Supporting Primary Care Providers

This page contains programs, resources and toolkits designed to support primary care providers who may be treating individuals with Neurodiversity. The Frist Center provides these sources as educational resources only, we are not a medical facility, and we do not provide diagnoses.

The IDD Toolkit

Enhancing Health Care for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; A New Tool Kit for Primary Care Providers 

This website provides information for providers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It offers the best-practice IDD toolkit and information regarding specific medical and behavioral concerns of adults with IDD, including resources for patients and families. In the updated version, a greater focus on the role of the self-advocate in their own health care is provided. Watch this brief video highlighting updates.

The IDD Toolkit update is a project of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, done with extensive cooperation of Surrey Place in Toronto, Ontario, and funded by the WITH Foundation. The toolkit is an adaption for U.S. use of tools developed by the Canadian team, Tools for the Primary Care of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2003) with Surrey Place. These tools support primary care clinicians implementing the Canadian consensus guidelines on the primary care of adults with IDD.

An advisory committee of health care clinicians, researchers, faculty, family members, self-advocates, and a Surrey Place representative provided review and recommendations on the toolkit for use in our U.S. health care system.

Project ECHO

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) offers a annual opportunity for clinicians to enhance their skills and improve patient outcomes. 

Join experienced clinicians at VUMC who have developed an ECHO I/DD training program designed to foster an all-teach/all-learn environment. The program consists of live video-conferencing sessions that meet twice a month for an hour for six months. The latest round of applications will close June 2024. 

By participating in this program, you will not only enhance your skills but also be compensated for your valuable time. Moreover, the sessions will count for CME, adding to your professional development. The sessions will include managing co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions, supporting adults with I/DD in the clinic, housing, and community support, supporting families/caregivers, post-secondary education and employment, and more. 

Wellpoint sponsors this project, and clinicians who accept Wellpoint insurance are eligible to participate. For more information, please get in touch with Dr. Beth Malow, the Vanderbilt site director, at projectECHO@VUMC.org.