A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

In the community:

The commission coordinates university service efforts to the community. There are fifteen disciplines (education, law, medicine, nursing, social work, theology, psychology, etc.) that work directly with communities in areas of health, education, economic growth and human services.

In the degree program:

There is a classroom component in which students are offered courses that are designed to benefit students from a number of disciplines. For example, there is a course in the planning stages called community development. The course is designed to prepare students from a number of disciplines to participate in community development using their various professional expertise in conjunction with other professionals.

How is the community served?

Services provided to the community are in the form of research, information dissemination, and direct services provided by professionals and pre-professionals to the children and families of Ohio. This program is unique in that it also provides services to professional associations in the area of improving collaboration among professions. Specifically, the commission provides interprofessional planning, training and education for communities, institutions and agencies interested in collaboration.

What clinical experiences are offered?

There are at least two efforts. There is a newly developed fifteen-discipline initiative that provides fifteen top graduate students with the opportunity to work along with a faculty mentor directly in the community. For the past twenty years, the ICO has provided teams of pre-professionals for service to schools, health providers, etc. for clinical experience.

How do schools participate?

The schools participate as recipients of services from various teams and individuals from the University. The schools send individual teachers and teams of teachers to participate in interprofessional seminars on issues related to children and their families.

How long has the interprofessional development program been operating?

The program began in January of 1973 with about seven disciplines involved. As of 1995 there are fifteen disciplines involved.

How is the program evaluated?

Qualitative evaluation of the total program has included comprehensive interviews with a wide range of program participants and service recipients. Specific project evaluation is generally a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies designed by the principal investigator(s) and staff. Evaluations have been very positive and encouraging. Projects achieve their specific goals. The impact of the total program on professionals and clients is positive.

Contact Person(s):

Luvern Cunningham, Consultant
The Interprofessional Commission of Ohio
1501 Neil Avenue, Suite 104
Columbus, OH 43201
(614) 337-1334 (Phone)
(614) 337-1115 (Fax)

[Healthy and Ready to Learn: Honolulu, Hawaii]

[University of Southern California Interprofessional Initiative: Los Angeles, California]