Johns Hopkins University

Problem:

To produce leaders for the next century who are solidly grounded in their own disciplines and able to work collaboratively with colleagues in interdisciplinary settings, and to prepare trainees to anticipate, manage, and take advantage of changes in knowledge and health care delivery systems.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: To maintain a qualified faculty representing the prerequisite disciplines with appropriate appointments and qualifications to perform the functions and responsibilities under this project. Objective 1: The MCHB LEND project will maintain a qualified faculty representing the disciplines needed to meet the LEND objectives. Objective 2: The LEND faculty will possess the professional credentials and experiences necessary for them to meet the LEND objectives. Objective 3: The LEND Faculty will work to meet the LEND objectives Goal 2: To develop, coordinate and evaluate an educational program that produces leaders in clinical care, research, training or administration for the 21st century. Objective 1: To recruit nationally the most highly qualified long-term, advanced masters degree trainees, pre-doctoral trainees, post-masters and/or post doctoral Clinical Fellowship year trainees, and post-doctoral and post-residency fellows, fifty of whom will train for one or more years. Objective 2: To provide a didactic interdisciplinary core curriculum and clinical experiences that will allow each trainee to acquire competencies that will prepare them to pursue a career that will aid achievement of the MCHB mission. Objective 3: All long-term doctoral and postdoctoral trainees will develop the prerequisite skills and background knowledge needed to participate in research projects. Goal 3: To sponsor and conduct, on both a regional and national level, educational and training activities including community-based workshops, consultations, continuing education seminars and presentations. Objective 1: The MCHB LEND project will present at least one nationally significant Continuing Education/Development activity per year. Objective 2: LEND faculty and trainees will work together to provide education and training by conducting seminars and workshops in the community, in the region and nationally by presenting at professional conferences. Objective 3: The MCHB LEND project will collaborate with other LEND projects in continuing education, clinical consultation and research projects. Goal 4: Faculty and trainees together will maintain technical assistance and consultation relationships with Title V and other state, regional and national programs that address MCHB issues. Objective 1: LEND faculty and trainees will work together to provide technical assistance and consultations in the community, in the region and nationally. Objective 2: The MCHB LEND project will collaborate with other LEND projects in technical assistance activities. Objective 3: Goal 5: To disseminate, nationally and regionally, current curricular materials, teaching models and other educational resources in response to new research findings & developments relevant to MCHB's mission. Objective 1: LEND faculty and trainees will disseminate information and training materials to health and related care professionals, parents, school personnel and policy makers. Objective 2: LEND faculty and staff will expand the collection of education, training and occupational information on neurodevelopmental and related disabilities on its web site, The Resource Network, and the Community Training Center. Objective 3: LEND faculty and staff will continue to expand and disseminate patient education services to enable people with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families to make informed decisions about their health care.

Methodology:

The project will provide education and training to long-term trainees in the following areas: clinical knowledge (clinical expertise, and interdisciplinary process), leadership, collaboration and research. The rroject will serve an extensive and diverse client population and provide a range of service settings, basic and applied research facilities, and collaborative relationships with city, state and federal resources. Trainees will be involved in intensive, direct, supervised clinical experiences with a wide variety of disorders and will receive individual mentoring that yields an individualized approach. Individualized training sequences will be part of a comprehensive core training program that emphasizes interdisciplinary interaction, leadership training and public health approaches. The accomplishment of the Goals and Objectives will prepare trainees to become leaders who will exercise their new knowledge and skills to develop high quality, comprehensive, compassionate and family centered systems of care. LEND faculty and trainees will present and coordinate continuing education activities that will enhance the overall level of practice in the community, region and nation. LEND faculty will continue to link with other MCHB funded training programs and bring their expertise to bear in the forms of technical assistance, consultation and policy development. Development and dissemination of various products will be enhanced through the use of technology.

Coordination:

The project uses the resources of the KKI, the JHU Medical Institutions and Bloomberg School of Public Health and provides training to students from the JHU, the University of MD, and 39 other universities throughout the U.s. Close working relationships exist with county health departments, Infant and Toddler Programs throughout the state, the Baltimore City Public Schools, the Departments of Education and Social Services, and the Office of Genetics and Children with Special Health Care Needs.

Evaluation:

Evaluation is accomplished on three levels: trainees, programmatic and the Bureau. On the trainee level, we ensure that the trainees have accomplished the objectives that we outline above. At the programmatic level, we review the program as a means of continually improving our training and keeping it relevant. At the Bureau level, we are assisting MCHB to document the worth of its investment in long-term Leadership training by collecting the information outlined in the Performance Measures.

Experience to Date:

Trainee Data: 227 Long-Term 122 Intermediate 11 Short-Term Training Trainee Activities: 268 Training/Continuing Education Activities: 203 Technical Assistance Activites: 278 Products/Publications: 81 The LEND Training Program incorporated all of the program specific and other performance measures. Collaborated with State of Maryland Title V agencies and other organization that resulted in a strenghtening of MCH Goals and Objectives.