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About YVAP

Yampa Valley Autism Program (YVAP) was born from a grassroots parent support group started in 2002 by six mothers with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Their goal was to bring high-quality, up-to-date specialized services and education support to their small rural community of Steamboat Springs.

Today, Yampa Valley Autism serves over 60 neurodiverse children and youth aged 3-21 and their families with wrap-around programming focused on therapy, social skills opportunities, education support, workplace readiness training, sibling and caregiver support, and other resources.

Staff
Board
Funding Partners

Transforming Lives

  • We are more than autism! About half of our children have special needs other than ASD.
  • Over 60 children and families receive direct services from YVAP.
  • We provide public school education, including:
    • 18-21 transition education
    • Extended School Year (ESY) summer programming
    • In-classroom education
    • Behavior consultation and training for educators and staff
    • On-campus therapy
  • YVAP offers direct job coaching and vocational support for students ages 15-21.
  • We provide therapy scholarships to ensure health equity in the Yampa Valley.
  • We are a Medicaid Approved Provider for some therapies.
  • YVAP offers one-on-one support for children to participate with peers in the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Hayden Totally Kids Program, Boys & Girls Club, summer camps, and more.
  • YVAP is unique in its origin, function, and funding, and we have presented at conferences and been recognized as a model being replicated in other rural regions of the U.S.
  • As a Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) vendor, YVAP provides vocational training to prepare individuals for employment in various work settings, with ACRE-trained staff.

Timeline

  • 2007 YVAP becomes a 501(c)3
  • 2008 YVAP begins offering specialized therapies
  • 2010 YVAP acquires Community Cultivation work-readiness program and expands reach to include youth with ADHD, Down Syndrome, and other developmental disabilities.
  • 2011 YVAP becomes a Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation vendor, providing work-readiness skills, job placement, coaching, and training for job seekers and employers.
  • 2015 YVAP begins Strides transitional services for youth aged 18-21, in partnership with the Steamboat Springs School District
  • 2022 YVAP becomes a Medicaid-approved provider
  • 2023 YVAP begins offering training to community members, non-profits, and activity providers to foster acceptance and inclusion.
  • 2024 YVAP signs contracts with every school district in the Yampa Valley to provide behavior consultation

Staff

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Heidi Mendisco

Executive Director

Experience
  • Working with Individuals Diagnosed with Developmental Disabilities since 2003
  • Bachelor’s in Family and Consumer Science, University of Wyoming
  • Horizon’s Human Rights Committee
  • Association of Community Rehabilitative Educators (ARCE) certification
  • Human Rights Committee Liaison for Individuals in Arapaho, Douglas County and the City of Aurora
  • Human Rights Committee for Denver City and County
  • Labor Relations Training, for investigations specifically with Individuals Diagnosed with
    Developmental Disabilities
  • 7 years oversight of the Developmental Disabilities waivers including the Children’s Waiver,
  • Children with Autism Waiver, Supported Living Services Waiver, and Developmental Disabilities waiver.
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Jessica Charpentier

Therapy Director

Experience
  • Bachelor’s in Elementary Special Education
  • Master’s in Severe Special Needs
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst, certified ABA Behavior Therapist
  • Severe Special Needs Licensed Public Education 2008- present (on sabbatical)
  • Behavior Specialist for RE-2 School District 2018- present (on sabbatical)
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Stephanie Moore

Licensed Resource Teacher

Experience

  •  Bachelor’s in Preventive and Rehabilitative Exercise Science 

  • Master’s in Special Education 

  • Licensed Special Education Generalist with the Colorado Department of Education since 2020

  • Alternative License Mentor with Northwest BOCES since 2023

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Aaron Copeland

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Experience
  • Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Massachusetts 2014
  • Graduate Certificate in Behavioral Intervention in Autism, University of Massachusetts 2014
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst, certified ABA Behavior Therapist 2011
  • Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education, Indiana University 2003
  • Licensed Colorado Department of Education Special Education Generalist 2003
  • Behavior Specialist Joshua School, Boulder County School District 7 years
  • Severe Special Needs Steamboat Springs School District 2018-2023
  • Behavior Specialist Steamboat Springs School District 2018-2023
Aaron's Story

Aaron Copeland, BCBA, joined the YVAP team full-time in August 2023. Cope, as he is known to most of his students, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who will uses his skills and knowledge to develop training modules for our local school districts and community members.

