Champions for Inclusive Communities (ChampionsInc) Star Communities
ChampionsInc, a national center designed to support communities in organizing services for families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), has created the Star Communities program to recognize exceptional communities that work to support organizing services for families of CYSHCN. To read about the San Francisco County, CA community selected to be recognized, click here.
Pediatric medical home model cuts ED visits by 55%
Visits to a hospital emergency department were cut by 55% when a medical home model was used to coordinate care for chronically ill children, study data showed. The model used by the University of California, Los Angeles, conformed to AAP guidelines and featured a one-hour intake appointment and 40-minute follow-up visits, a bilingual liaison for families, and a binder to help families store their child's medical records in a single place.
Models of Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs: Promising Models for Transforming California’s System of Care 
The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) used a multi-pronged approach to collect the models presented in this paper. Experts were consulted via conference calls and follow-up e-mails to gather guidance and suggestions in identifying effective and innovative models for both an overall system of care for CYSHCN and Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s (MCHB) six core outcomes. The models of care were then broken down into the following nine specific areas: overall system of care, medical home, care coordination, cultural competency, family-centered care, transitions, palliative, hospice and respite care, financing, and health information technology.
AAP: Community Pediatrics Grant Database
The Community Pediatrics Grant Database archives previously funded Community Pediatrics grant projects, including those funded through the CATCH Program, the Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program, the Community Pediatrics Training Initiative and the Healthy People 2010 Chapter Grants. The database is searchable by seven major categories: target population, health topic, state/territory, project activity, AAP program, AAP district, and project year. Members of the AAP can obtain grantee contact information by searching through the Member Center. If you are not an AAP member, but have questions please contact docbi@aap.org.
Developmental Surveillance and Screening Policy Implementation Project (D-PIP)
The Children's Clinic, Serving Children & Their Families from Long Beach, CA and Children's Clinic La Jolla of La Jolla, CA participated in the D-PIP. The D-PIP selected 17 practices from across the United States to implement the AAP policy statement “Identifying Infants and Young Children with Developmental Disorders in the Medical Home: An Algorithm for Developmental Surveillance and Screening” to:
- Determine if the algorithm is efficiently and effectively implemented into pediatric practice;
- Recognize strategies for implementing the algorithm; and
- Examine outcomes of implementation.
Following the project, information and outcomes will be shared with pediatric clinicians and other health care professionals who are seeking to improve the delivery of developmental surveillance and screening.
Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Grant (2010-2015)
PEDIATRIC WELLNESS PROJECT
Family Service Association of Western Riverside County, Moreno Valley, CA
Primary
Contact: Maria Murillo, LMFT | E-mail: mmurillo@fsaca.org
The federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau awarded this five-year grant to provide approximately $50,000 per year to improve child health through community-based initiatives on prevention and access to health service for vulnerable populations. The Pediatrics Wellness Project is part of the Mead Valley Wellness Center that is under development to provide comprehensive health and mental health services to an underserved, disenfranchised, low-income, minority area of Riverside County. The overall goal of the project is to identify and provide mental health treatment for minority children, ages 3-5 and their families who are experiencing behavior problems that impact school readiness. The project will provide assessment, treatment (counseling) and innovative parenting education for the early identification of behavior problems for children and families. Additionally, Community Education Workshops will provide valuable information to help minorities understand the issues of good mental health.
California Children with Special Health Care Needs
The purpose of this Web site is to provide information to parents and professionals to assist them in caring for children and youth with special health care needs. Resources, referrals, and condition-specific information are presented, as well as information about concepts common to the care of these children. In addition, policy and advocacy information are provided. Also on the site is the bi-monthly CSHCN-CA newsletter which contains news and events related to CSHCN.
Juno Duenas
Address: 2601 Mission St. Suite 606, San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415/282-7494 | Fax: 415/282-1226 | E-mail: jduenas@supportforfamilies.org
Laurie Soman
Address: 725 Welch Rd. M/C 5524, Palo Alto, CA 94304
E-mail: LSoman6708@aol.com
Project Access: Improving Access to Care for Children/Youth with Epilepsy and Their Families in Rural and Frontier Communities - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles - USC University Center For Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)
This three-year project (2007-2010) is one of 5 national demonstration projects funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The projects are charged with developing, implementing, and evaluating systems strategies to improve access to health and other services and supports related to epilepsy. This project aims specifically to improve access to health care and related services for children and youth with epilepsy who live in rural and frontier communities in Alaska, California, Nevada, and Wyoming.
Dyson Community Pediatrics Training Grant - University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Pediatric Residency Training Program
Through the Initiative, Community Partnerships with Pediatricians for Healthy Children (CPPHC) strives to give every child a healthy present and future by teaching pediatricians, both in training and in practice, how to make a difference through active community partnerships to support families in raising healthy children
University of California, San Diego Department of Pediatrics and the Naval Medical Center, