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Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Program

The UTHSC Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program provides interdisciplinary training as well as interdisciplinary services and care by core and affiliated LEND faculty across multiple clinical locations.

The purpose of the LEND training program is to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with or at risk for neurodevelopmental delays or disabilities by preparing trainees from diverse professional disciplines to assume leadership roles in their respective fields and by promoting high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence. There are currently 60 LEND programs across the nation. While each LEND program is unique, with its own focus and expertise, they all provide interdisciplinary training, have faculty and trainees in a wide range of disciplines, and include individuals and family members with lived experience with neurodevelopmental conditions as program participants. Collectively, LEND programs form a network to address national issues of importance to children with special health care needs and their families, exchange best practices, and develop shared products. LEND programs are funded by the federal Autism CARES Act and are administered by the Health Resources and Service's Administration's (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). LEND programs routinely collaborate with other MCHB-funded and related programs at local, state, and national levels.

Our core long-term training cohort consists of approximately 20 interdisciplinary graduate-level (in some cases post-graduate) trainees per year. Long-term trainees receive a stipend and commit at least 300-hours above their enrolled degree program across a semester or academic year. Family and individuals with lived experience are not required to be current students or at a graduate level. Across our faculty and clinical sites, we also provide a variety of interdisciplinary medium- and short-term training opportunities for observation and participation as well as a variety of continuing education for professionals.

UTHSC LEND Trainee Disciplines may vary each year according to interest and availability.

The UTHSC LEND program often includes trainees for varying amounts of time from such diverse fields as:

  • Audiology
  • Child Development an Family Studies
  • Education/Special Education
  • Family members and individuals with Lived-Experience in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Advocates)
  • Medicine (Developmental Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Neurology, Family Medicine, Psychiatry)
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Policy/Law
  • Psychology (Clinical and Educational/School)
  • Public Health
  • Social Work
  • Speech-Language Pathology
  • and others possible

The LEND program is made possible by partnerships with a variety of institutions and programs where interdisciplinary core and affiliated faculty host and supervise clinical trainees, provide related didactic training, lead or support community-based experiences, and engage in related activities (eg, scholarly endeavors, community service, etc). Core and affiliated faculty routinely collaborate across programs to promote shared goals and objectives.

Current LEND Training Sites include:

Contact

To inquire about or to apply for traineeship with the UTHSC LEND program, please contact:

            LEND Director: Toni Whitaker, MD

            LEND Training Director: Leah Goldstein, PsyD

            LEND Le Bonheur Training Coordinator: Sarah Carter, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC

Please include your discipline, current academic program, and contact information in the email.

Resources

Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership Competencies

This program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $645,000 with 10% percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the faculty/staff/author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Aug 21, 2024