Boone County Family Resources (BCFR) collaborated with student volunteers from the Thompson Center’s TIPS (Training in Interdisciplinary Partnerships and Services) program to develop resources for individuals with developmental disabilities. TIPS is part of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training initiative in Missouri, aimed at training advanced graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities.

This year, TIPS students developed resources on guardianship and alternatives to guardianship—a topic that often raises many questions due to its complexity. In response, they created a simple, easy-to-understand handout designed to introduce individuals and their families to key terms and concepts they may encounter when determining the level of support their loved one needs.

“Our goal was to keep it a simple starting point, and not too overwhelming as a first step in the discussion,” said BCFR’s Shireen Razavi, who coordinates the project alongside students. “We always appreciate the effort students put into creating resource materials that will have a lasting impact.”

In addition, Shireen provided support to the MACDDS TIPS group, which was working with Nancy Pennington, Executive Director of MACDDS, to develop materials for legislators. Their goal was to convey the real-world impact of funding cuts on individuals with developmental disabilities, emphasizing the interconnected nature of the systems that serve them.

TIPS student Madeline Hulshof said one of her favorite parts of this experience was “learning from an amazing multi-disciplinary team to better serve future patients.”