Metropolitan State University of Denver

Robert W Slay

Personal Biography Statement

Currently, I am a Quality Assurance Investigator at the Wheat Ridge Regional Center. Prior to this, I was the administrator of the Metropolitan State University of Denver Social Work Department Family Center for thirteen years. Before this, I:

• Taught Social Work courses as an adjunct faculty while working at the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council
• Managed The Family Support Program at Developmental Disabilities Resource Center for eight years, and
• Volunteered, and worked at the Arc in Jefferson County for five years.

Educational Biography

I received my Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. My Bachelor's Degree in Human Services is from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Professional Affiliations

My overall professional experience has been in the area of supporting adults and children who have intellectual disability and/or chronic illness and their families. I have over 29 years of experience in this area.

Some examples of things I have been a part of are:

• Director of Chapter Development/Adult Advocacy for The Arc in Jefferson County.
• Developed and managed Developmental Disabilities Resource Center's Family Support Services Program for 8 years.
• Planner for the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council.
• Colorado Medicaid Program advisory board consumer representative for 6 years.
• Part of the statewide development of Colorado's Family Support Services Programs in the Community Centered board system.
• Served on a number of other advisory boards at The Children's Hospital, Jefferson County Schools, and the Health Care Program for Children with Special Needs to name a few.

Personal

I moved to Colorado in 1984. I'm a New Mexico native and graduated from Fort Stockton High School in Fort Stockton, Texas. I have three wonderful children. My oldest, Rob, lives in Tucson. My middle daughter, Jade lives in Thornton. She had my first grandchild, Braden, in 2012. He is lots of fun. My youngest, Erin, is a Junior at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. She is majoring in Microbiology and Genetics. My wife Kay is a school psychologist.

Research Areas/Interests

My major interests are:

• Families with children who have disabilities or chronic illness and the systems supporting them.
• Parents who have an intellectual disability and the lack of systems supporting them.
• Systems change in supports for people with disabilities.
• Online learning and other technology that will enhance knowledge acquisition.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that successful professors must:

• Have breadth and depth of knowledge in the areas they teach; including the ability to relate theory to current community and systems practices.
• Support students as they are actively engaged in acquiring knowledge.
• Challenge students to inspect their biases, stereotypes and personal values regarding their chosen field.

Courses Taught

SWK-3300