Abstract
JFK Partners LEND serves individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Needs Addressed
Children, youth, and adults at risk for/with autism and developmental disabilities (ASD/DD) and their families need MCH leaders, a workforce, and systems prepared to deliver culturally responsive, person-/family-centered, evidence-based services in coordinated systems of care to reduce barriers to ASD/DD screening, diagnosis, and interventions.
Population Groups Served
Individuals with ASD/DD and their families.
Proposed services
To reduce barriers to ASD/DD screening, diagnosis, and interventions, individuals with ASD/DD and their families over the lifespan, JFK Partners will: Goal A. Prepare diverse trainees and fellows (T/Fs) with interdisciplinary, culturally responsive, person-/family-centered knowledge and skills, each year (2021-26); by 1) training 18 diverse long-term (L)T/Fs in a comprehensive curriculum, and 25 medium- & 100 short-term trainees (M/STs). LT/Fs (graduate/post-doctoral students, MCH professionals, family members and self-advocates) will have 300-plus contact hours annually in didactic courses, clinical/community practica, and research/scholarly assignments addressing MCH leadership, ASD/DD, disability policy, social determinants of health, telehealth, and emerging issues. M/STs will have selected ASD/DD didactic &/ or practicum experiences. Goal B. Increase MCH workforce capacity each year by: 1) Conducting at least 10 continuing education (CE) events (3 for CE credit) for 500 recipients; and 2) Delivering technical assistance (TA) to support MCH systems of care to at least 15 agencies/organizations. Faculty and trainees will identify and address CE and TA needs collaboratively with local, state, regional & national MCH partners, focusing on ASD/DD. JFK Partners will coordinate programs with agencies such as Colorado (CO) Title V, ABCD CO, CO Part C, CO school districts, CO School of Public Health Regional Institute for Health & Environmental Leadership, El Grupo VIDA; CO chapters of the Arc, Family Voices, Peak Parent Ctr., Parent to Parent; and, AUCD, CDC (LSAE, SEED), WY UCEDD, and the PacWest LEND. Goal C. Increase the evidence base for better understanding of and treatment advances in ASD/DD and other special needs through faculty and trainee research and scholarship, with the outcomes each year of 5 active research projects and 50 scholarly and consumer products.
Collaborators
CO Institutions of Higher Education and agencies, PacWest, AIR-B & AIR-P, AUCD and others.
Program Evaluation
Program Evaluation will monitor and support workplan implementation and quality improvement (including the LEND Program Quality Improvement network); assess trainee satisfaction and outcomes, CE and TA measures; and, facilitate federal reporting. This will be accomplished using: administrative data; trainee assessments, trainee & advisory input to planning, QI data, graduate surveys of MCH service & leadership, and CE & TA feedback; and by tracking program response to HRSA/MCHB and CARES requirements and emerging issues.