Human Development Center Programs - Collaborative and Other Special Projects

Collaborative Program:
Training and Assistance for Personnel Serving
Children with Special Health Needs
Robert E. Crow, Ph.D., Project Director
LaVonne Smith, R.N., Project Coordinator

Goal: To provide technical assistance for developing policies and practices, and accomplish personnel development related to implementing recommended health and medical practices to support effective education for children with special health needs in the Louisiana education system.

Intended Impact: Improve policies and regulations to guide the state department of education and local education agencies in applying health and medical practices in educational settings

Increase knowledge and competence of nurses and other school-based personnel in meeting needs of students with special health challenges

Increase the ability of the state department of education for effectively responding to changes in federal or state laws and emerging health practices

Topics/Areas of Expertise:

Letter and spirit of federal and Louisiana laws directing health practices

Nursing roles and professional responsibilities

Training and technical support for school nurses and paraprofessionals

Interagency policy development in topics of health services for students

Early intervention and health practices

NBRS demonstration and use as a parent education tool

Interdisciplinary perspectives on NICU services and follow-up activities

Legislative monitoring and development of proposed bills

# Coordinated the development of the SDE Bulletin 1909 AImplementation of Act 760 of 1991 with Amendments of Act 469 of 1992, Guidelines for Training Noncomplex Health Procedures@

# Coordinated Development of the SDE Bulletin 1885 AClean Intermittent Catherization in the Educational Setting@

# Coordinated Development of the AManual for Administration of Medications to Students in Louisiana Public Schools@ approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing

# Developed (a) sections related to health in Preschool guidelines, (b) manual for Para educators, (c) manual for Education for Students with Traumatic Brain Injury, and (d) sections in SDE Regulatory and Reference manuals

# Facilitated an interagency agreement between the LA State Board of Nursing and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

# Facilitated integration of medical services within educational programs for children birth through 21 years of age

# Assists the SDE in planning and developing Comprehensive and sequential@ services for children birth through 21 years of age

# Provides technical assistance to local education agencies throughout the state

# Assists with complaint management in issues related to health of children with special needs

# Assists with preparation and dissemination of information related to in-service and preservice training needs of professionals involved with health services in local education agencies

# Served on the Region II Interagency Coordinating Council and the Healthy and Ready to Work Committee and the Special Interest Group on Traumatic Brain Injury

# Integrate elements of this training and policy implementation into the Early Childhood Development Clinic of HDC for continuation of instruction for medical students, nurses, and other health care and related personnel contacted by the Clinic

# Assist with expanded interagency collaborative agreements among education, health, mental health, and social services agencies to achieve integrated approaches to meeting needs of children in educational settings

# Participate on the Louisiana Basic Health Insurance Plan Development Council to represent Superintendent Cecil Picard and the State Department of Education