Project Description:
PROBLEM: Children with autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities (ASD/DD) and their families need culturally and linguistically competent MCH leaders to address health disparities and to design & deliver effective, family-centered interventions in coordinated systems of care.
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES: JFK Partners LEND will prepare trainees and fellows (T/Fs) from diverse disciplines and backgrounds with leadership and specialized clinical skills to improve the health and wellbeing of children with/at risk for ASD/DD and their families, each of 5 years (2016-21) through objectives to annually: A) Train 18 diverse long-term (L) T/Fs in and at least 100 medium- & short-term (M/STs) in a comprehensive curriculum in leadership, disability concepts, and clinical preparation; B) Enhance the MCH workforce by conducting at least 15 continuing and 35 community education (CE) events to at least 600 recipients and deliver technical assistance (TA) to support ASD/DD systems of care in 40 activities to 15 entities; C) Conduct 10 active research investigations to understand and treat ASD/DD and special needs.
METHODOLOGY: LT/Fs (primarily graduate and post-doctoral students) have more than 300 contact hours, take core leadership & ASD/DD didactic courses, clinical and other practica, and research assignments over the year. M/STs have ASD/DD didactic &/or practicum exposure. CE & TA needs are identified & addressed by faculty & LT/Fs collaborating with state, regional & national MCH partners & focus on ASD/DD. Research focuses on ASD/DD and special needs.
HP 2020 OBJECTIVES: Disability(DH-5,13,14,18, 20); Access(AHS-5.2); Health Comm. (HC/HIT 2.1-2.4; HC/HIT 3-4); Hearing(ENT-VSL-21); Maternal, Infant, and Child Health (MICH-29.1-.5, MICH-30.1-.2, MICH-31.1-.2); Mental Health(MHMD-6); Early/Middle Child(EMC-2.4, EMC-3); Social Determinants DH-17, 20, AHS-1.1, 3, 5.1, 6.1, EMC-2.2.
COORDINATION: LEND collaborates, for example: a) In Colorado (CO), with COs CDPHE Title V, Dept. of Human Svcs., Medical Home, Part C, Dept. of Education, the CO School of Public Health, and the African Community Ctr. of Denver, CO Respite Coalition, El Grupo VIDA, Family Leader. Training Inst., CO chapters of the Arc, Autism Society, Easter Seals, Peak Parent Ctr., and Federation of Families for Childrens Mental Health; b) Regionally and nationally, with: AUCD, CDC (LSAE, ADDM, SEED), PacWest LEND, WY UCEDD.
EVALUATION: LEND Protocol: a) Supports program delivery/quality improvement, reporting, and outcome documentation via administrative data collection, trainee assessments, trainee & advisory input to planning, graduate surveys of MCH service & leadership, and CE & TA feedback; and, b) is responsive to emergent needs and evolving HRSA/MCHB requirements.
ANNOTATION: JFK Partners trains interdisciplinary MCH professionals for leadership autism and developmental disabilities assessment, intervention and research skills, strengthens skills of the MCH workforce, and enriches the evidence base on ASD/DD and other special needs.
Target Audience:
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
