Barbara Kleist of the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) is a recipient of a 2023 Policy Award from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). The award honors Kleist for significant contributions to public policy that has advanced the field and resulted in positive outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Kleist will receive the award at the 147th AAIDD Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh in June.
Kleist is the program director for entrepreneurial and development programs at ICI. Her work focuses on state and federal projects to improve community services for children and adults with IDD and their families. She is currently working on leading training and technical assistance efforts in federal and state policy development to identify best practices for improving direct support workforce stability across LTSS- (long-term services and supports) and Medicaid-funded systems.
AAIDD is the oldest, largest, and most influential membership organization concerned with IDD. It has members in the United States and more than 50 other countries.