Krista Opstedal, Community

Faculty: Hilory Liccini



Krista Opstedal is a Research Associate at the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities. She started her career as a Direct Support Professional, which has helped her understand the challenges and aspirations of those she serves. Her hands-on experience in various roles as the Coordinator of Assistive Technology and Project ECHO® Director has positioned her to advocate for equity and inclusion for people with disabilities.

Currently, Krista oversees the implementation of several Project ECHO® curricula, including Direct Care Resilience, Medical Home, Health Equity for Transition Age Youth, and Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education. These programs are designed to address critical needs in the disability field, such as mental health support for direct care workers and disability justice in healthcare settings.

Krista holds a master's degree in public administration and has 16 years of experience in the disability field. She is passionate about mental health and well-being in the workplace and social justice advocacy.

Krista resides in Minot, ND with her husband, two sons, and her cat, Tuna. She recently entered her birding era and enjoys watching urban wildlife from the comfort of her home office. While she has identified multiple species of birds, she has yet to own a pair of binoculars. However, they are on her Amazon wishlist.


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