Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders Training Program - Mississippi (MS) faces a workforce crisis of professionals serving individuals with autism and developmental disability (autism/DD) that place its children and families among the most underserved in the nation. The 2025 MS Autism Advisory Committee Report documents autism prevalence at 32.8 per 1,000 children ages 3–17, only 14 school psychologists serving 5 school districts statewide, a 23% special education teacher turnover rate, diagnostic evaluation wait times exceeding one year, a persistently under functioning early intervention system, and critically limited community-based behavioral health care, particularly in rural and Delta-region communities. These service gaps require sustained, interdisciplinary workforce development response. As a tier 1 program, Southern Miss LEND will enroll a minimum of 9 long-term trainees (LTTs) annually (45/5 years), and include advanced-medium, medium and short term trainees across 8 disciplines: Special Education, School Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Social Work, Family Members and Persons with Lived Experience, with the potential of Audiology through the supplemental funding. Each LTT will complete 300+ hours across 4 curriculum components: academic/didactic instruction, interdisciplinary clinical/community-based placements, leadership development, and mentored research/leadership projects, aligned with MCH Leadership Competencies v5. The academic curriculum is delivered through weekly interdisciplinary trainings addressing all MCH required content areas (evidence-based screening and diagnostic evaluation, family-centered care, special education law, transition to adulthood, self-determination, telehealth, and MCH leadership and policy), designed for accessibility for varying knowledge bases and backgrounds. Family members and self-advocate trainees are integrated as full participants across all curriculum components. Clinical training topics and sites represent the lifespan, from early identification and developmental screening through school-age diagnostic evaluation and behavioral intervention to transition to adulthood focused services for adolescents and young adults. Trainees will engage in interdisciplinary diagnostic team experiences, evidence-based intervention delivery, school-based and community-based practice, and telehealth service models. Leadership development is woven throughout utilizing structured mentorship, individual leadership projects, and technical assistance with state agencies. Research and program evaluation training will be calibrated to trainee backgrounds, ranging from empirical research projects to community-engaged quality improvement work. Goals guiding the program are: 1) strengthen trainee competencies and leadership capabilities, with 90% LTT completion of the 300-hour requirement; 2) increase provider capacity for diagnostic evaluation and evidence-based intervention, targeting a 10% annual increase in evaluations and reaching 100+ practicing professionals through 3 annual continuing education activities; 3) enhances systems integration through a minimum of 4 annual technical assistance activities with state partners including First Steps Early Intervention, Title V/MCH, Medicaid, and IDEA/Part C, with at least 1 documented systems change annually; 4) produce a cumulative outcome with 45 LTTs and includes a minimum of 15 additional advanced-medium, medium, and short-term trainees demonstrating competency in leadership, evidence-based screening, diagnostic evaluation, and care coordination. These will be assessed through standardized entry and exit measures with an 80% annual rate target. Program evaluation will use mixed-methods continuous quality improvement framework to track trainee outcomes, CE reach, TA impact, and post-completion in-state employment. Southern Miss LEND is committed to participating in the national Autism CARES Act evaluation and DGIS reporting requirements.
