Programs at IHD
The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s (UMKC) Institute for Human Development (IHD) operates multiple programs aimed at promoting access to opportunities and resources for unserved and underserved populations, especially for people with developmental disabilities.
Alianzas
Facilitates and promotes intercultural communication and response to the needs of the Latinx population in Missouri in partnership with the University of Missouri Extension services.
- Address issues related to immigration
- Build community among Latinx and other populations
- Build coalitions to improve Latinx communities
- Assist with University of Missouri Extension outreach programs across the state
Communities of Practice for Supporting Families of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Our Communities of Practice (COP) enhance and drive policy, practice and system transformation to support people with intellectual disabilities within the context of their families and communities. COP provides a national structure for learning and exchanging best and promising person-/family-centered practices and policy enhancements for public state agencies, community partners and grassroots stakeholders. COP connects like-minded peers across the country for networking and shared learning to encourage each state’s efforts and implementation strategies
Interdisciplinary Education
UMKC’s Institute for Human Development is committed to supporting ongoing studies through programs that help students gain independence through academics, vocational experiences and college; offers a graduate certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership in Disability Studies; and supports intensive training for advanced graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in neurodevelopmental disabilities, particularly autism.
Maternal Health Action Network
This coordinated statewide care and support system connects mothers and families affected by substance misuse. They share their voices and lived experiences to identify gaps, barriers and opportunities to improve programs, services and initiatives for better maternal and child health.
Missouri Disability and Health Program
Funded by the Center for Disease Control’s Disability and Health Promotion branch, the Missouri Disability and Health Program (MODHP) is part of a larger 10-state collaborative that aims to reduce health disparities experienced by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and adults with mobility limitations (ML) in the U.S.
This program is currently in Missouri’s second round of Disability and Health funding. In 2016, the State Health Department began Missouri’s program with a focus on inclusive and accessible public health programs. Since 2021, UMKC-IHD has focused on access to preventative healthcare and health promotion activities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mobility limitations through the following initiatives:
Missouri Family to Family
A family-driven resource center that can support individuals and families by listening, training and connecting them with quality resources specific to their situations.
Missouri Supporting Early Childhood Administrators
As part of the Early Childhood Innovation Center, Missourians Supporting Early Childhood Administrators (MO-SECA) provides administrators across the state with the knowledge, skills, and connections they need to effectively lead and operate sustainable, quality programs.
No Wrong Door
As a key element of the Missouri Family to Family program, the No Wrong Door initiative focuses on how people access services across the community. The Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) have partnered for several years to support states’ efforts to develop coordinated systems of access to make it easier for consumers to learn about and access long-term support services.
Missouri’s Open Door Workshop Series
As a part of the UMKC-IHD’s Charting the LifeCourse Nexus Center and No Wrong Door, the Missouri Open Door initiative offers families monthly online video workshops that provide immediate-use ideas and solutions for families and individuals – all with a specific focus in the realm of technology. Join the Missouri Open Door Workshop Series every fourth Wednesday of the month to learn about a new topic-areas.
Quality Assurance Reporting
With a goal of continuous improvement to in early childhood programs, the Quality Assurance Report (QAR) Program offers assessment and coaching through evidence-based practices to ensure all children have access to high-quality early childhood care and education.
WeSaid at the UCEDD
WeSaid at the UCEDD offers a speakers’ bureau, technical assistance and training center, a podcast series and a quick-interview format video series to promote self-determination and entrepreneurship across Missouri for people with lived experience in developmental disabilities.
