Fall 2023
This five-year project will use knowledge translation strategies to promote the use of research-based tools to increase community life engagement (CLE) for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We define CLE as access to and participation in the community as part of a meaningful day; related activities can include volunteer work, civic engagement, recreation, fitness, involvement in faith communities, and any other activities that people with and without disabilities participate in outside of their work lives.
The New Hampshire Leadership Series received a $50,000 Systems Change in Inclusive Health Subgrant from the Special Olympics. The project focuses on developing inclusive national and state policies on nutrition and food access by increasing the representation of the intellectual disability community on food policy issues at regional and state-level food councils.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services (BEAS), in partnership with the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) and the UNH Center on Aging and Community Living (ACL), will evaluate New Hampshire’s long-term services and supports system and consider recommendations for ensuring greater system access across all populations and geographic areas of the state. Once the data collection and analysis are complete, DHHS and HSRI plan to issue a final report in June 2024 that will include actionable recommendations to promote community integration, independence, and a robust system of services and supports for older adults and people with disabilities.
JoAnne Malloy received funding from Endowment for Health to create a structure to enhance the knowledge and skills of infant mental health among the early childhood workforce. She and her team will identify sustainable options for a credentialing infrastructure to enable staff to receive the Early Childhood and Family Mental Health Credential (ECFMHC). They will also explore funding options to ensure that 20+ individuals attain the credential each year.
Summer 2023
NCHPAD Grant Awarded to Implement Accessible and Inclusive Physical Activity and Health Promotion Programs for New Hampshire Adults with Disabilities
Megan Henly, Ph.D., and Emilia Poehlman, MSW, of the NH Disability and Health Program were awarded a $166k grant from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability from 8/1/23 to 7/31/26. Through this funding opportunity, the NH Disability and Health Program will partner with the Granite YMCA and the Moore Center to implement NCHPAD’s inclusive Community Implementation Process (NiCIP). The NiCIP will guide Granite YMCA in creating more accessible and inclusive physical activity and health promotion programs for NH adults with disabilities.
Jen Sulewski Partners to Improve Case Management Assessment and Training Programs
Jen Sulewski, Associate Director and Assistant Research Professor at the IOD, will partner with the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) and the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) on a case management assessment and training program for the NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This program is designed to understand the current state of case management training, outline specific expectations and skill sets required, and identify gaps and develop recommendations to address them.
$2.5 Million Awarded to Deb Brucker and Vidya Sundar for a 5-year Study on Long COVID
Deb Brucker, Research Associate Professor at the IOD, and Vidya Sundar, Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy, have been awarded a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to study Long COVID and its impact on employment for persons with disabilities. The project will include participatory research, secondary data analysis, claims analysis, an intervention (job crafting), and a systematic review.
Spring 2023
Barriers and Communications Preferences of Rural Populations: A Scoping Review
This project is a scoping review of the literature on communications and service-related barriers faced by individuals living in rural areas when seeking government benefits. This six-month project (February 2023–July 2023) is aligned with the Social Security Administration’s focal area on improving communication and outreach. PIs: Megan Henly, Debra Brucker, Andrew Houtenville, and Kelly Nye-Lengerman. Funder: Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center.
Strengthening the NH Alliance for Healthy Aging: Promoting a Shared Vision for Health and Empowered Aging in NH
Under this award, the Center on Aging and Community Living (PI: Jennifer Rabalais) provides support to the NH Alliance for Healthy Aging (NHAHA)—a statewide stakeholder group focused on the health and well-being of older people in the state. NHAHA strives to create a common vision for supporting older adults in NH, a shared knowledge base, and the development of quality programs and services to support all of us as we age. $300,000 was awarded for a three-year period (1/1/2023–12/31/2026) by Point32Health Foundation.
Workforce Development Plan for the State Youth Treatment-Implementation
The NH Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health has authorized an additional $285,000 to be added to their original contract ($1,229,435) for the continued provision of a substance use disorder workforce development plan. This award will allow Creating Connections NH (CCNH), the only program in the state for 12 to 25-year-olds with substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorders (SUD/COD), to provide access to direct services for youth and young adults including The Seven Challenges; establishment of Alternative Peer Groups (APGs); and ongoing coaching and technical assistance. (PI: JoAnne Malloy; March 13, 2023–June 30, 2024).
Fall 2022
ACL Launches Center to Improve Support for People Who Have Both Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Disabilities
To close National Recovery Month, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) awarded a cooperative agreement totaling an estimated $3.25 million over five years to create a national technical assistance and resource center that will improve support for people with co-occurring intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and mental health needs so they can live and participate in their communities.
