Best Practices/Innovation Station
Project Leadership
Family Voices of California developed Project Leadership, a comprehensive training series designed to help family members develop skills and tools to partner at all levels of decision making and engage in public policy activities in California on behalf of children and youth with special health care needs. Training sessions are dynamic and interactive, offering parents the opportunity to learn with and from one another. The curriculum can be implemented as an entire series, or chapters may be used to conduct individual workshops.
Zika Corner
Health Alert Notice
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Notice with updated guidance for health care professionals to interpret Zika test results for women who live in, or frequently travel (daily or weekly) to, areas with a CDC Zika travel notice.
General & Maternal Child Health
Resources on Opioid Abuse
· Point of Health is a free BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York podcast. A recent episode focuses on how to address the nation's growing opioid crisis.
· The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a report finding that pregnant women ages of 15 to 44 were less likely to use opioids than their non-pregnant peers.
· BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation has published information about its initiatives to respond to the growing opioid epidemic within the state. Examples include improving access to treatment for babies born with a drug dependence and improving access to substance abuse services for pregnant women and new mothers struggling with opiate addiction.
Improving Environment and Transportation System Intervention to Increase Physical Activity
The Community Preventive Services Task has issued a new recommendation to increase physical activity through built environment approaches that combine transportation system interventions with land use and environmental design. This recommendation increases recognition of and support for public health communities to actively engage with the transportation, land use and community design sectors to address critical health challenges.
Family Caregiver Support for People with Disabilities
The Arc published results from a survey on family and individual needs for disability support. Data show that family caregivers play a critical role in providing support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The research brief details the types and amount of support provided by family caregivers to individuals living in their home.
National Profile of Local Health Departments
The National Association of County and City Health Officials recently published two research briefs highlighting key findings in the 2016 National Profile of Local Health Departments. The briefs provide an overview of local health departments’ participation in activities regarding national accreditation and local health department workforce development efforts, data and information systems, and services provisions.
Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches to Serving Diverse Populations
The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families published a guide that identifies easily accessible resources on cultural competency for community-based organizations to improve their responsiveness to the needs of targeted populations. Resources to help attract funds to support this work are also identified.
Health Systems Transformation in MCH
Breaking the Link Between Special Health Care Needs and Financial Hardship
The Catalyst Center presented a webinar to introduce the updated edition of Breaking the Link Between Special Health Care Needs and Financial Hardship. The presenters discussed the impact that health care financing and coverage have on families, highlighted policy solutions to reduce financial hardship and ensure children and youth with special health care needs receive needed services and support. The archived slides are available.
Child and Adolescent Health
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
The Healthy Teen Network created a presentation that outlines important information about gender, sexual identity and better methods to address the needs of LGBTQ+ youth. The presentation includes a list of dos and don'ts for educators and other trusted adults to acknowledge and support transgender, as well as gender non-conforming youth.
Archived Webinars
The School-Based Health Alliance recently archived two webinars. The first focuses on achieving patient-centered medical home in a school-based health center. The second discusses how to provide trauma-informed care to better reach youth experiencing homelessness.
Supporting Youth with Special Health Care Needs
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab published a brief that reviews challenges that youth with special health care needs face as they transition to adult care, including lapses in coverage and reduced access to services, and provides recommendations for providers, health care systems and policymakers to help ease the transition.
Access to Mental Health Services for Children in Rural Areas
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a brief that presents a selection of potential policies and practices to help rural children with mental, behavioral or developmental disorders access services. Policies and practices include telemedicine, integration of behavioral health and primary care, as well as school-based care.
Updated Financing Strategies for CYSHCN
The Catalyst Center conducted structured interviews with Title V/CYSHCN programs, Medicaid agencies and family leader organizations to learn about financing care for children and youth with special health care needs. New financing strategies include behavioral health, benefits counseling, family supports, foster care, inequities and relief funds.
Legislation & Policy in MCH
What's Next for Health Policy?
The Alliance for Health Reform and the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation hosted a webinar to discuss ongoing challenges, particularly in the individual insurance market. A video of the event is available.
Women's & Infant Health
Reducing Pre-term Births
The National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, in partnership with Anthem Foundation and March of Dimes, recently published a fact sheet that examines of the prevalence and consequences of pre-term births and highlights evidence-based programs to improve birth outcomes.