concerning people with IDD. She has worked at the intersection of intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) and criminal justice for 28 years, authored numerous publications and presents nationally and internationally on a broad array of criminal justice and disability topics. She oversaw the development of NCCJD’s signature training: Pathways to Justice® and seeks to establish NCCJD and The Arc’s 550-chapter network as the go to place for information and training on disability and justice. Ms. McKingsley works from a home office in Arlington, Texas. She holds a B.S.W (Bachelor of Science in Social Work), M.S.S.W. (Master of Science in Social Work), and M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration) from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Ronald Sellon is the Police Chief in the town of Mansfield Massachusetts. He is a military veteran, holds a Bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement, Masters degree in Public Safety Administration, and Juris Doctor law degree. He is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts and Boston Federal Court, a graduate of the FBI National Academy session 245th and the Police Executive Research Forums Senior Management institute session 65. As Police Chief, in addition to his other duties he is responsible for public safety at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, a 20,000 seat outdoor amphitheater that welcomes between 30 and 40 concerts every summer. In this capacity he is charged with planning, staffing, and coordinating resources for each show. He also currently sits on the executive board of the Bristol County Police Chiefs Association, and is the 1st Vice President of the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Counsel, which provides mutual aid facilitation of various specialized services including Peer Support, Mobile operations, Marine unit operations, Computer crime lab operations, SWAT, Negotiations, Command post operation, and Investigative services for over 40 organizations and almost a million residents in the Boston metropolitan area. In this capacity he is a control Chief for the the regional emergency response and SWAT team. He is currently the IACP Vice President-Treasurer, sits on the International association of Chiefs of Police Human and Civil Rights committee and recently accepted IACP's community policing award in 2019 for Mansfield's Community outreach.

Dr. Rachel Jensen is a project manager at the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She has worked on projects related to crisis response to behavioral health (including intellectual and developmental disabilities), policing and community trust, and law enforcement partnerships for deflection and diversion programs. She received her doctorate from George Mason University, where her research focused on police crisis response to behavioral health, police training on Autism Spectrum Disorder, and community policing strategies.