A key partner includes the National Center for START Services. Joan Beasley, PhD, will be providing support and consultation to the new ACL center—congratulations! Read the announcement.
Spring 2022
The Status and Perceptions Towards Adapted Physical Activity in New England
This one-year project (PIs Scott McNamara, Patti Craig, Megan Henly, and Jill Gravink), funded by the CHHS Research Support Initiative, is a mixed-methods study designed to understand the perceptions of and experiences with physical education for parents of K-12 children with disabilities. The results will inform a project designed to fund and train graduate students in adaptive physical education and therapeutic recreation.
Citation: McNamara, S., Craig, P., Henly, M., & Gravink, J. (2022). The Status and Perceptions Towards Adapted Physical Activity in New England [Grant]. CHHS Research Support Initiative.
Fall 2021
Telehealth and Individuals with IDD: Challenges and Best-Practices in the COVID Era
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience barriers to accessing healthcare, which can result in worse health outcomes than people without disabilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer in-person office visits were available, and the change to telehealth care posed new challenges for people with IDD. Telehealth and Individuals with IDD: Challenges and Best-Practices in the COVID Era is a partnership of the Institute on Disability, the New Hampshire Self-Advocacy Leadership Team, and a trained medical librarian. The project will explore barriers to care, identify best practices for providing telehealth to individuals with IDD, and share findings with primary care providers to inform their practices.
Phillips, K. (Principal Investigator). (2021). Telehealth and Individuals with IDD: Challenges and Best-Practices in the COVID Era [Grant]. WITH Foundation.
Integrated Mental Health Treatment Guidelines for Prescribers in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Gaps in evidence-based training leads to poor patient care and satisfaction, lack of patient engagement, and polypharmacy. The recently developed "Integrated Mental Health Treatment Guidelines for Prescribers in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities," an integrated health guide (funded by the WITH Foundation), focuses on caring for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and provides the foundation for a companion training curriculum for medical students and residents to improve outcomes. This study aims to develop and evaluate an evidence-informed, easy-to-use training for medical students and residents on the mental health care for persons with IDD.
Beasley, J. (Principal Investigator). (2021). Integrated Mental Health Treatment Guidelines for Prescribers in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities [Grant]. WITH Foundation.
Investigating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Provision of Workplace Accommodations
This project will investigate the role of race and ethnicity in the receipt of accommodations, with particular interest in occupation and industry given that workplace segregation by race and ethnicity is prevalent.
Houtenville, A., Brucker, D., & Henly, M. (2021-2022). Investigating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Provision of Workplace Accommodations (Grant). Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center.
Evaluation of Telehealth Services on Mental Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The Center for Start Services (CSS) was recently awarded a five-year, 4.8 million dollar grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for their study: Evaluation of Telehealth Services on Mental Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PI: J. Beasley). Read more about the study. The project will include partners from the University of Florida and Johns Hopkins Kennedy Krieger Institute. In this study, the project team will compare an in-person to a telemental health-delivered crisis prevention program for youth and young adults with IDD. The team will deliver these two interventions within START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment), a national model of crisis prevention and intervention services for people with IDD. Telemental health means that mental health services are provided through the internet and/or phone.
Beasley, J. (Principal Investigator). (2021-2026). Evaluation of Telehealth Services on Mental Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities [Grant]. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
New DOL Grant: From Pilot to Implementation
RAISE: Raising Awareness to Influence Safety in Employment is a grant that was funded through a Susan Harwood Training Grant. This Capacity Building Grant proposes to build new training capacity by providing two and six hours of health and safety awareness to 356 small business employers and employment support staff. The targeted audience includes illiterate/low literacy, young, disabled, and other hard-to-reach workers. The plan is to expand on the training materials developed during a pilot year of training related to work safety. New materials and additional trainings will be developed and translated into Spanish. Mary St Jacques will serve as the Principal Investigator. The award is $177,967 and the grant runs from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.
St Jacques, M. (Principal Investigator). (2021-2022). RAISE: Raising Awareness to Influence Safety in Employment. Susan Harwood Training Grants Program, Department of Labor. $177,967.
New Hampshire Disability and Health Program Received Funding for 5 More Years
The new DHP will improve the health and quality of life of adults with IDD and mobility disabilities in NH by implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce unmet health needs, increase access to preventive health care, and facilitate the adoption of healthy behaviors. Kim Phillips will serve as the Principal Investigator.
