IPAS Promotes Keyes
The Indiana Protection & Advocacy System Commission, the governing authority for Indiana Disability Rights, has promoted Melissa Keyes to executive director. She has served as legal director since 2014.
Keyes received her law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. She was the Editor-in-Chief for the Indiana Health Law Review, Volume 8, and was selected as the 2010 Program on Law and State Government Fellow.
During law school, she served as a research and policy consultant to the Autism Society of Indiana. Before becoming an attorney, Keyes served at Riley Hospital for Children in the autism clinic as a research specialist at which time she earned her Master’s degree in clinical psychology.
She has a particular interest in advocating for options to support decision-making in adulthood. Keyes represented Jamie Beck in becoming the first person in Indiana to have a guardianship terminated in favor of supported decision-making and regularly speaks on the subject both locally and nationally.
Also, Tom Crishon has been promoted to Keyes’ former position as legal director.