DC Health Resources Partnership

2010

Need: There has been a lack of coordination in accessing health care for individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. There have not been the opportunities for the interests of individuals with developmental disabilities to be represented within systemic improvements in access to primary and specialty health care. This proposal will address five of the six goals set forth in the 2001 U.S. Surgeon General?s report, Closing the Gap: A National Blueprint for Improving the Health of Individuals with Mental Retardation. These goals are intended to address challenges related to meeting the needs of an aging population that have been excluded from health promotion campaigns, shortages of health care personnel willing to provide services to this population and unwieldy payment structures. The five goals to be addressed in this proposal include: . Integrate health promotion and community environments . Increase knowledge and understanding about the needs of individuals with mental retardation . Improve the quality of health care . Train health care providers . Increase the sources of health care. The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, the federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (GUCCHD-UCEDD), has significant capacity to meet the requirements set forth in this request for proposals. The GUCCHD-UCEDD will be joined in this effort by many collaborators, including the Georgetown University Department of Family Medicine, the D.C. Area Health Education Center, the D.C. Primary Care Association, Project Action, the D.C. State Policy Council on Family Supports, the Arc of DC, the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, and the Coalition of Service Providers, the D.C. State Policy Council on Family Supports, the Arc of DC, the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, and the Coalition of Service Providers. The proposal will address the following three tasks: 1. Recruit and maintain a resource pool of health care providers. 2. Provide enhanced knowledge and understanding of individuals, families and health professionals of the unique health issues experienced by people with developmental disabilities and mental retardation. 3. Provide improved coordination of health care for persons with developmental disabilities and mental retardation. Provide improved consistency in the delivery of health care through the identification and promotion of best health care practices. Unusual features: This project brings together several departments within Georgetown University, colleagues from George Washington University, and a variety of other consumer advocacy and community-based health and disability service agencies. Expected benefits: - Health promotion efforts will be integrated within community environments - Primary health care providers, specialty health care providers, and professionals providing services to individuals with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities will have resources provided to increase their knowledge and understanding about the needs of this population. - Improve the quality of health care - Train health care providers - Increase the sources of health care.

Health Care Access

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

Health-Related Activities

Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities

Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Empowerment Zone, Urban, Specific Groups

Single-County

N/A