Sue Olsen, director of the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice’s Services Division, is the 2022 recipient of the Strong Human Services Award from the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.
LOGAN – Sue Olsen is the recipient of the Strong Human Services Award from Utah State University’s Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services.
She is the Services Division Director for the Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice (IDRPP) formerly known as the Center for Persons With Disabilities.
One of her successes is the “Up to 3” program which she has led through years of tremendous growth.
“We started to provide services in families’ homes and in their community to meet the needs of their family and their child with an identified disability,” Olsen says. “That program has now grown and as of today we have about 418 children that are receiving services in the Up to 3 program.”
Formerly a Special Education teacher at Logan’s Ellis Elementary, she came to USU in the 1980s during a time when special education students were being included in regular classrooms, which changed special education everywhere.
She became director of services at IDRPP about 20 years ago.
“The Division of Services is a broad array of programs and support for children through adults,” Olsen explains. “We provide an adult day program, we provide employment services, we provide pre-employment services in the school districts to prepare young adults for moving into the work service as they leave high school.”
The award recognizes “significant and sustained leadership in human services and applied research that improves the lives of children or adults.”
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