Our Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
At Adaptive Parenting Solutions and the SAGE Institute, we are proud to be building a growing multidisciplinary team dedicated to supporting families with fairness, respect, and a deep commitment to equitable practice.
​
Together, our expanding team is helping shape the future of disability-informed parenting support, bringing expertise, thoughtful collaboration, and innovation to families and professionals nationwide.
​
We’re growing! If you’re a professional passionate about equity, family support, and disability-informed practice, reach out to learn more about opportunities to join our team.
Dr. Nicole Brisson
Ph.D., LCMHC, FAAIDD
Founder & Director | Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
​
Dr. Nicole Brisson is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor who has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1992. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration in Psychology and a specialization in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, from Union Institute and University in 2009. She also holds a master’s degree in Community Mental Health, with a focus on clinical services for children with complex behavioral health needs and their families, and a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies.
​
Dr. Brisson is the Founder and Director of Adaptive Parenting Solutions, LLC, and the SAGE Institute for Adaptive Parenting. She developed a graduate-level curriculum on child welfare and parental disability and taught at the University of Vermont. She has been recognized as a national expert in competency-based adaptive parenting assessments for parents with intellectual disabilities by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
​
Her work has been cited in the National Council on Disabilities’ report, Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities, and in Exceptional Parenting Magazine. Dr. Brisson has conducted trainings, presented at conferences, and testified in courts throughout the United States.
​
She served as Vice President of The Association for Successful Parenting (TASP), is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and received the Carrie Ann Lucas Disability Rights Legal Advocate Award for her vision, dedication, and advancement of best practices in the legal system for parents with disabilities.
Dr. Susan Yuan
Ph.D.
Psychologist | National Leader in Disability & Family Support
​
Dr. Susan Yuan holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Vermont, where she served as Associate Director of the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion. She has combined academic teaching at four major universities with decades of life experience in disability.
​
Her work has focused on training professionals and supporting families experiencing disability. She designed and conducted family support training in 36 states and territories, funded through seven federal grants. One of her most recognized efforts was a Peer Navigation project for parents with disabilities, honored nationally as a “promising practice.”
​
Trained by Dr. Maurice Feldman in behavioral approaches to parenting assessment, Dr. Yuan grounds her work in models of coping, self-efficacy, and family supports. Since 2004, she has conducted parenting skills assessments for parents with disabilities and testified in courts across multiple states.
​
Her professional recognition includes being named a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and receiving the Alexander J. Tymchuk Award for Excellence in Leadership from The Association for Successful Parenting.
Dr. Cheryl Fergerson
DSW, LCSW, ACHP-SW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker | Educator | Consultant
​
Dr. Cheryl Fergerson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in pediatric medical social work. Before shifting her career to medical social work and assessing families headed by parents with disabilities, she spent more than 14 years in child welfare practice with Child Protective Services, foster care, and juvenile justice programs. She is also an adjunct professor of social work at three universities and CEO of 3rd Degree Consulting, LLC.
​
Dr. Fergerson began her higher education at Grambling State University before completing her bachelor’s in Sociology and master’s in Social Work at the University of Memphis. In 2019, she earned her doctorate in Social Work from Capella University in Minneapolis, with a dissertation titled "ACEs and Self-Care: An Examination of Child Protective Services Investigators."
​
Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Jurisprudence in Children’s Law and Policy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, combining her social work expertise with legal knowledge to advocate for children and families.
Kathleen Brown
M.A., CRC, CDCA
Rehabilitation Counselor | Developmental Services Leader
​
Kathleen Brown received her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2013 from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and her BA from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, with majors in both Sociology and Psychology.
She has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 15 years. A highlight of her career was serving as Director of Developmental Services for a leading mental health provider in Vermont, where she oversaw daily operations, planning, and community-based services for more than 300 individuals and families affected by intellectual disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injuries, and co-occurring mental health needs.
​
Her rehabilitation counseling training, rooted in a CACREP-accredited program, provided extensive field experience across settings such as medical facilities, clinics, private practices, and community organizations. She is skilled in theory, assessment, evaluation, research, and practice.
​
In 2022, Kathleen achieved her Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA) certification, gaining expertise in treatment planning, crisis intervention, counseling, and case management. Her work reflects a deep commitment to supporting families with complex needs and ensuring inclusive, strength-based services.
Annie Taylor
Consultant
Child Welfare Specialist | Organizational Change Leader
​​
Annie Taylor has more than two decades of experience in child welfare, juvenile rehabilitation, and family services. She is the founder of Annie Taylor Consulting, where she supports agencies, leaders, and communities in strengthening child welfare systems and practice.
​
Annie previously served as Area Administrator for Washington’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), overseeing child welfare operations for Whatcom County. She led supervisors and social workers, advanced practice through data-driven improvements, and fostered strong collaboration with community stakeholders and courts.
​
Her earlier leadership roles include supervising child welfare teams, directing behavior rehabilitation services, and facilitating family team decision-making—an innovative model of collaborative child safety planning. Annie also worked extensively in juvenile rehabilitation, delivering evidence-based family therapy and guiding parole staff through organizational culture change.
​
Across her career, Annie has consistently focused on child safety, family support, and building responsive systems. She is recognized for her ability to combine clinical insight, leadership, and strategic change management to improve outcomes for children and families.
“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”
– Angela Schwindt