Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research
Project Description:
The Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research (CDDER) works in partnership with public agencies that serve people with developmental disabilities to provide customized solutions to enhance health, safety and quality of life for the individuals they serve. Based at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, a Center of Excellence within the University of Massachusetts Medical School, CDDER is able to leverage world-class clinical research and technology resources to enhance the capacity of public service agencies in the areas of:
o Program and system evaluation
o Applied research
o Program development
o Risk management and quality improvement
o Staff training and development
CDDER was established in 2000 as a partnership between Commonwealth Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) to provide research and development support to the DMR in the area of health and safety. To date, CDDER?s major projects have included:
Identification and customization of a health screening tool for use by direct support providers.
Development of Preventive Health Guidelines for Individuals with Mental Retardation.
Root Cause Analysis training and support.
Incident Management protocol development.
Mapping the Community based system of mental health and physical health supports.
Annual mortality reports.
Implementation and evaluation of a pilot study of DMR?s new Health Promotion and Coordination initiative. Support in development of training modules for community providers.
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Health-Related Activities, Other - Assistive Technology
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Disadvantaged Circumstances, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State, National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
