Funded Projects

Problem:

Today's adolescents struggle with a wide range of health care needs related to a variety of social, economic, and environmental factors. For youth with disabilities, these problems are compounded. Adolescents in the southeastern (SE) U.S. are particularly plagued by these health concerns. When a teen is poor, minority, rural, lower educated and uninsured, health outcomes are worse. The SE region remains the poorest region in the U.S. Teens in the south have higher rates of obesity, STIs, unmet mental health care needs and teen pregnancies.. A need exists for leaders to be trained, in the south, to address these significant health disparities.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: Recruit professionals in 5 core disciplines with emphasis on minority trainees/fellows: Goal 2: Train using an interdisciplinary leadership approach in a center of excellence in training, research and service that is adolescent-centered/family involved, culturally and linguistically appropriate, community-based care for adolescents and their families; Goal 3: Provide technical assistance/consultation, continuing education and collaboration to MCH agencies health care and community professionals at national, regional, state and community levels; Goal 4: Foster an environment for the conduct and dissemination of collaborative research by LEAH trainees and LEAH faculty.

Methodology:

The UAB LEAH curriculum incorporates biological, developmental, mental health, social, economic and environmental issues that foster development of leadership attributes in trainees and fellows while improving services for adolescents. The curriculum is also based on the Life Course Framework of building on risks/protective factors and critical periods of life. Faculty and trainees/fellows develop, implement, and evaluate an Individual Training Plan (ITP) designed to meet learning objectives. The ITP includes activities that focus on 5 domains: didactic, clinical, public health/community, research, and advocacy/policy and is reviewed and updated monthly.

Coordination:

Alabama MCH Leadership Network, State Title V agencies, Rural Health Institute, Alabama and South Central Public Health Training Centers, SAHCs, Minority Health

Evaluation:

The evaluation uses both process and project outcome measures to evaluate and track the project goals and objectives across all program components including progress on PM and quality of care. CE and TA are evaluated by participants, with advisory boards (project and youth) providing suggestions. Trainees/fellows complete surveys at 1, 5, 10 years after training to document leadership experience. Curriculum is modified using a quality improvement method.