• Research Associate
Email
erick100@umn.edu
Phone
+1 612-624-6083
Address
Masonic Institute on the Developing Brain
Rm 1-340 [map]
2025 E River Pkwy
MInneapolis, MN 55414

Sandra Pettingell, PhD, is a Research Associate in the College of Education and Human Development. She contributes statistical and research methodology consultation to numerous research studies, providing support in instrument development, data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation of findings. She also helps conduct complex quantitative analytic methods including mediation analyses, growth curves, and multi-level modeling. With 5 years experience developing and standardizing educational and achievement tests and over 20 years as a Research Associate, she specializes in large-scale, multi-wave longitudinal data sets. She spent 19 years in the schools of Adolescent Medicine and Nursing where her research focus was examining risk and protective factors for multiple health outcomes. She has worked in the College of Education and Human Development for 3 years where her focus includes health care coordination, residence, services and employment for various groups of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also provides consultation to students working on their masters and doctoral theses.

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

Projects

Project

NY OPWDD Direct Support Workforce Investments Evaluation

ICI is conducting formative and summative evaluations of several DSP Workforce development program initiatives funded by OPWDD. Formative evaluation will track and report on program implementation …

Project

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on HCBS Outcome Measurement (RTC-OM)

Evaluates measures of the quality of life experienced by people with disabilities as a result of receiving services and supports. Past measures tended to focus on money spent on services for …

Project

Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC-CL)

Conducts a wide range of research, training, and technical assistance and dissemination projects related to community supports under its center grant and related project funding. The RTC-CL is …

Project

Residential Information Systems Project (RISP)

Examines the status of, and longitudinal trends in, provision of institutional and home and community based long-term supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabiliti…

Project

Minnesota Direct Support Workforce Project

Conducted statewide surveys of direct support workers and their employing organizations in Minnesota to better understand wages, benefits, size, and scope of the direct support workforce. The direct support workforce is one of the highest-demand and anticipated growth sectors in the U.S. and Minnesota. Expansion of this workforce is impossible without significant improvements in worker recruitment, on-boarding, development, and retention. These challenges impact individuals, families, and community providers who are finding it increasingly difficult to find and keep high quality employees. Meeting the promises of the Minnesota Olmstead Act is directly related to being able to provide adequate support in the community, and direct support workers are the ones that provide this support.

Project

Direct Support Workforce Solutions

Direct Support Workforce Solutions is a national consulting group addressing the workforce needs of organizations providing community-based supports for individuals with disabilities. Drawing on …

Products

Maryland Intentional Overtime and Credentialing Programs Comprehensive Evaluation

Effective support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities relies on the presence of competent, qualified, and dedicated direct support staff. In Maryland, several provider …

Published: 2023

Using the Independent Monitoring for Quality Program to Examine Longitudinal Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The purpose of this study is to lay a foundation for illustrating the importance of longitudinal data collection by sharing the results of the Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) program in …

Published: 2023

In-Home and Residential Long-Term Supports and Services for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends Through 2016

A report describing the status of, and trends in, long-term supports and services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the U.S. on June 30, 2016. It is based on an annual …

Published: 2018

Research Brief 8: Employment Outcomes and Paid Leave for Caregivers of Children with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

A brief examines a Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey subsample of 388 caregivers of minor children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), ages...

Published: Fall 2018

Research Brief 9: Employment Outcomes and Paid Leave for Caregivers of Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

A brief examining a Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey subsample of 807 caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), ages 18 and...

Published: Fall 2018

Characteristics of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder who use Residential Services and Supports Through Adult Developmental Disability Services in the United States

Background: Many children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) need services and support across their lifespans. Currently many residential and community living supports are delivered …

Published: 2016

Current Services and Outcomes of Formerly Institutionalised and Never-institutionalised US Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Background : Deinstitutionalization research shows better services and outcomes relative to institutional life but has not compared formerly institutionalised and never-institutionalised service …

Published: 2023

The Direct Support Workforce and COVID-19 National Survey Report 2020

The Institute on Community Integration and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals collaborated to lift up the voice of the direct support workforce. The aim of this study was to …

Published: 2021-03-17

Examining Choice and Control for People With IDD Over Time

Choice making is an important aspect of everyone’s life in terms of fully becoming an adult within a democratic society. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at risk …

Published: 2023

Supporting Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and their Families: Status and Trends Through 2012

A technical report describing results from a survey of state intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) agencies for FY 2012 on the status and trends of long-term supports and services for …

Published: 2014

Active Support training, staff assistance, and engagement of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States: Randomized controlled trial

Two non-U.S. quasi-experimental studies reported Active Support training was associated with increased engagement in individuals with IDD, but no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exist. We …

Published: 2019-03-01

Community Participation and Staying Home if You Want: US Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Background: Requiring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to go on community outings with co-residents and staff is contrary to community-living policy's focus on person …

Published: 2022

In-Home and Residential Long-Term Supports and Services for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends through 2014

A report describing the status of, and trends in, long-term supports and services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the U.S. on June 30, 2014. It is based on an annual …

Published: 2017

In-Home and Residential Long-Term Supports and Services for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends Through 2015

A report describing the status of, and trends in, long-term supports and services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the U.S. on June 30, 2015. It is based on an annual...

