LEND Fellows

Fellows

LEND fellows are graduate or postgraduate students, or community members selected for their outstanding skills and commitment to improving the quality of life for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.

In partnership with other academic departments, the LEND interdisciplinary collaboration will offer 6-10 graduate level students (masters or doctoral) opportunities as fellows.

LEND Fellow Benefits

There are many benefits to being a LEND fellow.

• Opportunity to participate in a state of the art clinical and community training experience with one-to-one faculty mentoring.
• Unique chance to learn with a group of students from other disciplines.
• Tuition benefits and paid stipend.
• Focused training on leadership skills and competencies.
• Connections to other fellows in the United States with similar academic backgrounds and interest in neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Training Requirements

Pre Doctoral and Community Fellows are required to complete at least 320 hours, and Post Doctoral Fellows must complete 1,788 hours. These hours can include:

• The LEND Fellow Seminars and facilitated discussion
• The core course in the Disability Policy and Services certificate from Institute on Community Integration
• At least 20 hours of clinical experience in the University’s Autism clinic and/or Gillette Children’s Hospital.
• Families as Teachers in home experience
• Individualized policy, clinical, community organizing and/or research practicum under the mentorship of LEND faculty. (hours vary)
• View a detailed list of LEND program requirements for Pre, Post Doctoral and Community Fellows

The MCH Leadership Competencies

Twelve MCH leadership competencies are presented here and organized into the three categories described in the conceptual framework. These categories include:

1. Self
   1. MCH Knowledge Base
   2. Self-reflection
   3. Ethics and Professionalism
   4. Critical Thinking
2. Others
   5. Communication
   6. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
   7. Cultural Competency
   8. Family-centered Care
   9. Developing Others through Teaching and Mentoring
   10. Interdisciplinary Team Building
3. Wider Community
   11. Working with Communities and Systems
   12. Policy and Advocacy

Each of the 12 competencies includes a definition of the competency, knowledge areas, and basic and advanced skills for that competency. Read more about the MCH competencies.

MN LEND Competencies

1. Knowledge about Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
2. Knowledge specific to Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders
3. Leadership
4. Interdisciplinary Training, Teaching, and Practice
5. Cultural Competence
6. Family Centered Care
7. Community Supports and Services
8. Health Disparities
9. Transitions to Adulthood
10. Advocacy
11. Evidence Based Health Science and Care
12. Self-determination and Self-advocacy
13. Research
14. Technology
15. Communication and Teaching
16. Public Health and Health Policy
17. Health Systems