ITAC Bulletin Board - November 2019

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

As we approach the AUCD Annual Conference and near the end of the Fall semester, we recognize the importance of delivering information and resources that are timely for MCH training programs. It is our hope that you find the resources and other items in this newsletter useful in supporting the work of your faculty, staff, and trainees.

You'll notice that the newsletter sections mirror the AUCD Strategic Map priority areas. In doing so, we wish to highlight network resources and efforts that guide our collective work and mission.


Grow Diverse and Skilled Leaders

This section will highlight resources / opportunities for leadership at all levels by cultivating and equipping leaders with the skills to engage communities and improve systems.

Newly Added Training Toolbox Strategies!
ITAC's Training Toolbox serves as resource for programs to share innovative training strategies/activities on topics related to leadership and Maternal and Child Health. This Toolbox makes it easy for your program to browse through different, proven methods used by other programs to teach important concepts to trainees. This year, we are adding/highlighting new Toolbox strategies each quarter that align with MCH Leadership Competencies.

  • #10 (Interdisciplinary/Interprofessional Team Building)Effective Communication for Interdisciplinary Teaming
    • The purpose of this Oklahoma LEND activity is to highlight how the use of discipline specific jargon and acronyms can interfere with communication on an interdisciplinary team.
  • #11 (Working with Communities and Systems)Community Agency Project
    • The purpose of this New Mexico LEND activity is for trainees to gain knowledge of programs that serve persons with disabilities and their families, and gain experience in interviewing and evaluating services.

Please note that these are brief summaries of the strategies. By clicking the links you will be able to learn more details around each strategy, associated learning objectives, benefits, supplemental resources or links, and the challenges/lessons learned. There are more than 115 total strategies to browse!

Now Archived! 2019 MCH Workforce Development Virtual Grantee Meeting
The meeting reviewed the MCH Leadership Competency 11: "Working with Communities and Systems." This included providing relevant definitions, knowledge areas, and presentations with examples of how programs are applying foundational/advanced skills to make an impact. In addition to the recorded webinar and slides, a summary tip sheet was also created that provides an overview of the meeting with the presenters' skills and strategies.

Tools and Updates from the LEND Program Quality Improvement Network (LPQI)
At present, there are more than 20 programs engaged in data collection and what has essentially become a community of practice through the LEND Program Quality Improvement (LPQI) Network. This involves using proprietary, validated self-report and faculty observation tools to determine trainee progress in key competency areas, such as interdisciplinary/interprofessional team building and family-professional partnerships. Thanks to the input of many, the faculty observation tool (I-FOR) has been updated to reflect a broader range of potential trainee experiences, i.e. more relevant for those focusing on leadership outside the clinical space. This year, the Network (in partnership with other training grantees, e.g. PPCs) will be moving toward alignment of these tools with the new MCH Leadership Competencies. Interested programs should check out the LPQI Resources page on the AUCD website, which includes copies of the tools, an FAQ document, and more.

Outcomes and Resources from 2018-2019 FAST Projects
ITAC's Focused Assistance to Support Training (FAST) initiative, in which programs submit innovative project proposals to address priorities identified by the network, had another successful cohort of programs receive funding and technical assistance in 2018-2019. Their outcomes, lessons learned, and resulting resources are available on the ITAC website can be used by other programs to make advances in the areas of: (1) building a more robust research-focused curriculum, (2) establishing/expanding interdisciplinary clinical and community-based experiences, and (3) building/increasing capacity to deliver an inclusive and culturally and linguistically competent training experience.


Model Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This section will highlight resources / opportunities to reach out, engage, and include underrepresented groups to advance our knowledge and impact.

AUCD Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit Updates
AUCD provides and continually seeks resources and strategies to help network members "model diversity, equity and inclusion" through its Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit. Recently added examples include: (1) Fact Sheet on Guidance to Federal Assistance Recipients: Regarding Discrimination Against Limited English Proficiency, and (2) Digital Accessibility Legal Updates.

Disability Identity: A Conversation with AUCD's Andy Imparato and Rylin Rodgers
This transcript from this interview with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's PolicyLab can serve as a conversation starter for MCH training programs around the topic of disability identity.


Advance Policies and Practices that Improve Lives

This section will highlight resources / opportunities that increase the use of evidence-based, culturally-responsive, and inclusive policies and practices.

AUCD State Profiles
AUCD has prepared state profiles for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and the territories. The profiles highlight AUCD member programs in each state, focusing on the number of individuals with disabilities living in communities, the number of students ages 3-21 receiving special education supports, the state's Medicaid expenditures for long-term services and supports, and the employment rates of people with and without disabilities. These can be used by LEND and DBP programs for educating trainees and potential collaborative partners.

