Jordan Smelley is an internationally recognized and award-winning speaker on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities(IDD) and Recovery Supports, a certified Mental Health Peer Support Specialist, and a People Planning Together Trainer in Texas.

Jordan is also a person in long-term recovery from Intellectual and Developmental Differences (IDD) with co-occurring Mental Health challenges, Jordan partly defines his own recovery through opportunities to present and educate communities on supporting persons with IDD.

Jordan was awarded the 2023 American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Texas Chapter’s Empowerment Award for Excellence in Promotion of Self-Advocacy and the 2024 AAIDD Texas Chapter Dr. Ollie Seay Knowledge Award for Excellence in Education or Research. Currently, Jordan works for Integral Care as the very first IDD Peer Support Specialist for the Transition Support team based at Integral Care in Austin, Texas.

In recognition of this work, Jordan was named Mental Health Professional of the Year (2025) by PersonsOfTheYear.com. This distinction highlights Jordan’s commitment to person-centered, recovery-oriented, and ethical mental health support, with a particular focus on individuals with IDD and co-occurring mental health needs who are often underserved when systems become complex.