Seeking Patient Care?
The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program is our core training program for graduate students, family members, and persons with disabilities. The goal of the Mailman Center LEND program is to train future leaders to improve the health of children who have neurodevelopmental disabilities, including the developmental and behavioral consequences of chronic disease. Consistent with our Mailman Center vision/mission, our LEND program focuses on reducing health disparities at the intersection of disability and other social determinants of health such as race/ethnicity, culture, language, and poverty by training the next generation of leaders to implement systems-level change.
Our LEND program goals are to increase the number and diversity of future leaders who can: (1) provide family-centered, interdisciplinary, culturally competent services; (2) evaluate and develop public policy; (3) conduct research and integrate it into clinical programs and systems of care; (4) provide continuing education and technical assistance; and (5) improve local systems of care.
LEND training is integrated with disciplinary training. While participating in one of our clinical training programs, trainees also participate in interdisciplinary small group interactions, complete online interactive modules, and engage in a variety of community and clinical experiences to enhance skills in cultural humility, interdisciplinary team building, family-professional partnerships, and systems-level advocacy. One critical component of our LEND program is the development of an individual leadership plan which allows trainees to identify a common issue in their practice, devise a systems-level solution, and present their plan to an interdisciplinary group of faculty and peers.
LEND is a federal training program funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to ensure that children with special health care needs and neurodevelopmental disabilities have access to health and education professionals with expertise in family-centered care, interprofessional teams, and leadership for systems-level change.
For more information about our LEND program, please contact Cristina L. Pujol.
Contact Information
Cristina L. Pujol, M.S., CCC-SLP
LEND Training Director
Email: cxl885@med.miami.edu