PROBLEM
The major causes of morbidity and mortality for adolescents are linked more closely to life conditions and dangerous behaviors than to natural causes. Contemporary adolescent health threats include: 1) injuries, 2) substance use and abuse, 3) sexual health behaviors, 4) mental health problems, 5) nutritional disorders, and 6) inadequate access to, or use of, appropriate health services. Environmental and behavioral risk often co-exist with synergistic negative effects on health. Gaps between actual adolescent health status and Healthy People 2010 targets remain wide, and traditional strategies to meet such targets have produced minimal results. Thus, a new paradigm of adolescent health care, based on novel public health instructional methods that prepares professionals to address the strategic goals of the MCHB to 1) eliminate health disparities, 2) assure the highest quality care, and 3) facilitate access to care is needed. These problems and MCH priorities determine the goal and objectives of this project.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
To improve adolescent health by providing interdisciplinary leadership education that prepares trainees for leadership roles in training, research, and developing organized systems for the delivery of innovative and effective adolescent health services.
Objective I: To prepare professional personnel at the graduate and post-graduate levels in core MCH disciplines for leadership roles in adolescent health by combining the acquisition of excellent clinical competence with outstanding interdisciplinary leadership abilities.
Objective I.A. To provide advanced clinical preparation to trainees in each of five core disciplines with a balanced interdisciplinary curriculum that addresses existing and emerging adolescent health issues in a family context, using a variety of settings and instructional methods, focused on:
1) Clinical expertise, 2) Health promotion, 3) Interdisciplinary process, and 4) Public health.
Objective I.B. To provide novel instructional experiences that prepare trainees for interdisciplinary leadership roles in systems delivering adolescent health services through foci of:
1) Leadership, 2) Administration, 3) Communication and Teaching, 4) Health Services Research, and 5) Community-based educational partnerships.
Objective II: To enhance the capacity of Title V, MCH and related programs to provide appropriate comprehensive services to adolescents and their families throughout the project.
Objective II.A. To provide technical assistance and consultation to MCH and related agencies in Rochester, New York State, and beyond, that promotes integrated, comprehensive, family-centered models of care and the means of achieving health goals, including strategies that strengthen positive youth development through community collaborative efforts and community-based initiatives that address the needs of under-served youth from high-risk situations.
Objective II.B. To expand existing collaborative interdisciplinary partnerships between project faculty and MCH personnel, using advanced technology, to include distance learning, continuing educational programs, new service design, research, and mutual support.
METHODOLOGY
The Rochester LEAH training project follows a detailed curriculum providing a broad range of interdisciplinary educational experiences preparing professionals for leadership roles related to innovative and effective adolescent health services. Using proven instructional methods and authentic evaluation that are grounded in core public health principles, this project emphasizes the faculty’s extensive experience in developing and maintaining community-based service programs providing population-based care. A variety of academic, clinical and research oriented interactions between trainees and faculty will ensure that trainees acquire requisite competencies for future leadership roles, while faculty advance their existing leadership roles integrating adolescent health services into local, State, regional and national systems of care, and conducting cutting-edge research. With an emphasis on community-based, interdisciplinary educational experiences, this project balances clinical service learning with administration, public policy and advocacy skills building. The cost of this training project is minimized through leveraged funds from other sources directed toward congruent adolescent health goals.
Shared interdisciplinary experiences that combine trainees and faculty together as a team in educational, clinical and research activities, prepare trainees to both analyze leadership needs and demonstrate leadership in action, when presented with extant or emerging adolescent health problems. These abilities will be achieved through participation in activities that are matched with each trainee’s preferred learning style, highly experiential, and authentic. The curriculum is composed of four primary components that provide the necessary didactic material and learning experiences to assure mastery of the required trainee competencies: 1) didactic seminars; 2) clinical practicum; 3) leadership practicum; and 4) exemplary interdisciplinary experiences.
COORDINATION
Coordination with local, State, and national MCH-related agencies is insured by the inclusion of such activities in the project’s objectives: 1) the local Health Director presents at seminars in the project and actively involves trainees in leadership experiences, 2) the State Adolescent Health Coordinator and the State MCH Director work closely with faculty and trainees on a statewide youth development initiative, and on community based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs, 3) the Technical Assistance Coordinator is leading a HRSA/MHCB funded initiative to implement comprehensive preventive services for adolescents nationwide, 4) faculty are leading a nationwide HRSA/MCHB supported program to improve the mental health and safety of youth (KySS Campaign), 5) annual continuing education programs are linked with all jurisdictions within Region II, 6) research is coordinated with another MCH long-term interdisciplinary training program in Region II, and 7) the Project Director coordinates all conference calls and meetings with the other six LEAH project sites and serves as liaison with the national State Adolescent Health Coordinator Network.
EVALUATION
Data will be gathered and analyzed to evaluate: 1) project process and 2) project impact on relevant health outcomes. Evaluation procedures to assess project process are based on the principles of Total Quality Management and are designed to be rigorous, dynamic, continuous, mutual, and comprehensive. Health outcomes will be determined for adolescents served by the project as well as those living in the region where the project takes place.
ANNOTATION
This project to improve the health of adolescents through interdisciplinary leadership education (combining advanced clinical preparation and exemplary leadership experiences) addresses the need for a new paradigm of preparing adolescent health leaders of the future by maximizing community-based partnerships. The objectives of preparing advanced level professionals for leadership roles in the context of providing technical assistance and consultation to MCH-related program goals will be attained through innovative approaches integrating clinical and leadership experiences into a unified curriculum. Advanced technology will be used for distance learning and continuing education programs for professionals in rural areas. The evaluation process will provide ongoing feedback for Total Quality Management.
KEYWORDS
adolescent health programs, adolescent pregnancy prevention, advocacy, Bright Futures, community-based health services, continuing education, interdisciplinary teams, leadership training, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, managed care, MCH research, medicine, nursing, nutrition, preventive health care, psychology, quality assurance, social work, technical assistance, teleconferences, Title V programs, training, violence prevention, youth development.
|
