NH-ME LEND Program

NH-ME LEND Program NH-ME LEND is a Maternal and Child Health funded workforce development program that improves systems

Through a long-standing collaboration between Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth and the University of New Hampshire, the NH-ME LEND Program provides graduate level interdisciplinary training for students and professionals from diverse disciplines, including:
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Physical therapy
• Early Childhood Education
• Psychology
• Health Management & Policy
• Social work
• Nutrition
• Speech Language Pathology
• Occupational therapy
This rigorous 10-month curriculum follows the academic calendar and includes coursework and hands-on experiences with faculty, families, community partners, and legislators that support trainees’ abilities to:
1. Develop leadership skills that address the needs of children who have neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) and their families, and allow trainees to move into leadership roles in their communities.
2. Develop an understanding of public policy and evidence based care.
3. Participate in clinical training at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, community-based clinical settings, and the Seacoast Child Development Clinic at the University of New Hampshire. Traineeships require a minimum commitment of 300 hours over a 10-month period.

We are excited to celebrate 🎉two LEND trainees, Zee Immele and Olivia Barron, who have both completed their master's deg...
12/19/2025

We are excited to celebrate 🎉two LEND trainees, Zee Immele and Olivia Barron, who have both completed their master's degree in Occupational Therapy at UNH!

Congratulations, Zee and Olivia! See you in the Spring as you continue on in the LEND program 😊

Kathy Bates, NH-ME LEND faculty member and author of the blog, From Where I Sit, has released the fourth blog in her "10...
12/17/2025

Kathy Bates, NH-ME LEND faculty member and author of the blog, From Where I Sit, has released the fourth blog in her "10 Things" series!

You can find "Ten Things Families Want You to Understand About Disability", plus more at

Kathy Bates shares family wisdom on disability, highlighting support, independence, and inclusion in her latest From Where I Sit blog post.

And… they’re done! Today, marks the ✨last seminar of the semester✨ for our 2025-2026 LEND cohort. Have a wonderful winte...
12/12/2025

And… they’re done! Today, marks the ✨last seminar of the semester✨ for our 2025-2026 LEND cohort. Have a wonderful winter break -- See you in January when we kick off the Spring Semester!

At NH-ME LEND, trainees learn that ✨self-reflection✨is essential for recognizing their path and developing as a leader.
12/10/2025

At NH-ME LEND, trainees learn that ✨self-reflection✨is essential for recognizing their path and developing as a leader.

Friday Factoid: NH-ME LEND produces a digital publication called Spotlight! To get the latest program developments, news...
12/05/2025

Friday Factoid: NH-ME LEND produces a digital publication called Spotlight! To get the latest program developments, news, research, and opportunities, go to https://iod.unh.edu/nh-me-lend/spotlight and subscribe!

Subscribe to the NH-ME LEND Spotlight distribution list to stay up to date on the latest program developments, news, research, and opportunities.

12/03/2025


On 3 December 2025, the United Nations will commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) under the theme “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress.” This year’s observance builds directly on the momentum of the Second World Summit for Soci...

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with dee...
11/26/2025

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."
~ Albert Schweitzer

LEND graduates make change happen!
11/21/2025

LEND graduates make change happen!

When young people with lifelong disabilities turn 18, the leap from pediatric to adult healthcare can feel like stepping off a cliff. Families are left juggling crises, navigating systems that don’t fit their needs, and hoping someone—anyone—can see the full picture.

Enter Dr. Lisa Plotnik. NH-ME LEND Program graduate. Fierce advocate. Innovator. Listener. Builder of a whole new kind of primary care.

Her model centers the whole family—their time, their needs, their stress, their hopes. And not as an afterthought, but as a core part of care. Longer visits when needed. Modified exams. Telehealth that bridges distance. Space for caregivers to speak and be heard. A team that understands complex disability and chronic illness because they’ve built a practice around it.

This is what compassionate, dignified, prevention-focused medicine can look like. And it all started with one question she kept hearing from families: “Who is taking care of us?”

We are so proud to see an IOD NH-ME LEND alum leading this transformation in New Hampshire. Read the full story about Dr. Plotnik’s trailblazing work and how her time at the IOD helped spark it: https://ow.ly/lrEM50Xw0xw UNH College of Health and Human Services

"Joy comes from using your potential." ~ William Schutz
11/21/2025

"Joy comes from using your potential."
~ William Schutz

At NH-ME LEND, trainees learn that effective leadership uses evidence-based decision-making that integrates clients' val...
11/19/2025

At NH-ME LEND, trainees learn that effective leadership uses evidence-based decision-making that integrates clients' values and circumstances, best available evidence, and providers' expertise to make informed decisions.

Friday Factoid: Did You Know? NH-ME LEND provides graduate-level interdisciplinary training for students and professiona...
11/14/2025

Friday Factoid: Did You Know? NH-ME LEND provides graduate-level interdisciplinary training for students and professionals from a variety of disciplines. Go to https://iod.unh.edu/nh-me-lend/about for the full list of disciplines!

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. KennedyAt NH-ME LEND our trainees learn that leader...
11/12/2025

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy

At NH-ME LEND our trainees learn that leadership ability grows as the knowledge, skills, and experience of the individual expands and deepens.

Address

55 College Road, 103 Pettee Hall
Durham, NH
03824

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5am
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(603) 862-0561

Website

https://ccids.umaine.edu/research-projects/completed-projects/nh-me-lend/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when NH-ME LEND Program posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category

Our Story

Through a long-standing collaboration between Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth and the University of New Hampshire, & the University of Maine, the NH-ME LEND Program provides graduate level interdisciplinary training for students and professionals from diverse disciplines, including: • Developmental Pediatrics • Physical therapy • Early Childhood Education • Psychology • Health Management & Policy • Social work • Nutrition • Speech Language Pathology • Occupational therapy This rigorous 10-month curriculum follows the academic calendar and includes coursework and hands-on experiences with faculty, families, community partners, and legislators that support trainees’ abilities to: 1. Develop leadership skills that address the needs of children who have neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) and their families, and allow trainees to move into leadership roles in their communities. 2. Develop an understanding of public policy and evidence based care. 3. Participate in clinical training at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, community-based clinical settings. Traineeships require a minimum commitment of 300 hours over a 10-month period.