In 1997, the Departments of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and the School of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences in the College of Health and Human Development Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago received an interdisciplinary grant from Health Resources and Services Administration in the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The purpose of this grant was to better prepare students in the fields of occupational therapy, physical therapy, and human nutrition and dietetics to work in urban underserved communities. The participating disciplines worked together to explore academic-community partnerships within urban environments. A specialized curriculum was developed for student trainees to prepare them for fieldwork experiences with affiliated organizations. Trainees worked on interdiciplinary teams and acquired the skills needed to bring allied health services to socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. To do so, screening instruments were developed to assist the students as they learned how to screen and refer patients to services participating in the program.

Please explore our website for: information on our national advisory board, affiliated community organizations, coursework used in training our students and bibliographic information.

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