University of California at San Francisco

Problem:

Training health Professionals students to care for adolescents and young adult is a critically important public health need.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: To train leaders in adolescent health for careers as faculty in health professional schools, clinician-educators, administrators, researchers and policy makers from community to national levels. Objective 1: To provide interdisciplinary leadership training in adolescent health for the five core MCH disciplines that reflects the goals of Healthy People 2010 and Bright Futures. Objective 2: To implement and evaluate culturally sensitive, family-centered interdisciplinary exemplary models of accessible, coordinated comprehensive longitudinal health care services for youth and develop a knowledge base. Objective 3: To assist community, state, regional and national health care and policy organizations in de-veloping and addressing the core public health functions for adolescent health.

Methodology:

Used to implement the Projects major goals and 5 specific objectives: I. Training A. Long term trainees at UCSF and UCB in 5 disciplines (Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition, based on 6 Core Competency Areas: (1) Adolescent biopsychosocial development; (2) Contextual factors in adolescent health & youth development; (3) Health People 2010 Health Objectives and Adolescent and Preventive Health Guidelines (Bright Futures); (4) Cultural Competency; (5) Core public health knowledge and skills and (6) Interdisciplinary Leadership Training. B. Short & Medium Term trainees from MCH-affiliated programs at UCSF & UCB receive additional training in adolescent health to add to their discipline specific public health training. C. Clinician, Clinician Investigator, and Health Care/Policy/Community Health Care Administrator traineeships have been developed to meet specific needs of senior level professionals who are incorporating adolescent issues into their professional work settings.

Coordination:

The LEAH faculty have developed collaborative relationships with the community, state, regional and national organizations focused on MCH populations including such professional organizations as AAP, ABA, AMA, APA, NASW and the NCYL. These organizations will play an advisory role to the Project through the Professional Advisory Committee.

Evaluation:

Our former trainees are assessed through an annual survey. Intermediate outcomes are evaluated through assessment of Core Competencies at the onset of training and annually. Clinical Services are monitored through patient volume and health outcomes. For consultation, continuing education & technical assistance; we evaluate effectiveness of our educational programs through pre- and post-measurement . For research; we measure outcomes through publications and extramural awards.

Experience to Date:

The UCSF LEAH Project has accomplished the following over the past year: We have provided clinical services to over 4607 adolescents at UCSF and an additional 1500 adolescents and young adults in the community. We have had 21 long-term trainees in four disciplines (Medicine, Nursing, Psychology and Social Work). In addition to our long-term trainees, we have provided training to 195 short term and 50 middle term trainees. We have provided consultation and technical assistance to over 25 agencies and organizations including Medic-Cal Managed Care, the Adolescent Health Working Group, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Academy of Sciences, the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality and the Department of Defense. Our continuing education activities have included 68 presentations or workshops in which we reached over 7000 health professionals during which time we provided 101 hours of CE. Our publication record includes 133 research abstracts or presentations, 52 peer-reviewed original articles, 13 chapters and books, 15 editorials, 1 report and 12 international presentations. We have also continued to assist with public health formulation through consultation on the IOM Board of Children, Youth and Families and the dissemination of the Companion Document on the 2010 Objectives for the nation. Our LEAH activities are enriched through extramural support from NIH, MCHB, CDC, the Department of Defense, and State MCH funds.