Montana: CDC State Funded Programs

Posted on by AAHD

Level 2 Funding from 2002-2007

Lead Agency

Department of Public Health and Human Services
52 Corbin Hall
Missoula, MT 59812-7056
http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu
Todd S. Harwell, MPH, Principal Investigator
Chief, Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
PO Box 202951, 1400 Broadway
Cogswell Building C314
Helena, MT 59620-2951
Phone: (406) 444-1437, Fax: (406) 444-7465
tharwell@mt.gov
Meg Ann Traci, Ph.D., Project Director
Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
The University of Montana Rural Institute: A Center for Excellence
in Disabilities Education, Research and Services
52 Corbin Hall
Missoula, MT 598
Phone: (406) 243-4956, Fax: (406) 243-2349
matraci@ruralinstitute.umt.edu
Tom Seekins, Ph.D., Director
Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
The University of Montana Rural Institute: A Center for Excellence
in Disabilities Education, Research and Services
Phone: (406) 243-2654, Fax: (406) 243-2349
ruraldoc@ruralinstitute.umt.edu

Collaborating Agencies

University of Montana Rural Institute

Project Goal

The project goal of the Montana Disability and Health Program, Living Well Under the Big Sky, is to promote the health and independence of Montanans with disabilities. During the next two years, its goal is to maintain and expand its capacity to:

  • Maintain and expand partnerships.
  • Develop and implement statewide strategic planning.
  • Implement, evaluate, and expand prescribed public health surveillance.
  • Serve as a disability and health technical assistance resource.
  • Provide technical assistance to Montana’s communities.
  • Prevent secondary conditions and promote the health of Montanans with disabilities.

Objectives include:

  • Maintain strong partnership between UMRI and MDPHHS and develop partnerships with other state and community agencies.
  • Maintain and develop Advisory Board capacity.
  • Maintain and expand broad Disability and Health Network.
  • Complete and implement a statewide strategic plan for disability and health.
  • Continue to assess and monitor the health status and health behaviors of Montanans with disabilities.
  • Improve the capacity of professionals and service providers to conduct health education and promotion for people with disabilities by serving as a technical assistance resource and focal point for the prevention of secondary conditions in Montana.
  • Improve the capacity of persons with disabilities, professionals and service providers to prevent secondary conditions in Montana communities by providing health education information and materials that are timely, relevant, and accessible.
  • Plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion interventions to prevent and manage secondary conditions and improve the health of Montanans with disabilities.
  • Increase the number of state and community service provider plans, policies, programs, and procedures that address the health of Montanans with disabilities.
  • Expand the roles, scope, and capacity of MTDH.

Major Program Activities

  • Support independent living centers to evaluate Living Well with a Disability program state-wide
  • Implement a community-activated approach to implementing Living Well with a Disability in areas without independent living centers—Community Activated Living Well (COALW)
  • Implement and evaluate a nutrition program in group homes for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities—MENU AIDDS materials for education and nutrition with adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities
  • Establish practice guidelines designed to manage supported living including statewide training on approach, implementation, and program evaluation processes
  • Compile common thread e-mails that announce new products and contain links to most of them
  • Implement a project with Montana People First to improve oral hygiene behaviors—Have Healthy Teeth
  • Continue to work with key advisory boards to the Department of Public Health and Human Services to better represent Montanans with disability through the Disability Advisory
  • Improve accessibility of health care and health promotion sites through the Accessibility Ambassadors Program
  • Assist the Department of Public Health and Human Services to make public health information available to Montanans with disabilities in alternative formats (e.g., Braille, ascii text, large font and tape recordings)

Surveillance

  • Publishing Montana Disability and Health Report (2001 and 2003 BRFSS data).
  • Sponsoring state-added items in 2005 BRFSS to better understand the needs on Montanans with disabilities.
  • Looking at American Indian Health Survey sponsored by the Montana Diabetes Project to better understand the needs of American Indians with disabilities in Montana.
  • Compiling BRFSS data with multiple states to better understand the health behaviors of American Indians with disabilities.
  • Will publish the Montana BRFSS Report 2001-2003 with disability as a demographic.
  • Will estimate number of visit-able homes in Montana using data from a 2004 MontanaBRFSS state-added item.

Materials and Publications

“Resources to Help People with Disabilities Live Well Under the Big Sky”: Webpage Listing Resources and Services for People with Disabilitieshttp://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Resources.htm
“Resources for Professionals Helping People with Disabilities Live Well Under the Big Sky”: Webpage Listing Resources for Professionals and Service Providershttp://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Professional.htm
“Health and Disability Training Opportunities Calendar: Calendar of Health and Disability Meetings across the Nation by Month” http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/training.htm
Publications on Health and Disability:http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/PubList.htm
“Barriers and Best Practices: Marketing Health Promotion for People with Disabilities (Rural Practice Guidelines)” http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/MarketingGuidelines.htm
“Living Well with a Disability: An Update Rural Disability and Rehabilitation Research Progress Report #19” http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/LivingWell.htm
“Marketing Health Promotion for People with Disabilities: Rural Disability & Rehabilitation Research Progress Report #18”http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/MarketingProgressReport.htm
“Direct Service Staff Turnover in Supported Living Arrangements: Preliminary Results and Observations, Research Progress Report #17”http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/TurnoverReport.htm
“Living Well Could Save $31 Million Annually: Rural Disability and Rehabilitation Research Progress Report #7” http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/RRPRNumber7.htm
“Cost Effectiveness of Living Well with a Disability: Rural Disability and Rehabilitation Research Progress Report #6” http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/CostEffectiveness.htm