The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has refunded the UMass Medical School’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program with a $3.08 million, five-year grant.

LEND, a program of UMass Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, features two training tracks: the Advanced Leadership Fellowship program, an intensive 9-month program for experienced and qualified individuals who are focused on effecting systems change in the developmental disabilities field; and the Leadership in Clinical Care program that concentrates on exemplary interdisciplinary clinical training for students pursuing masters’ or doctoral degrees in specific clinical disciplines.

“We are delighted that LEND has been refunded and that we can continue to train individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to deliver patient- and family-centered, culturally competent clinical care, and to assume leadership roles to improve the quality of life for children and youth with disabilities and their families,” said LEND Director Carol Curtin, PhD. “Our graduates have had a significant impact on the field, and we look forward to training the next generation of leaders.” Curtin also is the director of the Shriver Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and is the associate director of the Shriver Center. She is an associate professor of UMass Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health

MCHB announced on July 1st that 49 LEND programs nationwide were funded for the next five years.