Recently the IOD received renewals for a two of its programs--the New Hampshire-Maine LEND program and the New Hampshire Disability and Public Health Project (DPH).
Both projects have been renewed for another five years, and the NH LEND program has now officially been renamed the NH–Maine LEND program to acknowledge the full reach of the program.
The NH-ME LEND program is a collaboration among the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, the IOD, and the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies/UCEDD at the University of Maine. NH-ME LEND prepares leaders to enter the field of maternal and child health in order to improve the lives of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families, with particular attention to the needs of children with ASD. The program aims to increase the numbers of leaders in the MCH workforce, increase the leadership capacity of the workforce, and address health disparities in NH and ME through high quality interdisciplinary training. You can learn more at NH-ME LEND website.
The DPH project will continue to work to improve the health and quality of life of people with disabilities in NH by developing and strengthening the capacity of the state’s public health programs and initiatives to encompass and include people with intellectual disabilities and mobility limitations. DPH focuses its work in six topic areas: 1) physical activity; 2) nutrition; 3) healthy weight; 4) tobacco use and exposure; 5) chronic disease prevention and management; and 6) oral health.
DPH, building on its previous work, will engage in activities such as:
- Providing training and technical assistance to public health professionals, health care providers, policymakers and others whose public or private roles have potential to influence the health and health behaviors;
- Supporting the adaptation of an evidence-based health and wellness program for persons with intellectual disabilities;
- Improving surveillance related to health risk factors and health care utilization among people with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and mobility limitations; and
- Translating research knowledge to practice by sharing health information, tools, and resources through multiple dissemination vehicles.
Dr. Charles Drum is the Principle Investigator and Director of the DPH project, a collaboration between the IOD and the NH Division of Public Health Services. For more information visit the Disability and Public Health Project website.
