DURHAM, N.H. – Institute on Disability (IOD) Staff Member Melissa Mandrell received an award from the University of New Hampshire’s College of Health and Human Services at their Spring Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.
Melissa Mandrell, a Project Director at the IOD, and Dr. R. William Lusenhop, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Social Work Department, are the recipients of the Excellence in Collaboration Award this year for UNH’s College of Health & Human Services. They, along with the IOD’s Dr. Joanne Malloy and Alexa Trolley-Hanson of the Occupational Therapy Department are collaborating on the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is designed to expand the recruitment, cross-disciplinary training, and field experiences of UNH Master’s level students to increase access to high-quality integrated primary/behavioral health care for individuals in rural areas and medically-underserved populations.
“Working across CHHS units, and especially across a Department and an Institute adds breadth and depth and represents the best of what is happening in disability policy research today,” shares Linda Bimbo, IOD Acting Director.
Melissa joined the IOD in 2005. Currently she works on projects to support access to person-centered long-term care options for individuals with disabilities and/or who age into disabilities. Previously, Melissa worked on projects assessing consumer satisfaction with community mental health services, developing core competency standards for individuals who work with children with emotional and behavioral challenges, supporting family and informal caregivers, and integrating affordable housing with long term supports. Prior to joining IOD, Melissa worked for the State of New Hampshire at the Bureau of Behavioral Health and at New Hampshire Hospital. Previous employment included University of Iowa Mental Health Clinical Research Center and United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Its mission is to promote full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons by strengthening communities and advancing policy and systems change, promising practices, education, and research.
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.