Phillips, K. (August 1, 2021 - June 30, 2026). New Hampshire Disability and Health Program [Grant]. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). DD000025
Expansion of the NH Occupational Health Surveillance Program
The primary aim of this application is to expand state-based capacity for occupational health surveillance in New Hampshire, through in-depth analysis to 1) assess the extent and severity of workplace injuries, illnesses, disability, deaths, hazards, and exposures; 2) address state and NIOSH program priorities for follow-up activities, including more in-depth surveillance and outreach, prevention, and intervention focused on adult lead surveillance, opioid overdose and suicide mortality surveillance, infectious disease health informatics, and productive aging and work; and 3) expand surveillance activities to include analysis of unconventional data sources from other agencies and organizations, including the development of a core disability demographic profile and indicators.
Armenti, K., Houtenville, A. (2021-2026). Expansion of the NH Occupational Health Surveillance Program [Grant]. CDC NIOSH.
Summer 2021
Center for START Services approved for $4.8 million in Research Funding
The Center for START Services (CSS) was recently approved for $4.8 million in research funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for their 5-year study: Evaluation of Telehealth Services on Mental Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The project will include partners from the University of Florida and Johns Hopkins Kennedy Krieger Institute. In this study, the project team will compare an in-person to a telemental health-delivered crisis prevention program for youth and young adults with IDD. The team will deliver these two interventions within START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment), a national model of crisis prevention and intervention services for people with IDD. Telemental health means that mental health services are provided through the internet and/or phone. Citation: Beasley, J. (August 2021). [Evaluation of Telehealth Services on Mental Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental DisabilitiesGrant]. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). ($4.8 Million)
UNH-4U Awarded $20,000 from NH Charitable Foundation
Funding will support UNH-4U residential students this fall. The application process is already underway for the UNH-4U 2-Year Program. This is a program milestone as this project has been in the works for over 5 years. Information on their first cohort will be communicated soon. Citation: Partch-Davies, T. (June 2021). UNH-4U [Foundation Gift]. NH Charitable Foundation. ($20,000)
NIDILRR Awards $1 Million to IOD for Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training in Employment
Over a five-year period, this project will offer six 18-month fellowships to graduates of professionally oriented, disability-related doctoral programs, whom the IOD will engage with coursework in graduate-level econometrics, a sequence of one-on-one mentorship sessions with a team of experienced disability and employment research mentors, and immersion in ongoing, federally-funded research projects. Citation: Phillips, K. (June 2021 - May 2026). Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training in Employment [Grant]. National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). 90AREM000401. ($1 Million)
NH-ME LEND Awarded $3.1 Million to Provide Exemplary Interdisciplinary Training
During the project period, the NH-ME LEND Program will provide exemplary interdisciplinary training for 90 long-term and 75 short-term and 400 medium-term trainees from a wide variety of professional disciplines to assume leadership roles in Maternal and Child Health for children and youth with NDD/ASD and their families.
This project has five goals:
- Increase the number of trained professionals to meet the complex needs of individuals with ASD/DD through interdisciplinary leadership training.
- Implement a comprehensive curriculum incorporating interdisciplinary clinical, leadership, and didactic content to prepare trainees to assume leadership roles in the provision of MCH services for children and youth with ASD/DD.
- Coordinate and collaborate with federal, regional, state, and local partners to enhance and expand services for children and youth with ASD/DD.
- Disseminate curricular materials, educational resources, and research findings annually to sustain effective strategies, services, and interventions.
- Implement organizational and administrative structures to ensure program success.
Citation: Humphreys, E. (2021-2026). NH-ME Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program [Grant]. Health Resources and Services Administration/Maternal and Child Health Bureau. ($3.1 million)
CSS Partners with LEND Programs to Provide Graduate-level Training
The Center for START Services (CSS) was awarded an $18,000 subcontract with the Georgetown University LEND program to provide graduate-level training to achieve their goal of building the capacity of interdisciplinary team members to identify, diagnose, and serve children with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disabilities (ASD/DD) and their families. CSS will provide LEND trainees with access to: National Online Training Series on Mental Health and IDD; CSS’ Professional Development Series on the mental health aspects of IDD with 6-week courses designed for care coordinators/case managers; and direct support professionals, and mobile crisis responders. Citation: Beasley, J. (2021-2026). Center for START Services [Subcontract].Georgetown University LEND program. Georgetown University. ($18,000).
