Karen Green McGowan, RN, CDDN

Karen Green McGowan developed the Health Risk Screening Tool in 1992. She is a clinical nurse consultant who specializes in technical assistance to agencies serving persons with complex health needs. She has provided training, technical assistance and curriculum development to clinicians, administrators and direct care staff in identifying and removing or reducing health barriers to development for over 32 of her 44 years in the field. She has developed systems approaches to identifying health risk potential and assisted several states in the design and implementation of strategies to manage individuals in dispersed community systems.

Ms. McGowan currently serves as an expert witness for the Department of Justice Special Litigation Division and has been appointed as an officer of the Federal Court in four jurisdictions - Oklahoma, Illinois, Tennessee and Massachusetts.

Ms. McGowan is currently a member of the Quality Review Panel for the state of Tennessee. This group is responsible for overseeing services for over a thousand class members in that state. She was the US Depart of Justice appointee to a review panel in Illinois and responsible for monitoring the compliance in implementing a consent decree for members of the class who resided at the Howe Developmental Center in Tinley Park, Illinois. Additionally, she is a charter member of the national Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association and participated in the development of the DDNA advanced certification process with the National League for Nursing. She is a member of the Advisory Board of Mental Disability Rights International, and has evaluated children in facilities in Romania and Serbia.

Ms. McGowan conducts courses for nurses, physicians and therapists (such as occupational, physical and speech therapists) in screening, assessment and intervention strategies for persons with complex physical and medical disabilities. She is the author of a variety of manuals and independent study courses for health clinicians, such as Assessing Health Risks in Developmental Disabilities, Drugs and Disabilities, The Health Risk Screening Tool-Rater's Guide, and Functional Life Planning. She has contracted with various state and local organizations to conduct training or design curriculum. For further information on training and services provided by Karen Green-McGowan please visit www.mcgowanconsultants.com