"Learn the Signs. Act Early." Ambassadorships Available
The CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and AUCD, with support from HRSA/MCHB, have announced a funding opportunity for Act Early Ambassadors to work with CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early." (LTSAE) program to improve early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, including autism. Applicants from the following states are eligible to apply for two available Ambassadorships: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, and West Virginia.

Revised American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Autism Toolkit Now Available
The 3rd edition of Caring for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Practical Resource Toolkit for Physicians has been completely updated and revised, including content and editorial contributions from AUCD network members and staff. The toolkit includes clinical reports and policy statements and expert ASD screening, surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and referral guidelines.

2019 Autism CARES Act Reauthorization Summary of Changes
The Autism CARES Act (P.L. 116-60) was signed into law on September 30, 2019, reauthorizing all funded programs including LENDs, DBPs, and Act Early Ambassadors. AUCD authored a brief report summarizing major changes from the previous (i.e. 2014) version.


Conduct and Apply Research and Share Knowledge

This section will highlight resources / opportunities that engage the disability community to identify priorities and conduct research with the goal of accessible presentation of information.

Spotlight: AUCD's Council on Research and Evaluation (CORE)
CORE will hold its annual in-person meeting in lieu of a quarterly call on Sunday, November 17 from 9:00am - 11:30am ET. To subscribe yourself and/or a faculty member from your program to the CORE e-mail list and get more information about Council priorities and activities, please contact Luis Valdez ([email protected]).

Fostering Disability Advocates: A Framework for Training Future Leaders Through Interprofessional Education
Cincinnati LEND faculty recently had an article published in Psychological Services that discusses the importance of incorporating advocacy training into preparation programs for future psychologists. Strategies are described in the context of Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction and include goal development and mentorship, experiential opportunities, and didactic teaching. Lessons learned and next steps, specifically related to establishing efficient evaluation procedures, are discussed and have relevance for other training programs aiming to strengthen their policy curricula and trainees' advocacy skills.


Resources and Announcements

#AUCD2019 Conference Schedule for LEND and DBP Leaders
We're looking forward to having everyone in Washington, DC for #AUCD2019! To help you navigate the various activities and meetings, ITAC staff have developed a targeted agenda for LEND and DBP leaders. Please share this with any of your faculty and trainees that plan to attend; print copies will also be available at the LEND Directors Meeting on Sunday, November 17.

Open Positions at AUCD Central Office
ITAC is seeking two motivated and highly qualified individuals to join our technical assistance team!

  • Manager: This individual will lead the overall vision, direction, and ongoing evaluation of the Emerging Leaders Community, and serve as team lead on other key projects, initiatives, and national meetings.
  • Program Specialist: This individual will be responsible for more direct engagement with current/former trainees and early career professionals, online and print dissemination, and supporting network technical assistance efforts.

ITAC Project Advisory Committee (PAC) Update
ITAC extends a sincere "thank you" to the members of its Project Advisory Committee (PAC) whose two-year volunteer terms concluded earlier this year: Miya Asato (Pittsburgh LEND), Mark Crenshaw (Georgia LEND), Cindy Ellis (Nebraska LEND), Betsy Humphreys (New Hampshire-Maine LEND), Zipporah Levi-Shackleford (Virginia LEND), and Howard Zlamal (Arizona LEND). The new PAC, which held its first call in early November, includes several returning and new members. Click here to see the roster.

Welcome Newly Elected AUCD Board Members
Four of the five newly elected members of the AUCD Board of Directors, who will begin their three-year terms at the 2019 AUCD Conference, have connections to LEND and/or DBP programs. Congratulations to: At-Large Member Gail Chodron (Wisconsin), Emerging Leaders Representative Elizabeth Morgan (California), NTDC Chair Eileen McGrath (Arizona) and COLA Chair Jeiri Flores (New York).

MCHB Annual Awards: Congratulations to Drs. Avila, Brosco, and Iwaishi!
On October 22, 2019, MCHB held their annual awards ceremony, highlighting individuals who have noteworthy contributions to the health of infants, mothers, children, adolescents and children with special health care needs. ITAC would like to congratulate LEND leaders Maria Mercedes Avila (Vermont) and Jeffrey Brosco (Florida) for receiving the MCHB Director's Award, and to Louise Kido Iwaishi (Hawaii) for receiving the Title V Lifetime Achievement Award!