Building a Toolkit – Strategies for Career Pathways Implementation

Beth Gaertner is the Director of Education at the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI). In that role, she leads education and training efforts within SVRI. These efforts include continuing professional education training, agency consulting, and technical assistance services. Previously, Beth worked as an Outreach Specialist for SVRI and in the unit that determines eligibility for the State of Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) program. Prior to SVRI, Beth spent three years with the Community Support Network in Madison, Wisconsin, where she served as a Supportive Employment Specialist, Volunteer Coordinator, and Case Manager. Beth attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout in the M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling program and the University of Wisconsin – Madison for a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and exploring new places.

Catherine Anderson, Ph.D., LPC, CRC serves in a dual appointment as a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) and as Director of Research for the University of Wisconsin-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute. In these roles, she actively contributes to the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE), the Wisconsin Career Advancement grant, and specific research studies focused on youth in transition. Dr. Anderson received her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has provided leadership on numerous research, demonstration, and systems-change grants for over 25 years. She regularly publishes in peer-reviewed professional journals, including open-source venues to promote knowledge transition in the field. Her research interests include understanding and improving employment, career, and financial post-secondary outcomes for youth with disabilities, transition-age youth and families, interagency collaboration, professional issues in rehabilitation counseling, cultural responsiveness with low-income and marginalized disability populations, and use of evidence-based practices within vocational rehabilitation. She recently served as President of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Board of Directors and as President for the national Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Association.

Dr. Chun is an Assistant Professor and the Program Director for the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Master's program in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Chun was most recently a post-doctoral research associate with the Lifting Individuals and Families through Empowerment (LIFE) research lab at Michigan State University. She was also an adjunct faculty member at both Western Washington University and Utah State University. She received her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counselor Education from Michigan State University in 2017, and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. Her research focuses on: psychoeducation programs for transition-aged youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families; career decision-making and its impact on quality of life of transition-aged youth with disabilities; the interplay of vocational and psychological well-being and career success; multicultural education and training; and evidence-based practice in counseling education.

Maria Baldwin, CRC-CVE, LVRC is the Pre-Employment Transition Services Program Specialist for the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation. She earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado and a Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling from Utah State University. Maria is interested in continuing to expand the reach of pre-employment transition services in Utah to students who often slip through the cracks.

Steve Upchurch has served as the Training Director for Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) since November 2016. Prior to his current role, he served in both rehabilitation counselor and supervisory roles. Steve earned a Master of Arts degree in Education and Human Development from George Washington University and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Indiana chapter of the Association of People for Supported Employment, as a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Innovative Training in VR, on the steering committee for the VR Technical Assistance Center on Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE), and on the CSAVR DEI&A Professional Network.