2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/16/2026 | 3:10 PM - 3:40 PM | Beyond the Screen: Replicable Strategies from Holley Family Village for Lifelong Support. | City Terrace 7
Beyond the Screen: Replicable Strategies from Holley Family Village for Lifelong Support.
Early identification of hearing loss through newborn screening is a critical first step — but families need comprehensive, ongoing support to navigate the journey that follows. This session presents an innovative, family-centered model developed at the Holley Family Village in Michigan that connects newborn hearing screening with early intervention and long-term language and literacy development.
A core component of this model is a volunteer-driven newborn hearing screening program, which reduces the workload on nursing staff and expands access to timely screening. The session will describe how volunteers are recruited, trained, and integrated into hospital settings, and how this approach can be replicated in diverse healthcare environments.
Beyond screening, Holley Family Village provides a continuum of support through family-centered programs, community events, and a home-based Community Health and Literacy Program. In this program, Deaf mentors visit families weekly for ten months to model language, build literacy skills, and strengthen family communication — all at no cost to participating families.
By examining how these services are structured and sustained, attendees will gain practical insights into building similar partnerships and programs in their own communities. Challenges, lessons learned, and strategies for adaptation will also be shared.
This presentation offers a replicable framework for bridging the gap between newborn hearing screening and comprehensive family support — illustrating how integrated medical, educational, and community-based approaches can enhance family engagement, improve language outcomes, and strengthen EHDI systems nationwide.
Attendees will gain practical insights into program design, sustainability, and partnerships across medical, educational, and community sectors. Challenges and lessons learned will also be shared to help others adapt and replicate these strategies in their own regions.
By bridging the gap between initial screening and ongoing support, this model demonstrates how EHDI programs can enhance family engagement, improve language outcomes, and create scalable solutions that strengthen services nationwide.
- Describe a family-centered framework that supports Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind infants and their families from newborn hearing screening through early intervention.
- Identify strategies for integrating volunteer-driven screening, medical services, educational resources, and community-based support into EHDI programs.
- Discuss lessons learned and key considerations for replicating this model in other communities to improve family outcomes.
Presentation:
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Handouts:
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Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Erica Scorpio
(Primary Presenter), The Holley Institute and The Holley Family Village inc, escorpi1@hfhs.org;
Erica Scorpio is the Executive Director of The Holley Institute and Holley Family Village, where she leads programs that support Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals and their families through innovative screening, education, and community-based services. Before stepping into nonprofit leadership, Erica spent eight years as an American Sign Language interpreter and held roles at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Sorenson Communications. Throughout her career, she has focused on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and is passionate about building collaborative, family-centered systems of care within the EHDI landscape.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from Executive Director .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with The Holley Institute and the Holley Family Village.
Nature: I am employed as the Executive Director of The Holley Institute and Holley Family Village, which operates the programs discussed in this presentation.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.