UMatters

Pictured left to right: Lori Brenneke, Christy Miller, Waheeda Hossain, Tom McVeigh, Melody Boling, and Mike Sparks

[The following was provided by the Institute for Human Development.]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded the 2012 “Collaboration and Coalition Building Award” to Missouri Traumatic Brain Injury Implementation Partnership Project. The award, presented by the Federal Traumatic Brain Injury Program division of HRSA, recognizes Missouri as a national leader in establishing strategic partnerships for sharing resources to positively impact survivors of TBI.  

The project is a joint effort of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development, University of Missouri-Columbia and other state partners. It was established to promote strong partnerships between agencies and organizations at the state and local level, a key to improving access to systems of care for TBI survivors and their families.

According to HRSA, one of the great strengths of the Missouri project is its use of a “level of collaboration tool.” The tool, also employed by other IHD research projects, measures both the number and strength of partnerships within the system. The survey will continue to be used by the Missouri TBI project to monitor ongoing relationships between the state and partner organizations, as well as the emergence of new relationships.

“This is an outstanding team to work with. Their efforts have made this project a success. The federal program has recognized the ingenuity of the evaluation design, and now other states are looking to us as an example,” said Melody Boling, MSW and project coordinator.

Boling, Tom McVeigh, Waheeda Hossain, and Christy Miller provide IHD expertise for the evaluation and partnership strengthening aspects of the project. Derrick Willis provides leadership for the project’s cultural competency training, and Mike McCarthy leads strategic planning.