Join us for a Live Virtual Teach-In

You're invited to join us for a webinar about the unique experience of being a member of more than one disability community. Jack, a Disability Rights California (DRC) employee, will share about how having both a mental health and intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) affects his identity and sense of belonging.

About the Virtual Teach-In:

DRC's Mental Health Employee Resource Group (ERG) is a group of employees that gathers to share their lived experiences with mental health. The Mental Health ERG is thrilled to welcome Jack as he shares both his personal story of feeling different and his professional experience advocating and accommodating for individuals with both intellectual and developmental disabilities who also experience mental health issues. Together, we'll discover how belonging to more than one disability community plays a role in shaping a person’s self-identity and feeling of connection with others.

Speakers:

Jack Becker has been with DRC for a little over 6 months. He has always been different, but didn’t start to really think about what those differences were and how they showed up in his life until high school. His diagnoses are Autism Spectrum Disorder and Bipolar Type 1. Jack used to work at a dog boarding facility called Wag Hotels. He loves dogs and his favorite breed is a pit bull. His last dog was a pit and his next dog will be as well. Jack has been in day programs as well as a residential program, where he got to learn how to communicate and also learn various vocational skills. He feels he is in a good position to discuss the topic of I/DD and mental health because of his own experience, but also due to his extensive background being around others with I/DD and mental health and learning from them.