The Center for START Services has also partnered with the Georgia State University LEND program to provide five years of graduate-level. CSS will provide GA LEND trainees with access to National Online Training Series on Mental Health and IDD; three asynchronous IDD-MH training modules per year including a post-quiz and certificate of completion; and up to three office hours per month with CSS national team members for discussion and consultation regarding the training modules. Citation: Beasley, J. (2021-2026). Center for START Services [Subcontract]. Georgia State University LEND program. Georgia State University. ($125,000)
IOD Awarded $59,701 to Expand Access to COVID 19 Vaccines
This supplement fund will be utilized to support COVID-19 vaccine access, vaccine education and outreach, and local and state assistance for individuals with disabilities. Citation: Nye-Lengerman, K. (2021-2022). Expanding Disabilities Network’s (UCEDDs) Access to COVID 19 Vaccines [Grant]. Administration on Community Living (ACL). ($59,701)
Spring 2021
CACL Team selected to host Sidore Lecture Series, Aging in America: Justice for All
Hosted by the Center on Aging and Community Living, the 2021-2022 series will build off of the 2019-2020 Sidore Lecture Series. The CACL team includes Casey Golomski, Ph.D., Associate Professor Department of Anthropology; Allison Wilder, Ph.D., Faculty Fellow UNH Center on Aging and Community Living and Associate Professor, Department of Recreation Management and Policy; Allyson Ryder, MPPM, Program Director, UNH Office of Community, Equity and Diversity; Laura Davie and Kate Crary of IHPP; and Jennifer Rabalais from the IOD. The series will be held once a month during the academic year and will bring in a variety of experts to lead the conversations.
$232,000 Awarded to Support Statewide Coalition to Support Health and Wellbeing of Older People in NH
This is a one-year continuation grant of $232,000 to support the NH Alliance for Healthy Aging, a statewide coalition of stakeholders focused on the health and wellbeing of older people in NH. The Alliance for Healthy Aging includes over 320 stakeholders representing greater than 190 organizations and/or groups across the state and across sectors. Goals in the next year include aligning project activities and priorities with the activities of the NH Commission on Aging and the NH State Plan on Aging with the intended outcome of making NH a better place to grow older.
Rabalais, J. (Principal Investigator). (2021-2022). Backbone Support to the NH Alliance for Healthy Aging [Grant]. Endowment for Health.
Aging Well in Rural America: Exploring the Link Between Disability and Environmental Context
The aims of the project are to (1) identify the extent to which a decrease in functioning among older adults is associated with a decrease in well-being; (2) establish whether a relationship between change in functioning and change in well-being varies by urban/rural status; (3) identify the types of rural places that make for more resilient aging among those experiencing disability onset by assessing the mediating effect of county-level structural variables in improving well-being for this population.
Henly, M. & Brucker, D. (2021-2022). Aging Well in Rural America: Exploring the Link Between Disability and Environmental Context [Grant]. Interagency Network on Rural Population Health and Aging. https://sites.psu.edu/inrpha/pilot-projects/
Living Well - NH Quality Framework Launched New DSP Training Pilot Project
In partnership with CSNI, Gateways Area Agency/Plus Company is training high-school students as Direct Support Professionals (DSP). The pilot project has enrolled 14 students at Alverine High School - Career Technical Education. Upon completion of the program, students will have met all NH requirements to be hired as DSPs. This supports both employment for students leaving high school and workforce issues in health and human services.
Winter 2021
Occupational Requirements and Worker Functional Abilities
Houtenville, A. (Principal Investigator), Henly, M. & Brucker, D. (Co-Principal Investigators). (September 2020-September 2021). Occupational Requirements and Worker Functional Abilities: A Close Look at Three Key Occupations. Social Security Administration (SSA), Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center (MRDRC).
Summary: Occupational Requirements and Worker Functional Abilities was awarded $75,000 to examine the capacity of different types of workers in various occupations. Information from the study will be used to inform SSA's disability determination process.
Creating Connections
Malloy, J. (Principal Investigator). Creating Connections. N.H. Bureau for Children's Mental Health (NH DHHS).
Summary: Creating Connections received additional funding of $277,000 to further expand the project in the state with N.H. partners.
The Healthy Families Flourish Program
Smith, S., Humphreys, B., Corvini, M. (Co-Principal Investigators). (September 2020-August 2021). The Healthy Families Flourish Program (TFFP). UNH CoRE Initiative Pilot Research Partnership.
Summary: This CoRE PRP will pilot a UNH-developed, interdisciplinary, telehealth intervention - the Healthy Families Flourish Program (TFFP) - to support family health for families raising CSHCN. Dr. Sarah Smith, CHHS faculty member in Occupational Therapy, developed the TFFP, an interdisciplinary model of family health influenced by occupational therapy, physical therapy, and developmental medicine perspectives. The pilot research aims to determine the preliminary effectiveness of the TFFP on improving family health outcomes and family activity participation, and examine participant satisfaction with, and feasibility of the TFFP and the telehealth delivery approach.
