As part of the Combating Autism effort, HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau recently launched its Combating Autism web site at http://mchb.hrsa.gov/autism/. This site includes a list of MCHB funded activities and combating autism resources. HRSA's implementation of the Combating Autism Act of 2006 addresses some of the most urgent issues affecting people with autism and their families.
New National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families Has Been Established
Added: January 7, 2009
A new National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families has been established in Berkeley, California under the auspices of Through the Looking Glass, a non-profit organization founded in 1982. The Center will oversee several national research studies concerning parents with disabilities and their families, as well as provide consultations, trainings and publications to parents, family members and professionals.
The research and resources of the Center will address the nearly 9 million U.S. parents with disabilities - 15% of all American families. Parents with disabilities include mothers and fathers in all disability categories - such as parents with physical disabilities, deaf parents, blind parents, parents with psychiatric or cognitive disabilities. The Center is funded by a $500,000 per year federal grant for three years from the Washington, DC-based National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), U.S. Department of Education.
The new Center will focus its research and resource activities on four critical areas that impact parents with disabilities: custody, family roles and personal assistance; paratransit; and, intervention with parents with cognitive disabilities and their children. One of the notable activities planned over the next three years is a scholarship program for high school seniors and college students whose parents have disabilities. The Center will be staffed by nationally recognized experts regarding parents with disabilities, most of whom have personal or family experience with disability or deafness.
More information about the Center and Through the Looking Glass is available at the organization's website www.lookingglass.org, through two toll-free numbers, 800-644-2666 (voice), 800-804-1616 (TDD/TTY), or by email at tlg@lookingglass.org.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health
Added: January 7, 2009
The Maternal and Child Health Library released a new edition of the knowledge path, Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health. The knowledge path points to recent resources about preventing, identifying, and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health.
Separate sections present resources for professionals (health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, researchers) and consumers. A special topics area lists resources about cultural and linguistic competence to remove barriers to care and narrow health disparities. The knowledge path is available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_race.html. Knowledge paths on other maternal and child health (MCH) topics are available at http://mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/index.html.
UNC MCH Department Designated World Health Organization Collaborating Center
Added: January 7, 2009
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the department of maternal and child health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) as its newest Collaborating Center. The center, established in the department's home in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, will help the United Nations agency use the strongest and most comprehensive available research to promote and improve global reproductive health, reported Dr. Herbert B. Peterson, professor and chair of the maternal and child health department, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UNC School of Medicine and director of the new center.
"This is a classic win-win situation," said Dr. Peterson. "We're helping WHO achieve its global mission to promote cutting-edge reproductive polices, programs and practices, and it gives UNC the opportunity to lead the way in translating research into practice - which is one of the strengths of the Gillings School of Global Public Health."
The department is currently working with WHO through a major grant to develop and implement evidence-based guidance for global family planning efforts. Department faculty members, assistant professors Drs. Kelly Culwell and Emily Jackson are assigned to the agency's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to assist with these efforts.
The Carolina Breastfeeding Institute, led by Dr. Miriam Labbok, professor of the practice of public health in the department, will be part of the collaborating center, helping to discover and promote best practices for feeding infants worldwide.
Dr. Peterson said the center also will launch new activities to address issues in population and family planning related to international development goals and objectives, including environmental sustainability and elimination of poverty and hunger.
WHO Collaborating Centers have been established in various fields. Centers help develop common terms, technologies, methods, procedures and ways to collect data, which allows for better understanding and easier data comparison between international researchers.
University of South Dakota LEND trainee and faculty members contribute article to the journal Nutrition and Clinical Practice.
Added: December 3, 2008
The journal Nutrition and Clinical Practice recently published in their December 2008 issue an article by University of South Dakota LEND faculty members Dennis Stevens and Kendra Kattelmann and trainee Jennifer Sneve. The article entitled Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Team That Includes a Registered Dietitian in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Improved Nutrition Outcomes was the result of a University of South Dakota LEND Trainee project conducted by Jennifer Sneve two years ago. The online version of this article can be found at http://ncp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/23/6/630.
MCH Library Releases New Edition of Domestic Violence Knowledge Path
Added: October 20, 2008
The Maternal and Child Health Library released a new edition of the knowledge path, Domestic Violence. This electronic resource guide has been released in time for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. The knowledge path points to recent resources about identifying and responding to domestic violence within the home and the community. Separate sections identify resources for families and resources about children exposed to domestic violence; dating violence among adolescents; and violence between gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender partners.
The Maternal and Child Health Library released a new edition of the Community Services Locator, an online directory for finding services for children and families in the communities in which they live. The locator may be used by service providers and families to find available services for child care and early childhood education, education and special needs, family support, financial support, health and wellness, and parenting. A new A-Z Resources and Services Index offers another avenue for navigating the locator and the library's Web site. Please view the locator online at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_community.html.
Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents Knowledge Path Now Available
Added: July 14, 2008
The Maternal and Child Health Library released a new edition of the knowledge path, Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents. The knowledge path offers a guide to recent resources about the prevention, identification, management, and treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in homes, schools, and communities. Separate sections identify resources for families, schools and after-school programs, and child care settings. Another section presents resources about the impact of media use. View the knowledge path online at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_overweight.html. Knowledge paths on other MCH topics are available at http://mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/index.html.
The National Center for Cultural Competence Announces Revised and Improved Curricula Enhancement Modules
Added: July 1, 2008
The National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) completed modifications and updates to its curricula enhancement module web site at http://www.NCCCcurricula.info that include the following.
The registration and the navigation for the site were restructured to streamline user access to key content and to eliminate technical difficulties.
Cultural and Linguistic Competence: Rationale, Conceptual Frameworks, and Values is now a separate module, and returning users can navigate with much greater ease directly to the other Modules.
New resources have been added to the Cultural Awareness module, including a training clip with PowerPoint and audio accompaniment on What is Culture , presented by Vivian H. Jackson, Ph.D., NCCC faculty. Additional training clips using this format with be launched during the year.
Preconception and Pregnancy Knowledge Path Now Available
Added: May 19, 2008
The Maternal and Child Health Library released a new knowledge path edition, Preconception and Pregnancy. The knowledge path offers an electronic guide to current resources that analyze perinatal health statistics, describe effective prenatal care programs, and report on research aimed at improving access to and quality of prenatal care and improving perinatal health outcomes. Separate sections list consumer health resources and resources on specific aspects of preconception and pregnancy: childbirth, depression, drug and alcohol use, environmental concerns, fertility and infertility, nutrition, oral health, and tobacco use. View the path online at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_pregnancy.html. Knowledge paths on other maternal and child health topics are available at http://mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/index.html.
The MCH Library Releases Child and Adolescent Nutrition Knowledge Path
Added: April 28, 2008
The Maternal and Child Health Library released a new knowledge path, Nutrition: Children and Adolescents. The knowledge path offers a guide to recent resources that analyze data, describe public-awareness campaigns and other health-promotion programs, and report on research aimed at identifying promising strategies for improving nutrition and eating behaviors within families, schools, and communities. Separate sections identify resources for professionals, resources for families, and resources on specific aspects of child and adolescent nutrition. Topics include child care and early childhood education, food marketing to children, food safety, food-security and nutrition-assistance programs, and school-based nutrition education and food services. View the path online at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_childnutr.html. Knowledge paths on other maternal and child health topics are available at http://mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/index.html.
Vanderbilt Education Program Unites Disciplines
Added: April 28, 2008
Vanderbilt Education Program Unites Disciplines. (2006, May 23). The ASHA Leader, 11(7), 5.
Vanderbilt University has started a unique program that will conduct joint training for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and deaf educators to enhance their work with infants and young children with hearing loss. In core courses, students of these three disciplines will train together in Vanderbilt's Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences (DHHS) while continuing separate courses specific to their disciplines.
"To my knowledge, this will be the only program that educates all three disciplines in the same department," said Anne Marie Tharpe, an associate professor in the department. The program also will offer a master's of science in education of the deaf along with the degrees that have always been offered, including the PhD, the AuD, and the master's in speech-language pathology.
"We already have the specialty tracks started and our first deaf education students will start in fall of 2006," she said. After this year, the SLPs, audiologists, and deaf educators will begin their joint courses.
Tharpe previously had a grant to support a program in multidisciplinary training of speech-language pathology, audiology, and deaf education students in the area of cochlear implants in children. The grant, which ran for eight years, sparked interest by a private foundation to support a similar program in the broader area of identification and management of infants and young children with hearing loss.
The foundation, which wants to remain anonymous, has committed to support the program for five years. However, Tharpe said Vanderbilt intends to run the program indefinitely.
This new master's program in deaf education is one of many new programs that Vanderbilt's DHHS has developed through its new National Center for Childhood Deafness and Family Communication within the Bill Wilkerson Center. Prior to this, undergraduates in the Department of Special Education could pursue an emphasis in deaf education but a master's degree was unavailable.
"We believe that our new master's of science in education of the deaf degree will serve to strengthen the undergraduate program and vice versa," Tharpe said. "I think that those of us who work with young deaf and hard-of-hearing children are aware of the importance of teamwork with this population."
Such training is especially true when working with children who have cochlear implants. All involved in this work need an understanding of implant candidacy issues, as well as cohesive intervention approaches between the teacher and SLP, maintenance and trouble shooting of the device, and consistent support and counseling for the families of these children, she said.
Archived Webcast on Preparations for Upcoming MCH Training All-Grantee Meeting Now Available
The Commonwealth Fund Releases Manual on Selecting Developmental Screening Instruments in Primary Care
Added: February 26, 2008
The Commonwealth Fund has released a new manual on selecting developmental screening instruments in primary care. Developed by Dennis Drotar, Ph.D., Terry Stancin, Ph.D., and Paul Dworkin, M.D., "Pediatric Developmental Screening: Understanding and Selecting Screening Instruments" helps providers choose and apply the structured screening method that is most appropriate for their practice setting. The manual is based on an extensive review of scientific research on available developmental screening instruments.
