Mariela León-Thomas, PT, MSW

Current Appointment

Dissemination, Implementation, and Community Engagement Lead Specialist

Overview

Mariela (“Mary-Elah”) joined the Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics in 2021. In her current position, Mariela is focused on several projects on health equity, community engagement, service access, and advocacy.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Plans and executes projects for Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities (SCDD). 
• Participates as a key provider in national research on Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Provides technical support to local health departments from Upstate New York in the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) project of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). 
• Collaborates with community-based organizations and leaders in filling gaps for equal access to the disabled community.
• Co-leads outreach events to support the equal access of all individuals to integral health and health education opportunities.
• Trains and implements support to community-based agencies serving people with disabilities. 
• Contributes to community engagement of diverse and multicultural communities 
• Advocates for equal language access to research implementation, community work, and project outreach for individuals and families impacted by disability. 

Patient Care Profile

Cultural humility and inclusion, collaborative partnership, and community empowerment are at the forefront of Mariela’s professional objectives.  Mariela’s tenacity, organization, and curiosity lead her commitment to identify or create the ways to equal access to health opportunities for the communities.

Education

• 2021, Nazareth College of Rochester New York, Master of Social Work
• 2021, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program Alumni
• 2018, Universidad de Costa Rica, B.S. in Physical Therapy