Munroe-Meyer Institute

- Services Overview
- Make an Appointment
  Most appointments for MMI's unique range of services for individuals with disabilities are scheduled through our Patient Information Office.
- Diagnosis and Disorders
  Learn about a specific diagnosis or developmental disorder.
- Community Engagement
  We bring together providers, agencies and stakeholders to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and complex health care needs.
- Patient Resources
  Helpful information about insurance, evaluations, interpretive services, lodging and more.
- Request an Interpreter
  We provide qualified language interpreters for our patients with limited English or sign language interpreters for our patients who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
- Resources Overview
- Civil & Legal Resources
  All people have the right to be included in their community with access to public spaces, housing, education, and employment. Access to civil and legal resources makes this easier for people with disabilities.
- Legislation and Disability Policy
  MMI serves as an expert resource to state and federal policymakers on issues impacting individuals with disabilities and their families.
- Leadership and Assistance Opportunities
  There are many opportunities for individuals with disabilities and family members to become involved in leadership roles.
- Lifespan Resources
  We help families with children who have disabilities navigate resources available across childhood to early adulthood.
- Education Overview
- Departments & Programs
  Our clinical departments provide learning opportunities for students in professional training programs within UNMC, the state of Nebraska and across the country.
- Parents & Caregivers
  Learn about our leadership and advocacy training opportunities for parents and caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
- Job Shadow
  Many of our programs and services offer job shadowing opportunities.
- Continuing Education
  At MMI, you'll find professional development and continuing education opportunities, including leadership training, workshops and clinical experiences in genetics grand rounds.
- Research Overview
- Faculty Research
  We work in basic, applied, translational and evaluative research in every one of our programs and disciplines.
- Student Research
  Assisting MMI faculty in their research efforts are numerous post-doctoral fellows, doctoral interns, graduate and undergraduate students from across the nation.
- Active Research Studies
  Explore MMI research studies recruiting participants.

Drew Piersma, MA, BCBA, LBA

Drew Piersma

Drew Piersma, MA, BCBA, LBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Licensed Behavior Analyst and Doctoral student in the Department of Specialized Behavior Intervention at the Munroe-Meyer Institute.

Professional Bio

Prior to pursuing her PhD at Munroe-Meyer Institute, Piersma worked with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the Neurobehavioral Unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. In her time there, Piersma primarily assisted in research evaluating interventions for treatment-resistant subtypes of automatically maintained self-injurious behavior. Through this work, Piersma saw firsthand how the principles of behavior can be used to significantly improve the lives of individuals and their families, and her passion for the field of applied behavior analysis really flourished.

Piersma graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2024 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2025. Piersma’s clinical and research interests focus on the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior, automatically maintained self-injurious behavior, procedures for maintaining safety in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior, and functional analysis methodology. Piersma is passionate about the education and mentorship of others in the field and aspires for a career where she can pursue her interests of clinical work, research, teaching, and mentorship.

Piersma provides patient care services at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute Department of Specialized Behavior Intervention.

Clinic Location: Munroe-Meyer Institute