Part I of the manual is designed to help practitioners define their screening needs. Part II includes a series of guides that compare screening instruments with respect to clinical utility, and sensitivity and specificity in different populations and at various ages. For more information, please visit http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=614864.
New Edition of Knowledge Path on Oral Health and Pregnant Women, Infants, Children, and Adolescents Now Available
Added: February 19, 2008
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) in collaboration with the Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University released a new edition of its knowledge path about oral health and pregnant women, infants, children, and adolescents. Presented in time for Children's Dental Health Month in February, this electronic resource guide points to resources that analyze data, describe programs, and report on policy and research aimed at improving access to and the quality of oral health care. Separate sections identify resources on specific aspects of oral health including child care and Head Start, dental sealants, early childhood caries, fluoride varnish, K-12 education, pregnancy, and school-based care. A separate section lists oral health resources for consumers. The knowledge path is available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/knwpathoralhealth.html. Knowledge paths on other topics are available at http://mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/index.html.
AHRQ's HSRProg Database Available Through National Library of Medicine
Added: February 19, 2008
HSRProj provides information about ongoing health services research projects sponsored by leading Federal agencies and private foundations. Users can retrieve records on the projects AHRQ currently funds by browsing or searching on the sponsoring agency listings for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Free access to the database is available through the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hsrproj/.
MCH Leadership Skills Development Series Now On-Line and Fully Functional
Added: February 19, 2008
The Women's and Children's Health Policy Center is pleased to announce the availability of the MCH Leadership Skills Development Series at www.jhsph.edu/wchpc/MCHLDS.
The MCHLDS is made up of leadership skills training modules that allow users to implement their own leadership skills training program-in their own time frame, on their own turf, with easy-to-use materials available on the web free of charge. The modules bring leadership concepts to life in an MCH context through a mix of video, interactive group discussion questions and exercises, case study, and individual self-reflection and planning exercises.
Three modules are available online now:
Module 1: Tapping Into Your Leadership Potential
Module 2: Creating Clarity and Shared Vision
Module 3: Building And Supporting Teams
Module 4: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution will be available in Spring 2008.
By providing access to fundamental concepts of leadership, with examples and exercises specific to the MCH context, the Center hopes to empower MCH professionals and students-emerging leaders at all levels of career and organizational development-to respond in new ways to the daily challenges of work and commit new energy to the achievement of MCH goals.
The Maternal and Child Health Leadership Skills Development Series is a publication of the Women's and Children's Health Policy Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
MCH Library Releases New Knowledge Path on Children and Adolescents with Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Challenges
Added: November 1, 2007
The MCH Library recently released a new knowledge path on children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges. This electronic resource guide taps into the health, education, social services, and juvenile justice literature to present current, high-quality resources on the topic. The knowledge path was produced by the MCH Library to complement Knowledge Path: Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents. The new path identifies tools for staying abreast of new developments in mental health care and for conducting further research. Separate sections contain resources for families and schools and resources about specific emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges. View the knowledge path online at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_Mental_Conditions.html.
Online Modules of Pediatrics in Practice Now Accredited for CME and CE.
Added: October 15, 2007
The online interactive modules of Pediatrics in Practice (www.pediatricsinpractice.org) are now accredited for CME and CE by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Focusing on health promotion and faculty development, the website features fully re-designed Learning, Teaching, and Practice Centers.
Accredited modules on various Bright Futures concepts (e.g., Health Promotion, Time Management, and Advocacy) are available in the LEARNING CENTER, with additional health promotion modules on Health, Partnership, Communication, Education, and Cultural Competency to be released soon.
The TEACHING CENTER offers several online learner-centered teaching modules (i.e., Brainstorming, Buzz Group, Case Discussion, Mini-Presentation, Reflective Exercise, Role Play, and Promoting a Learner Centered Approach), as well as the entire Pediatrics in Practice Health Promotion Curriculum for Child Health Professionals available for purchase or by download.
The PRACTICE CENTER is under development and slated to include additional valuable health promotion resources, videos, and models of best practice.
The health promotion materials were recently reviewed in the APA newsletter:
"[Pediatrics in Practice] will be a useful and popular resource for all of us who care for families with children. It is accurate, easy to read and use, and well-indexed. Try it!" - Elizabeth Hillman, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Canada in her book review (Ambulatory Pediatric Association Newsletter, Spring 2007;43 (3):31-32).
MCH Library Releases New Knowledge Path on Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents
Added: September 21, 2007
The MCH Library released a new knowledge path, Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents. This electronic guide presents resources by age group (infants and young children, school-age children, adolescents) and on topics such as developmental stages; factors that impact social and emotional development; policies and programs to promote social and emotional well-being in homes and community settings; and strategies for integrating health, development, and education services. A section containing resources for families is also included. View the path online at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_Mental_Healthy.html.
