Education and Training
For Maternal and Child Health Professionals
Quality services for
mothers, children, and adolescents require professionals who are
- attuned to the
special needs of children, adolescents, and children with special health
care needs
- trained to provide
or assure the provision of interdisciplinary, family-centered, and culturally
competent services and
- focused on improving
the health of the entire population.
Activities
The HRSA Maternal
and Child Health Training program funds public and private nonprofit institutions
of higher learning that provide training and education to those working
in maternal and child health professions. The MCH Training Program supports
- Trainees
who show promise to become leaders in the MCH field through teaching,
research, clinical practice, and/or administration and policymaking
- Faculty
who mentor students in exemplary MCH public health practice, advance
the field through research, develop curricula particular to MCH and
public health, and provide technical assistance to those in the field
- Continuing education
and technical assistance for those already practicing in the MCH
field to keep them abreast of the latest research and practices
In FY2001, the HRSA
Maternal and Child Health Bureau Training Program provided more than $35
million to support:Interdisciplinary training
projects | Disciplinary training programs
| Short-term training initiatives
MCH Interdisciplinary
Training
Leadership Education in Adolescent Health-Prepares professionals
from a variety of health care disciplines to be leaders in clinical care,
research, public health policy, and advocacy.
Leadership Education
in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities-Trains future leaders in a variety
of disciplines to improve the health of children who have, or are at risk
of developing, neurodevelopmental disabilities or other similar conditions
such as autism and mental retardation.
Pediatric Pulmonary
Centers-Prepare health professionals to develop or improve community-based,
family-centered health care for children with chronic respiratory diseases,
such as asthma.
Schools of Public
Health-Prepare students for careers in maternal and child public health
practice, research, planning, policy development, and advocacy. Programs
emphasize leadership training, applied research, and technical assistance
to communities, States, and regions.
MCH Public Health-Enhances
the skills of the existing public health workforce by using innovative
strategies to address the special educational needs of health professionals
who live in isolated geographic communities, or are from underserved or
underrepresented populations.
MCH Disciplinary
Training
Behavioral Pediatrics-Enhances the behavioral, psychosocial, and
developmental aspects of general pediatric care. The programs support
fellows in behavioral pediatrics to help prepare them for leadership roles
as teachers, researchers, and clinicians.
Communication Disorders-Trains
speech-language pathologists and audiologists to provide comprehensive
services to children and their families, and promotes the advancement
of the field through information and knowledge dissemination.
Pediatric Dentistry-Provides
postdoctoral training for pediatric dentists designed to foster leadership
in administration, education, public health, and oral health services.
Attention is devoted to children with special health care needs, including
children with behavioral problems.
Pediatric Occupational
Therapy-Trains graduate and doctoral students to help increase access
to culturally appropriate, community programs for children with disabilities.
Also, these projects develop and disseminate a variety of occupational
therapy educational resources for use across the Nation.
Pediatric Physical
Therapy-Provides post-professional graduate training for pediatric
physical therapists and strives to affect physical therapy training programs
across the country through the development and dissemination of educational
resources, continuing education, and technical assistance.
Nursing-Provides
post-professional graduate training in nurse-midwifery, and pediatric
and adolescent nursing to assure MCH nursing leadership in academia and
community-based health programs. Also these projects provide continuing
education for nurses in the field.
Nutrition-Promotes
public health nutrition for children, adolescents, women, and families
by providing graduate training to nutritionists and registered dietitians.
In addition, short-term training focused on clinical and public health
approaches to maternal and child nutrition is provided to professionals
from a variety of fields.
Social Work-Establishes
MCH Centers of Excellence that promote public health training for social
workers. Graduate and doctoral training are supported. Also, these centers
offer continuing education and educational materials to other social work
programs across the Nation.
Short Term Training
Collaborative Office Rounds-Support community discussion groups
to address mental health aspects of pediatric care. Pediatricians and
child psychiatrists jointly lead these meetings, and participants may
include community practitioners, fellows, and residents.
Continuing Education-Offers
short-term programs to update and improve the knowledge and skills of
professionals serving mothers and children. Distance learning projects
enhance reach through videoconferencing, satellite linkages, and the World
Wide Web. The MCH Institute is targeted to State MCH and children with
special health care needs program directors.
Graduate Education
and Summer Mentor Program-Supports two types of training: residency
training for obstetricians, gynecologists, family practitioners, and pediatricians;
and an MCH Mentorship Program, which stimulates interest of African-American
and Hispanic high school and college students to work in MCH-related professions.
Resources
|