Project Abstract - Mississippi State University Project ECHO to Expand Rural Developmental Health Training and Technical Assistance (ECHO RDH) ? Address – 1 Research Blvd, Suite 103, Starkville, MS 39759 ? Project Director Name – Lisa Long ? Contact Phone Numbers (Voice, Fax) • Lisa Long – Voice: 662-325-3839, Fax: 662-325-7966 ? Email Address • lisa.long@ssrc.msstate.edu ? Website Address, if applicable ? List all grant program funds requested in the application, if applicable • $800,000 Abstract: The purpose of Mississippi State University Project ECHO to Expand Rural Developmental Health Training and Technical Assistance (ECHO RDH) is to systematize support for families, and professionals providing services to young children and their families, and to create a sustainable model for early childhood professional development that builds on and supplements existing systems. This project seeks to demonstrate the viability of developmental and behavioral health-focused ECHO programs for virtual professional development for a variety of rural early childhood providers (e.g., Child Care Resource and Referral Center coaches and staff, social workers, early interventionists, and others) and rural families of children 0-8 who are receiving these services. Our goals are as follows: 1. Increase developmental/behavioral health knowledge amongst early childhood professionals and families by providing training and information telementoring sessions for up to 150 early childhood professionals and 150 family members of children aged 0-8. We will also train up to 36 early childhood specialists (e.g., social workers, pediatricians, child psychologists, medical professionals, social workers, early intervention providers, etc.) to run and lead the ECHO telementoring professional development activities. 2. Create a sustainable system for early childhood developmental and behavioral health professional and family learning by developing a website, creating a
digital depository of early childhood resources, generating greater awareness of the potential of the ECHO model for low-cost, effective telementoring for rural early childhood professionals and families, and supporting interested state partners in adopting the ECHO model for their training purposes. 3. Measure outcomes of the work and offer our evaluation model to other ECHO projects engaged in early childhood developmental and behavioral health support.