Core

2017

The Developmental Disabilities Institute is housed at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. This University Center for Excellence (UCE) has been at Wayne State University since 1983 and it has steadily expanded its services throughout the state since that time. With input from the Community Advisory Committee, the Institute developed its mission, which is to contribute to the development of inclusive communities and quality of life for people with disabilities and to support families. Following a review of various state agency needs assessments and program designs, discussions with families and advocates, and ongoing consultation with the Community Advisory Committee, the Developmental Disabilities Council, and Michigan Protection and Advoicacy Services, Inc., the overarching area of emphasis that was identified for DDI for the next five years was health. We will focus our core functions on health within the broad context of physical, emotional, and mental well-being for individuals with disabilities and families, within the specific contextual framework of poverty. To address this area of emphasis, the Institute will focus on the following four goals: 1) To support the training of professionals, paraprofessionals, families and persons with disabilities throughout Michigan related to health, well-being, disability and the impact of poverty on both (Core function: Training). 2) To foster promising practices related to health and well-being in Michigan's community programs which support persons with disabilities and their families (Core function: Community Services and Technical Assistance). 3) To implement a diverse research agenda on health, well-being, and disability within the contextual framework of poverty to support disability program and policy innovation in Michigan (Core function: Research). 4) To disseminate information on health, well-being, disability, and poverty in a variety of formats to support innovation, promising practices, and policy development in Michigan (Core function: Dissemination). Each of these goals will be implemented with special attention to strategies for the inclusion of minority and aging families and persons with disabilities.

Health; Well-being; poverty; family support; persons with disabilities

Training Trainees, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information

Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities, Health-Related Activities, Quality of Life

Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, General Public

Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Empowerment Zone, Rural/Remote, Urban

Single-County, Mulit-County, State

N/A