Projects

Oklahoma Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (OKLEND)

Oklahoma LEND is an interdisciplinary leadership education program funded by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau in the US Health Resources and Services Administration. OKLEND prepares selected individuals for leadership and advocacy roles in promoting best practices and systems change to improve services and formal and informal supports for children children and youth with neurodevelopmental and related disabilities and their families. 

Long-term OKLEND interns receive 300+ hours of interdisciplinary learning experiences beyond academic degree requirements based on four core principles of: 1) Person/Family-Centered Services; 2) Cultural Competence; 3) Interdisciplinary Teaming/Collaboration; and 4) Inclusive Community-Based Practices.

Health Professions Pre-service Training

Pediatric Resident Practicum

The Center for Learning and Leadership (CLL)/UCEDD, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Family Network and the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, presents a family-centered approach to introduce pediatric residents to family perspectives on developmental disabilities. Our Pediatric Resident Practicum is part of an advocacy rotation for pediatric residents associated with the CLL Family Support 360° Center. In the practicum, pediatric residents are provided information and family perspectives and experiences by parents of people who have developmental disabilities. The Pediatric Resident Practicum targets the following ACGME core competences:  interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism. ACGME is the abbreviation for the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education

Learning Objectives: 

• Strengthen interpersonal, communication, and professionalism competencies.
• Expand knowledge of developmental disabilities.
• Present evidence-based best practices for disclosure of a child’s developmental disability diagnosis.  

Oklahoma Self Advocacy Network Training

The Oklahoma Self Advocacy Network (OKSAN) provides training for people with developmental disabilities by people with developmental disabilities.  

SALT I (Self Advocacy Leadership Training): Introduction to leadership and advocacy designed for and by people with disabilities. Participants develop skills to become better leaders and advocates.

SALT II: Advanced training in leadership and advocacy for and by people with disabilities.

Emergency Preparedness - Let's Make A Plan: Training on preparing for disasters, such as storms, tornadoes, fires, and other emergencies, for and by people with disabilities. 

Taking Control of Your Health: Training on nutrition, healthy living, and healthcare advocacy for and by people with disabilities.  This training is partly funded by the Nutrition is for Everyone project.

Oklahoma Community of Practice Training

The Community of Practice for Supporting Families uses the LifeCourse Principles and philosophy. The core belief is “ALL PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE, LOVE, WORK, PLAY AND PURSUE THEIR LIFE ASPIRATIONS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.” 

The overall goal of supporting families, with all of their complexity, strengths and unique abilities, is "so they can best support, nurture, love and facilitate opportunities for the achievement of self-determination, interdependence, productivity, integration and inclusion in all facets of community life for their family members (AIDD National Agenda for Family Support Conference, 2011)." We believe that all families need three types of support, emotional, informational and day-to-day supports in order to have a trajectory to a good life. The Charting the LifeCourse tools help facilitate training, discussion and visions for a good life.

Community of Practice for Supporting Families of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities began in  2012, with six states receiving a five year grant awarded to NASDDDS (National Associations of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services) by the Administration of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD).

Oklahoma was part of the original grantees.  Oklahoma’s team consist of the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council, Oklahoma Department of Human Services – Developmental Disabilities Services and the Center for Learning and Leadership, OK UCEDD. 

Additional partners are the Oklahoma Family Network, Bios Corp, Sooner SUCCESS, Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitative Services, Oklahoma Autism Network, Department of Human Services – Adult and Family Services, and the Edmond Public Schools.

Oklahoma Family Support 360 Center Services

The Oklahoma Family Support 360° Center serves families who have children with developmental disabilities and are Medicaid eligible.  Most of the famillies served are Spanish speaking. The Center provides information and navigational assistance to families, as well as guidance on finding resources, emotional support, and family networking opportunities in the community. The Center is staffed by bilingual family navigators who are also parents of children with developmental disabiltiies.Funding constraints limit the 360° Center's acceptance of new families to 28 per year.  The Center maintains an active enrollment of over 80 families.

For more information visit here.

Legacy for Children™

Legacy for Children™ is an evidence-based parenting program focused on strengthening the parent-child relationship and social support as well as promoting children’s health and socio-emotional development.  OUHSC is collaborating with Oklahoma State University (OSU), Educare, Catholic Charities, AUCD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to examine (a) thesocial validity, acceptability, and cultural congruency for providers and parent consumers of the Spanish translated Legacy for Children™ curriculum, (b) process of implementation including fidelity, and (c) maternal and child progress.

Collaborating Partners:

Lara Robinson: lpr0@cdc.gov
Amanda Morris: Amanda.morris@okstate.edu
Adriane Griffen: agriffen@aucd.org
 

Primary OUHSC Investigators:

Principal Investigator:
Jane Silovsky, PhD, OUHSC
Jane-Silovsky@ouhsc.edu

Co-Principal Investigator:
Lana Beasley, PhD, OUHSC/OSU
Lana-Beasley@ouhsc.edu

Co-Principal Investigator:
Angela Harnden, PhD, OUHSC, UCEDD-CLL
Angela-Harnden@ouhsc.edu

Click the link for more information about Legacy for Children™: link

Nutrition Interventions

Nutrition is for Everyone(NIFE) is a project to provide nutrition education for and with people with developmental disabilities, their friends, families, and caregivers. Nutrition is for Everyone also advocates for inclusive nutritional education. 

This project is led by Oklahoma Nutrition Ambassador, Ashley Brice, a registered dietitian and OKLEND graduat along with Deputy Ambassadors who are self-advocate and family leaders in the disability community. These leaders work with people with disabilities, their families, and friends to increase the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy choices. Nutrition education will be provided for people in the disability community across the five  states of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee, and Mississippi. Nutrition is for Everyone is part of a five-state grant through the  Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and is funded by the Walmart Foundation.

Goals for this project:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Cook more meals at home.
• Lose weight and be healtheir.
• Create a network of advocates for healthy eating in Oklahoma. 

For more information contact:

Ashley Brice
Email: ashley-brice@ouhsc.edu