Sherlock Center Impact
The Sherlock Center’s UCEDD traineeship gives future professionals hands-on experience developing resources, supporting initiatives and engaging in national policy experiences, building skills that advance inclusion and meaningful connections across the disability community.
By Kristen Cyr
During her time as a UCEDD trainee at the Sherlock Center, Chelsea Frade of Westerly worked on projects that strengthened advocacy and inclusion for people with disabilities – experiences that may help shape her career as a social worker.
She learned about the Sherlock Center’s traineeship from a parent whose child she worked with providing home-based services. “She knew I was also getting my master’s in social work and thought it would be an enriching experience for my future career. She was right!,” she said.
“I have many personal and professional connections to the disability world and am always inspired by the prospect of learning more and working with that population,” she said.
Chelsea worked within the Youth and Adult Services project during her traineeship, where she helped develop materials on emergency preparation for individuals with disabilities. She also supported the launch of a Rhode Island chapter of the Sibling Leadership Network, a support group for siblings of people with disabilities.
Her experiences extended beyond Rhode Island when she attended the Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C., in April. She also attended one of the first showings of the documentary “Best Judgement: Ladd School Lessons” the Sherlock Center co-presented last fall.
The traineeship left a lasting mark on her career path. “It helped deepen my passion for inclusion and for expanding the rights and advocacy for people with disabilities,” she said. “It gave me valuable information, which helped bolster what I was also learning in my social work program” including research, literature reviews and writing grants.
Today, she is completing the final year of her MSW program and working as a graduate assistant at Rhode Island College. She also serves as a PASS treatment coordinator.
Frade said her time as a trainee was “a once in a lifetime experience.” She also emphasized the broader value of UCEDD training opportunities: “Programs such as the traineeships build community and spread awareness and knowledge to new people who may not have had the opportunity to interact with the disability population before.”
She believes continued federal funding is essential. “UCEDDs serve people with disabilities throughout their lifespan, and they help to fill the gaps and help connect people with much-needed support and information,” she said.
About
Chelsea Frade
Chelsea Frade of Westerly is a Master of Social Work student and graduate assistant at Rhode Island College who completed a UCEDD traineeship at the Sherlock Center in the 2024-25 academic year.