HHS National Autism Coordinator (NAC)

The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) Act of 2014 requires that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) designate a National Autism Coordinator (NAC).

"The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall designate an existing official within the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Education, national autism spectrum disorder research, services, and support activities. (b) The official designated under subsection (a) shall—(1) implement autism spectrum disorder activities, taking into account the strategic plan developed by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and (2) ensure that autism spectrum disorder activities of the Department of Health and Human Services and of other Federal departments and agencies are not unnecessarily duplicative."

In May 2023, Dr. Susan Daniels was appointed as the National Autism Coordinator (NAC).

Federal Interagency Workgroup on Autism (FIWA)

First convened to address requirements of the Autism CARES Act of 2014, the Federal Interagency Workgroup on Autism (FIWA) is composed of representatives of departments and agencies across the U.S. Government, who voluntarily meet to coordinate research, services, and support activities related to autism. The National Autism Coordinator serves as the Chair of the FIWA. The Autism CARES Act of 2014 also requires that this coordination of activities take into account the Strategic Plan developed by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). The NAC and the FIWA continue to serve to facilitate exchange of information across federal agencies, provide coordination for cross-departmental projects and requests, and contribute to the development of reports to Congress required under the Autism CARES Act and other cross-agency reports.

FIWA Roster and Member Agencies

Chair

• Susan Daniels, Ph.D., National Autism Coordinator, HHS
  Director, Office of National Autism Coordination; National Institute of Mental Health/ NIH/ HHS

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
  
  • Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

    Allyson Dean, Ed.D.
    Inclusion and Disabilities Services Specialist, Office of Head Start

  • Administration for Community Living (ACL)

    Amanda Reichard, Ph.D.
    Project Officer, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

    Daniel Davis
    Health Insurance Specialist, Office of Policy Analysis and Development, Center for Policy and Evaluation

    Hugh Berry, Ed.D.
    Project Officer, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

  • Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR)

    Maxine Kellman, D.V.M., Ph.D., P.M.P.
    Senior Public Health Analyst, National Advisory Committees Branch, Policy Division, Office of Strategy, Policy and Requirements

  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

    Justin Mills, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P.
    Medical Officer, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Program, Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement

    Robyn D.F. Sagatov, Ph.D., M.H.S.
    Senior Advisor for Children's Health, Division of Priority Populations, Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations

  • Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)

    Kristina West, M.S., LL.M.
    Policy Analyst, Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy

    Emma Plourde, M.P.H.
    Public Health Policy Analyst, Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

    Stuart Shapira, M.D., Ph.D.
    Chief Medical Officer, Associate Director for Science, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

    Catherine Rice, Ph.D.
    Branch Chief, Disability and Health Promotion Branch, (DHPB), Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

    Matthew Maenner, Ph.D.
    Branch Chief, Child Development and Disability Branch, Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

    Melissa Harris, B.S.
    Deputy Director, Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services

    Jodie Sumeracki, B.A.
    Senior Policy Advisor, Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group

  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

    Tiffany Farchione, M.D.
    Director, Division of Psychiatry, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

    Martine Solages, M.D.
    Medical Officer, Division of Psychiatry, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

    Lauren Raskin Ramos, M.P.H.
    Director, Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development, Maternal and Child Health Bureau

    Hae Young Park, M.P.H.
    Deputy Director, Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development, Maternal and Child Health Bureau

  • Indian Health Service (IHS)

    BobbiJo Peltier, M.S.
    Public Health Advisor, Indian Health Service

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    Susan Daniels, Ph.D.
    Director, Office of National Autism Coordination, National Institute of Mental Health

    Frank Avenilla, Ph.D.
    Health Science Policy Analyst, Division of Translational Research, National Institute of Mental Health

    Lisa Gilotty, Ph.D.
    Program Chief, Research Program on Autism Spectrum Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health

    Rhonda Moore, Ph.D.
    Program Officer, Center for Global Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health

