University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

2007

The mission of JFK Partners is to promote and support the independence, inclusion, participation, contribution, health, and well being of persons with developmental disabilities and special health care needs and their families. Over the period from July 1, 2002 - June 30, 2007, the faculty and staff of JFK Partners/UCHSC, collaborating with many community partners including Colorado Developmental Disabilities Planning Council and the Legal Center (Colorado's P&A)) other community agencies and individuals will address six goals: Goal 1: Interdisciplinary Pre-service Training Core goal: Provide culturally competent, community-based, interdisciplinary pre-service training, which addresses the critical values, knowledge and skills necessary to build inclusive communities for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Goal 2: Continuing Education - provide quality continuing education programs to interdisciplinary and discipline-based audiences, which include family members and consumers. Goal 3: Community Collaboration Clinical Services - provide exemplary diagnostic, treatment, and consultative services to persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Goal 4: Community Collaboration Technical Assistance - provide consultation and technical assistance to and in conjunction with a range of community partners. Goal 5: Research - to infuse the values of Participatory Action Research and Values-Based Quality Assurance Monitoring into research and evaluation efforts. Goal 6: Dissemination Goal - ensure the timely dissemination of high quality information produced by JFK Partners? faculty and collaborative partners through a variety of methods, including electronic, and in adapted formats. Efforts will be focused on the following groups of individuals who in Colorado are groups who are currently underserved primarily due to lack of capacity (trained providers), policy and system barriers, and inadequate funding to support services. These population groups include: Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury, Adolescents and Adults with Dual Diagnosis, Children eligible for Part C, and Persons with developmental disabilities entering employment. Within our collaborative efforts with and on behalf of these population groups, we will pay particular attention to ensure that the individuals and families we work with proportionally reflect the ethnic and racial make-up of Colorado. ADD areas of emphasis addressed will include: (1) early intervention; (2) increasing the capacity of child care to serve these underserved groups; (3) access to and quality of health and mental health for these populations of emphasis; (4) addressing barriers to employment; (5) access to recreation opportunities as they relate to promotion of healthy lifestyles and quality of life; (6) and addressing issues of quality assurance with respect to all goals, objectives and activities. Goals, objectives, and activities will be addressed by a highly qualified interdisciplinary faculty from the disciplines of audiology, pediatrics, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, social work, and speech language pathology. The faculty will be assisted in the interdisciplinary education, community service, research, and dissemination efforts by Core Function Directors who will support infrastructures in the core function goal areas and offer knowledge and expertise that cuts across populations and areas of emphasis, thereby creating synergy among the various efforts.

University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information

Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities, Health-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities, Housing-Related Activities, Transportation-Related Activities, Recreation-Related Activities, Quality of Life, Other - Assistive Technology, Other - Cultural Diversity, Other - Leadership

Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, Legislators/Policy Makers, General Public

None

Single-County, Mulit-County, State, Regional, National, International

N/A