Published: 2017

Family & Individual Needs for Disability Support (FINDS) Community Report 2017

A report presenting the results of the Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey, launched in 2017 by ICI's Research and Training Center on Community Living in collaboration …

Published: 2018

Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports Community Report 2023

The Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports survey (FINDS) surveys family members of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities about their experiences providing supports …

Published: 2023

Participation and Companions for Socially Inclusive Community Activities by U.S. Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

We investigated socially inclusive participation in mainstream community groups and religious services by U.S. adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities using weighted secondary …

Published: 2023

Long-term Supports and Services for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends Through 2019

Ever wonder how many people in the United States have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), how many of them get publicly funded supports from state IDD agencies, or where people …

Published: 2022

The Direct Support Workforce: An Examination of Direct Support Professionals and Frontline Supervisors During COVID-19

Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) have critical roles in home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Low wages …

Published: 2023

Incentives, Wages, and Retention Among Direct Support Professionals: National Core Indicators Staff Stability Survey

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide a range of supports in a variety of settings to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who count on these supports to live, work, …

Published: 4/15/2022

Characteristics of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder who use Residential Services and Supports Through Adult Developmental Disability Services in the United States

Background: Many children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) need services and support across their lifespans. Currently many residential and community living supports are delivered …

Published: 2017

2020 Evaluation of Experiences with Self Direction in New York State: A Focus on Sustainability

In 2020, people participating in New York State’s self-direction plan were surveyed about their experiences with self-direction. The primary goal of the survey was to examine the sustainability of …

Published: 2021

Direct Support Professional and Frontline Supervisor Perspectives on Work-Life in a Pandemic 

Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) play an invaluable role in delivering home and community-based services to people with intellectual and developmental disabiliti…

Published: 12/1/2022

Plans for Sustaining Self-Direction

In 2020, people participating in New York State’s self-direction plan were surveyed to examine the sustainability of self-directed services: how families plan to navigate a self-directed model …

Published: 2023

Community Employment, Facility-based Work, and Day Activities for Working Age People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability

Background: Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) participate in a variety of day/employment activities including community-based activities and work and facility-based …

Published: 2022

Psychotropic medication use for adults with autism spectrum disorder who receive services and supports through adult developmental disability services in the United States

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher rates of co-occurring diagnoses and use of psychotropic medication prescriptions than people with other developmental disabilities. Few …

Published: 2019-01-31

Using the Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) Program to Examine Employment in Integrated Settings in the Community for People with IDD over Time

Background : Community-based employment is a key step for many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), a group prone to high unemployment, poverty, and dependency. It is …

Published: 2023

Minnesota Direct Support Workforce 2018 Final Report

The final report of results from a statewide survey of direct support organizations in Minnesota to better understand wages, benefits, size, and scope of the direct support workforce.

Published: 06/23/2019

Long-term supports and services for persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities: Status and trends through 2018

Ever wonder how many people in the United States have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), how many of them get publicly-funded supports from state IDD agencies, or where people …

Published: 2021

Self-Directed Services: Challenges and Training Needs

In 2020, people participating in New York State’s self-direction plan were surveyed about their experiences with self-direction, including challenges people experience with self-direction, and …

Published: 2023

Predictors of Annual and Early Separations Among Direct Support Professionals: National Core Indicators Staff Stability Survey 

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide a broad range of supports in a variety of settings to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that enables people to live, work, …

Published: 9/1/2021

Direct Support Professionals and COVID-19 Vaccination: A Comparison of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Direct Support Professionals

Direct support professionals (DSPs) may be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the proximal nature of their work. In response to the pandemic a three-wave study was launched to …

Published: 2023

Direct Support Worker Survey 2019 Final Report

The final report from a statewide survey of direct support workers in Minnesota to better understand wages, benefits, size, and scope of the direct support workforce.

Published: 6/23/2019

Mothers and Fathers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Who Use US Disability Services: Prevalence and Living Arrangements

Background: Little information is available on the prevalence of mothers and fathers with intellectual and developmental disabilities among US disability-service users. Child removal is a key …

Published: 2022

Training Topics to Support Self-Directed Services

In 2020, people participating in New York State’s self-direction plan were surveyed about their experiences with self-direction, including a question about training topics that they would like …

Published: 2023

Concerns about the Sustainability of Self-Direction

In 2020, people participating in New York State’s self-direction plan were surveyed about their experiences with self-direction. One of the goals of the survey was to learn about the concerns …

Published: 2023

The Direct Support Workforce and COVID-19 National Report: Six-Month Follow-up

Reports on the findings of a survey—conducted by ICI in partnership with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals—of approximately 9,000 direct support professionals (DSPs) from …

Published: 2021-04-02

In-home and residential long-term supports and services for persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities: Status and trends through 2017

Ever wonder how many people in the United States have IDD or what proportion of them received federal- or state-funded supports? The 2020 report from the Residential Information Systems Project …

Published: 2020