“I truly enjoy collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to create meaningful treatment plans that focus on individual growth and the barriers that might be inhibiting that growth,” said Copeland. “I believe we can build strong community connections. And when we take this collective approach, we can identify and teach appropriate replacement behaviors to people who engage in challenging behaviors to communicate their needs and wants.”
Copeland has a long history of collaborating with school districts and other community stakeholders to provide comprehensive services that allow students to achieve meaningful goals based on their needs. Before moving to Steamboat to work for the Steamboat Springs School District, Copeland worked at The Joshua School, a non-profit facility school on the Front Range that partners with over 10 local school districts to provide intensive education services for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. At The Joshua School, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is used to identify the needs of each individual.
“What ultimately led me to become a BCBA was observing how the application of ABA principles led to individual and family success in the school, home, and community environments,” said Copeland.
While helping YVAP to develop a behavioral and educational consultation model, Copeland will continue to provide ABA and social skills therapy for individuals and groups.

When he is not working hard to meet the needs of educators, students, and their families, Copeland is outside, finding joy with family and friends on one of Colorado’s great waterways.

 

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Jack Redmond

Registered Behavior Technician

Experience
  • Line staff – YVAP Jan. 2020 – Oct. 2021
  • Bachelor of Arts, Psychology – Coe College 2020
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Kayla Prescot

Support Staff

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Shelby Farthing

Support Staff

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Dr. Dana Gau, Psy.D.

Board

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Dr. Rosanne Iversen

Chair

Experience
  • Physician/Business Owner – Steamboat Springs Family Medicine
  • Parent of child with special needs
  • YVAP Board member since 2014
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Genevieve Kalmes

Treasurer

Experience
  • Partner at Emerald Tax
  • YVAP board member since Nov 2022
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Ginger Johnston

Secretary

Experience
  • Parent of a child with special needs
  • YVAP board member since 2019
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Dr. Sunny Owens, DDS

Experience
  • Dentist/Business Owner – Sunshine Dentistry
  • Parent of a child with special needs
  • YVAP board member since 2017
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Lisa Lorenz

Experience
Parent of an adult with special needs
Founding Board Member of Yampa Valley Autism Program 2001
Retired Executive Director Yampa Valley Autism Program 2014-2023
Retired SSSD middle school science teacher
Former neurobiology research scientist

Funding Partners

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Three hoses running with rider Iron Horse Family Foundation
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Logo of Yampa Valley Community Foundation featuring stylized green mountains above the organization's name in uppercase letters. "Yampa Valley" is in gold, with "Community Foundation" in green below it. Background is white.
Logo of the Heart of Steamboat United Methodist Church. It features a flame design with a heart in the center. The text "Heart of Steamboat" is in large letters, and "United Methodist Church" is written below in smaller red font.
A logo of the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation featuring stylized blue mountain peaks above the foundation's name in blue text. Pine trees and gentle hills are depicted beneath the mountains, giving a sense of a natural, mountainous landscape.
The image shows the logo of United Way of the Yampa Valley. It consists of a blue rectangular banner with the words "United Way" in white on the left and a stylized graphic of a hand beneath a figure with outstretched arms inside an orange circle on the right.
The logo for the Human Resource Coalition of Routt County features the name in green and blue text, with a blue silhouette of a group of people to the left. The words "Human Resource Coalition" are prominently displayed, with "of Routt County" below.
Logo of Routt County, Colorado. It features a stylized "R" on the left, with blue text on the right reading "ROUTT COUNTY" and "COLORADO" below it. The background is white, and the "R" is placed over a blue, textured shape of the county's outline.
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