The VT-ILEHP is a collaborative effort of the University of Vermont, the Vermont Department of Health, State Title V Programs (CSHN), the University Affiliated Program of Vermont, Parent to Parent of Vermont, Howard University, Academy of Pediatrics, Fletcher Allen Health Care (FAHC), local health agencies, and health and service providers throughout the region.

Funded by Maternal and Child Health Bureau this training program has faculty from 13 disciplines including Audiology, Early Childhood, Education, Family Support, Nursing, Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Pediatrics, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Public Administration, Social Work and Speech Pathology. The fellow/trainees in the program are advanced master's and doctoral students or community professionals who have completed the basic professional level of training in their disciplines and are seeking specialized training in interdisciplinary practice. ILEHP is designed to enhance professionals' awareness, knowledge and skill when serving children with complex health and developmental needs and their families. Through the training experience, ILEHP provides a limited amount of service in community-based assessment, care coordination, family support, and technical assistance to programs. ILEHP also offers seminars, conference and workshops to the community, region and nation. Trainee/Fellows are matched with Parent to Parent families as part of their training. 

The VT-ILEHP is a collaborative effort of the University of Vermont, the Vermont Department of Health, State Title V Programs (CSHN), the University Affiliated Program of Vermont, Parent to Parent of Vermont, Howard University, Academy of Pediatrics, Fletcher Allen Health Care (FAHC), local health agencies, and health and service providers throughout the region. The Vermont Interdisciplinary Leadership Education for Health Professionals (VT-ILEHP) Program is funded by the federal Maternal & Child Health Bureau. The purpose of the program is to prepare culturally competent, family-centered and community-based leadership professionals to improve the health of infants, children and adolescents, with or at risk for, neurodevelopmental and related disabilities and their families.

We are a training program (MCH LEND) utilizing a variety of experiences designed to enhance professionals' awareness, knowledge and skill when serving children with complex health and developmental needs and their families. Through our training practica, we provide a limited amount of service in community-based assessment, care coordination, family support, and technical assistance to programs. We also provide seminars, conferences and workshops for the community, region and nation.

Our program has a faculty and fellows/trainees from 13 disciplines: Audiology, Early Childhood, Education, Family Support, Nursing, Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Pediatrics, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Public Administration, Social Work, and Speech Pathology. The fellows/trainees are advanced master's and doctoral students or community professionals who have completed the basic professional level of training in their disciplines and are seeking specialized training in interdisciplinary practice.

What do we do?
Service to Children and Families
We offer innovative approaches to serve children with special health and developmental needs.  We strive to support care providers, agencies and families, and move them toward a more holistic model of care coordination for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families in the following ways:

Care Coordination: model collaborative teamwork and strategies, for planning and implementing coordinated services; and to support existing teams in their efforts to serve children with complex health and developmental needs, and their families.

Community-Based Assessment: provide family-centered, community-based assessment and consultation, which is meaningful within a family's cultural context; and provide comprehensive interdisciplinary reports and individual resource notebooks.

NICU Follow-Up Clinic: interdisciplinary developmental screening and referral for children at risk for developmental problems discharged from Fletcher Allen Health Care (FAHC) NICU Clinic.

Parent to Parent of VT:family support by matching fellows/trainees to families with children with special health and developmental needs.

Program Consultation: technical assistance to programs serving children with special health needs and their families.

Course work
Two newly developed advanced graduate level seminars are offered through the Vermont's Interdisciplinary Leadership

Education for Health Professionals (VT-ILEHP) Program, which is required for all VT-ILEHP long-term trainees and fellows.

There is a Fall and Spring Semester graduate course cross listed in several departments, and offered through Continuing Education for variable graduate credits (1-3). The specific content is guided by the five competency areas emphasized throughout the VT-ILEHP core curriculum: neurodevelopmental and related disabilities; interdisciplinary process and collaborative teaming; cultural competence; family-centered care; and leadership in Maternal & Child Health. The Interdisciplinary Core Curriculum Committee has actively and collaboratively developed the scope and sequence of the course content. These courses are offered to community health professionals and related service providers, as well as to students and faculty not directly involved in the VT-ILEHP Program.

Fellowships/Traineeships
Fellowships/traineeships are also offered to advanced master's and doctoral students, and master's prepared community providers or those who have completed their basic professional level training in their disciplines. Training is designed to develop the participants' knowledge and skill in interdisciplinary leadership, education and research.

Dissemination of Information
VT-ILEHP shares information with families and community providers by accessing literature, offering presentations in topical areas and providing seminar opportunities for community programs, agencies and professionals. We collaborate with other MCH Programs, both regionally and nationally, to disseminate information important to children with health and developmental needs in line with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Children with Special Health Needs (CSHN) and the Healthy People 2000 objectives.

Community Training
The VT-ILEHP Program provides outreach training to community providers, agencies and community teams. Inservices or workshops are provided by a variety of interdisciplinary faculty in their areas of expertise. Some examples include:

Interagency Collaboration
We collaborate with numerous agencies and programs, including: 
CHSN, Community Health Center, I-TEAM, Department of Education, Parent to Parent, Family, Infant & Toddler Project of Vermont, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fletcher Allen Health Care - Department of Pediatrics & Department of Neonatology, and the Department of Health. Our goal is to maintain a coordinated system of follow-up for infants, children and adolescents with, or at risk for, neurodevelopmental and related disabilities.