Projects

Current Projects

Develop and evaluate an intervention that rural CIL staff can use with their consumers to improve access to and efficiency of healthcare services by organizing them around consumer self-management and quality of life goals.

Estimate the incidence of mental health symptoms reported by adults with mobility and sensory impairments living in three rural communities.

Develop and evaluate a peer support specialist training program to reduce secondary mental health needs of individuals with mobility or sensory impairments.

Evaluate a unique method of recording food intake on film to measure nutritional habits of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Evaluate a health promotion program for people working with state Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies.

Evaluate methods of promoting healthy behaviors for people with developmental disabilities.

Evaluate the effectiveness of delivering the Living Well with a Disability Health Promotion training using the internet.

The Montana Disability and Health Program conducts projects to assess, monitor, improve, and maintain the health of Montanans with disabilities. (Visit Website)

Research on the ability of rural physical therapists to provide health promotion interventions to assist rural adults with disabilities better manage their health and reduce secondary conditions.

Investigate the relationships between health behavior and secondary conditions of rural and urban residents with disabilities.

Past Projects

Evaluated the ability to reduce health risk and limitations from secondary conditions of people with developmental disabilities by improving health behavior in target areas of physical activity, oral health, healthy eating, and self-care activities.

Developed resources to positively influence the relationships between direct service staff turnover and the health, participation, and opportunities of adults with developmental disabilities.

Identified barriers experienced by people with disabilities that limit access to health promotion.

Evaluated the cost-effectiveness of providing the Living Well with a Disability Health Promotion Program through Center for Independent Living.

Documented the effects of managed care on access to health care for rural individuals with disabilities and evaluated the impact that access to health care has on the secondary conditions they experience.

Developed instruments and field-tested methods to assess the health status, health care utilization, and the experience of secondary conditions, risk, and protective factors.

Developed and tested a rural self-care model for preventing and managing secondary conditions experienced by adults with physical disabilities living in rural areas.

Trained direct care givers and therapists employed by home health agencies and centers for independent living and assessed its effectiveness.