WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN MEMORIAM: LINDA MESSBAUER
WELL-LIVED: Linda Messbauer was one of the world's leading experts on Multi-Sensory Environments. In 1992, she designed and established the first Snoezelen room in the United States in New York.
The American Association of Multi-Sensory Environments (AAMSE) is sad to announce that Linda Messbauer left this life on March 3, 2021.
Linda enjoyed a long and varied professional career after graduating from New York University with a master's degree in occupational therapy in 1977. She had over 30 years of experience working in the field of developmental disabilities and became one of the world's leading experts on MSE's.
During her career, Linda worked from early intervention to adult services with a variety of diagnoses. She was a Director for United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of NYC, Rehabilitation Coordinator, and a private consultant to both public service agencies and private corporations. She had what she referred to as "the unique opportunity to work at the infamous Willowbrook State School" and developed strong beliefs about the importance of having healthy fitness with our life environments at that time. It was there Linda learned about the positive benefits of Snoezelen and set a goal to bring it from the Netherlands to America.
In 1992, Linda designed and established the first Snoezelen room in the United States in New York. She published efficacy research and became an international speaker/trainer on her therapeutic approach. Linda was a founding member of AAMSE and in 2006, started her own company named Sense-zational-Environments.
Linda's passion for teaching was obvious to those who attended her training and people commonly said she was "living before her time." Although Linda did not like hearing this, it means she provided trauma-informed therapy before it became the focus of so many of today's mental healthcare interventions. It also means she equipped healthcare communities to provide trauma-informed care before legislation was written to require it.
As the current President of AAMSE, I have provided a few of the details of Linda's accomplished life and now I would like to share the collegial dimension of Linda Messbauer that I loved best. This was the side of Linda she shared as we worked together on the AAMSE Board, in an AAMSE trainer subcommittee, and as co-presenters in AAMSE classes, or at occupational therapy conferences. I knew Linda as an intuitive therapist and friend who recognized the stress/trauma response as it exists in clients and as it exists in all of us. I knew Linda as an exceptional humanitarian and a natural scientist.
Linda was a lifelong learner and a master therapist who understood that we are all intimately connected to our life environments through our experiences and that, having good environmental fit can positively change everything about our life. She taught me and many others about her craft as she designed MSE equipment and rooms that had the power to promote the "nonlinear" transformation that was one of her favorite topics of discussion. We occasionally compared notes on how we might better communicate the new paradigm science that undergirded her innovative treatment approach.
Nonlinear change emerges like a flower grows, with some predictable and other unpredictable patterns. During the growth of a flower, there are predictable patterns as a stem unfolds and leaves or blossoms begin to form. There are also patterns that develop related to how well a flower fits in its environment, like the bending of a stem toward a ray of sunlight on otherwise shady ground. Linda accepted the openness and uncertainty of treating her clients as complex adaptive learners who change in nonlinear and only semi-predictable ways like a flower and, she achieved magnificent treatment outcomes.
Although Linda spent much of the last years of her life designing MSE's, she made it clear to all who knew her that she did it for the people who would be served inside them. She used MSE's to bless the lives of people of all ages with extreme challenging behaviors and people in the late lifespan with dementia. She used MSE's to bless the lives of people in palliative care and even ones transitioning from this earthly life. Linda, we at AAMSE like to think that you were blessed by the presence of someone trained to provide the peaceful transition from this earthly life for you, that you gave to so many others. – With love, Janice Ryan, OTD AAMSE President 2021.
WEBINAR SERIES: VACCINES FOR CAREGIVERS AND PERSONAL CARE ASSISTANTS
A webinar intended for anyone interested in learning more about caregivers and PCAs and COVID-19 vaccines within the disability community. Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET eventbrite.com/e/covid-19-vaccines-for-caregivers-and-personal-care-assistants-pca-tickets-149933907353 Early registration is required. Registration closes 1 hour before the live webinar begins.
Vaccines are an important tool for slowing the spread of COVID-19, especially for caregivers and personal care assistants (PCA) working with people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect direct care and support of people with disabilities.
This past year has brought heightened anxiety and uncertain feelings to many people's lives. However, following recommendations, including getting the COVID-19 vaccine, are important steps towards keeping the virus at bay. This webinar will explore the considerations of COVID-19 vaccines for caregivers and PCAs within the disability community. Presenters, many who are caregivers and PCAs themselves, will share their COVID-19 vaccine experiences and why they chose to get vaccinated. Webinar participants will receive tips, resources, and guidance for COVID-19 vaccinations as we collectively navigate this challenging time.
Target Audience
This is an introductory-intermediate level webinar intended for anyone interested in learning more about caregivers and personal care assistants (PCA) and COVID-19 vaccines within the disability community.
Registration
Register for this free webinar and please share with your colleagues, clients, and community. Webinars are presented through Zoom. Captions and American Sign Language will be available. All webinars are recorded and the archive, transcript, accessible presentation, as well as additional handouts will be made available within one week of the live webinar.
Learning Objectives :
Upon completion of this webinar participants will be able to:
1. Describe 3 important guidelines to follow before and after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
2. Identify 3 positive impacts of COVID-19 vaccines for caregivers and personal care assistants.
3. Identify 3 resources on COVID-19 vaccines for supporting caregivers and personal care assistants
More Webinars
Stay tuned for information about another upcoming webinar in the series: FAQs About COVID-19 Vaccines that People with Disabilities Should Consider. Check out all of the COVID-19 Accessible Resources!
Visit the microsite hosted by Georgia Tech at cidi.gatech.edu/covid for additional resources and archived webinars, including new videos: Wear a Mask the Right Way ( youtube.com/watch?v=16LZgIrVeFo) and Stay Six Feet Away from People ( youtube.com/watch?v=DApFg1tpuCs). For questions about this webinar or if you would like more information about the COVID-19 Accessible Materials for People with Disabilities Project, please contact training@gatfl.gatech.edu.
This webinar series is made possible due to funding from the CDC Foundation along with technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
THE CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE DESIGN AND INNOVATION (CIDI)
Combining decades of service and research, CIDI's mission is to improve the human condition through equal access to technology-based and research-driven information, services, and products for individuals with disabilities. Visit cidi.gatech.edu