    Alice Kau, Ph.D.
    Program Director, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch (IDDB), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

    Mary Acri, Ph.D.
    Chief, Child and Adolescent Services Research Program, Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology Branch, Division of Services and Intervention Research, National Institute of Mental Health

    Cara Pugliese, Ph.D.
    Chief, Autism, ADHD, and Externalizing Disorders Interventions Research Program, Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Interventions Research Program, Treatment and Preventative Intervention Research Branch, Division of Services and Intervention Research, National Institute of Mental Health

    Anna Mikulak, Ph.D.
    NIMH Press Team, Science Writing, Press, and Dissemination Branch, Office of Science Policy, Planning, and Communications, National Institute of Mental Health

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

    Mitchell Berger, M.P.H.
    Public Health Advisor, Center for Mental Health Services

    Nikhil "Sunny" A. Patel, M.D., M.P.H, M.S.
    Senior Advisor for Children, Youth and Families

• U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

  Krystyna Bienia, Psy.D.
  Senior Policy Analyst, Defense Health Agency

  Nicole Williams, Ph.D.
  Program Manager, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)

• U.S. Department of Education (ED)

  Christy Kavulic, Ed.D.
  Associate Division Director, Office of Special Education Programs

  Emily Weaver, Ph.D.
  Program Officer, National Center for Special Education Research

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

    Sherman Gillums, Jr., Ed.D.
    Director, Office of Disability Integration and Coordination

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

  Leah Lozier, Ph.D.
  Social Science Analyst, Policy Development Division, Office of Policy Development and Research

  Teresa Souza, Ph.D.
  Social Science Analyst

  Thyria Alvarez, M.S.W.
  Social Science Analyst

• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

  Amber Parker, M.J.M.
  Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Justice Programs

  Joe Heaps, M.B.A.
  Senior Physical Scientist, National Institute of Justice

  Deirdra Assey, M.A.
  Policy Advisor, Behavioral Health and Justice Systems, Bureau of Justice Assistance

  Ashleigh Brunner, B.S.
  Investigator, Disability Practice Group, Special Litigation Section, Civil Rights Division

• U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

  Scott Michael Robertson, Ph.D.
  Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy

  Jennifer Thomas
  Policy Advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy

  Kirk Lew, M.P.L., B.A.
  Supervisor, Youth Team, Office of Disability Employment Policy

• U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

  Danielle Nelson, M.P.H.
  Senior Program Analyst, Federal Transit Administration, Office of Rural and Targeted Programs

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

  Scott Patterson, Ph.D., HSPP
  Clinical Psychologist, Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  Alyson (Aly) Lorenz, M.P.H.
  Health Scientist, Office of Children’s Health Protection

  Bryan Bloomer, Ph.D.
  Physical Scientist, Office of Children's Health Protection

• U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA)

  Alison Marvin, Ph.D.
  Statistician/Health Sciences Researcher, Division of the Analytics Center of Excellence

  Cara Caplan, Ph.D.
  Branch Chief - Social Security Administration - Office of Research, Demonstration and Employment Support

Office of National Autism Coordination

The Office of National Autism Coordination (ONAC) provides support for the National Autism Coordinator and the FIWA.

• Oni Celestin, Ph.D.
  Health Science Policy Analyst

  Katrina Ferrara, Ph.D.
  Health Science Policy Analyst

  Luis Valdez-Lopez, M.P.H.
  Health Science Policy Analyst

  Steven Isaacson, L.M.S.W.
  Policy Analyst

  Tianlu Ma, Ph.D.
  Health Science Policy Analyst

  Angelice Mitrakas, B.A.
  Management Analyst

  Jeffrey Wiegand, B.S.
  Web Development and Digital Outreach Manager

  Rebecca Martin, M.P.H.
  Public Health Analyst

  Ana Cappuccio, LL.B.
  Operations Coordinator

About the IACC | About ONAC