Emma Plourde

Emma Plourde is a Health Policy Analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, Emma leads disability policy research, evaluation, and analysis, and provides recommendations to HHS leadership on relevant proposed rules, subregulatory guidance, reports to Congress, the HHS annual budget, and HHS legislative proposals. Emma’s work has a particular focus on adolescents with disabilities, and she represents ASPE on various interdepartmental workgroups, including the White House Domestic Policy Council’s Sub-Interagency Policy Committee on Children with Disabilities, the Interagency Workgroup on Youth Programs, and the Federal Partners in Transition. Prior to her experience at ASPE, Emma was a research assistant at the George Washington University Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute and assisted with research on social learning among adolescents and sensory habituation among children. Previously, as a special education instructional assistant, Emma implemented various educational interventions to assist with acquisition of academic and daily living skills among adolescents with disabilities. Emma received her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and Psychology from The George Washington University.

ASPE is the principal advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on policy development and is responsible for major activities in policy coordination, legislation development, strategic planning, policy research, evaluation, and economic analysis. The Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy within ASPE is the focal point for policy development and analysis related to the financing, delivery, organization, and quality of services for people with mental and substance use disorders, people with disabilities, and older adults.