Project Description:
The continued development and improvement of services, the elimination of barriers and disparities in access to services, the accomplishment of both Healthy People 2010 objectives and State MCH objectives, as well as the provision of essential public health services, depend in part on current and future professionals who have knowledge and skills to provide leadership in an increasingly complex social, economic and political environment.
The goal of the Project is to improve the provision of family-centered, community-based, culturally appropriate, accessible services for children with, or at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families through: interdisciplinary leadership education of health and health-related professionals; and the provision of continuing education, technical assistance, and information dissemination. Major objectives of the Project include that each year of the project: 1)At least 125 trainees in health and health-related professions will receive interdisciplinary and disciplinary leadership training of 40 or more contact hours. Of these trainees there will be 49 trainees with 300 or more contact hours, 46 trainees with 160-299 contact hours and 30 trainees with 40-159 contact hours; 2)Of the 49 trainees with 300 or more contact hours, there will be 15 first-year trainees from 10 MCH LEND core disciplines who complete a minimum of 700 hours of interdisciplinary and disciplinary training as part of the Interdisciplinary Leadership Core Curriculum; and 3)Continuing education, technical assistance and information dissemination will be provided to a minimum of 6,200 recipients including health and related service providers, family members and the general public to improve clinical care, parenting skills, family support, and prevention efforts.
The Project provides a range of training opportunities for trainees, depending on their contact hours in the Project. Each level of participation utilizes a specific interdisciplinary curriculum which focuses on competencies related to one or more of the following areas: clinical competence, skills for working in interdisciplinary teams, administration and management, environmental factors, research, dissemination of information, incorporation of the life course perspective and considerations of social determinants of health into leadership work, and information technology. The Interdisciplinary Leadership Core Curriculum is required of the 15 first-year trainees in the 10 MCH core disciplines is implemented over the academic year and requires a minimum of 20 hours per week. The components of the curriculum include both center-based and community-based experiences, as well as didactic and practica experiences.
Project faculty and staff, preservice leadership trainees and family members are utilized to implement the Project's continuing education, technical assistance and information dissemination activities. Examples of methodologies utilized in these activities include: 1)Continuing education activities include workshops, lectures & in-services, conferences, parent training and health education; 2)Technical assistance activities include client-oriented consultation, program consultation, and interagency collaboration; 3)Information dissemination activities include public awareness, development & dissemination of products and information center activities.
The Project has cooperative and collaborative service, training and research/demonstration linkages with Title V-related agencies at the state, regional and national levels. Strong linkages exist with the Ohio Department of health/Division of Family & Community Health Services/Bureau Children with Medical Handicaps (DFCHS/BCMH). At the local level, linkages are maintained with Title V-related and other community-based agencies and programs. These linkages include collaboration with several programs in which Ohio DFCHS/BCMH has a major interest, such as Early Intervention, Myelomeningocele (Spina Bifida) Program, Regional Genetic Center and Adolescent Medicine
Methods used in the evaluation of the preservice preservice interdisciplinary leadership education program include: quantitative data; assessment of trainee competencies to determine immediate outcomes; follow-up of former trainees to determine long-term outcomes; questionnaires to determine trainee satisfaction with the training program; and assessment of trainee and program cultural competence. The Project's continuing education and technical assistance activities are evaluated through: analysis of quantitative outcomes; questionnaires, pre/post tests and follow-up surveys; focus groups and key informant interviews; and controlled pre/post test studies for selected training projects.
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Single-County, Mulit-County, State, Regional, National
