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More about SLED-VAST

An interprofessional education program shaping the future of autism care through addressing service system gaps.

Student Led Environment - Innovating Autism Care

What is it?

 

A Student-Led Environment (SLE), an innovative education and practice training model. SLED-VAST stands for Student-Led Environments to Deliver Virtual Autism Supports for Wait-times.

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The goals? SLED-VAST is a) building capacity in the next generation of clinicians who will be supporting children and families within the Ontario Autism Program; and b) filling gaps within the current systems and creating innovative tools and programs to enhance the current system. 

Who is involved?

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Co-led by the Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE), University of Toronto, and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, in partnership with:

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  • George Jeffries Children’s Centre

  • FIREFLY Physical, Emotional, Developmental, and Community Services

  • NOSM University

  • McMaster University

  • UHN’s The Institute for Education Research (TIER)

  • Western University

Please see the full SLED-VAST Consortium list here.

SLEs have shown promising results in cost reduction, patient satisfaction rates, and student learning outcomes 

 (Oosterom 2019).

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Why is SLED-VAST important? Student-Led Environments (SLEs) are an efficient, effective, and evidence-informed education solution to system and workforce capacity pressures. 

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The SLED-VAST Student Led environment Education Program received the Ministry of Colleges and Universities' 2021/2022 Minister's Awards of Excellence in the category of Future-Proofing Ontario's Students. 

Facilitation team:

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  • Amanda Binns, PhD, SLP - CCC Reg. CASLPO, Farah Friesen, MI. and Holland Bloorview Family as Faculty Alifa Khan and Gunjan Seth,

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Funded by the OAP Workplace Capacity Fund.

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(ADD IMAGE) 

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More about SLED-VAST:

Student Led Environments simultaneously (a) engage health professions students in projects that fill identified gaps in healthcare systems and (b) provide a unique interprofessional training experience to the next generation of clinicians. Perhaps unlike some other education models, SLEs are an invitation to leadership, truly encouraging and making space for learners to bring forward their curiosities and explore ideas that emerge for them, in the directions that are most exciting and impactful, informed by and in partnership with community partners, health professionals, and patient/family partners.

 

Integrating best practices from education science, clinical practice and research, and experiential knowledge (lived experiences), SLED-VAST provides learners with valuable, evidence-informed education that enables more compassionate, equitable, and collaborative care.

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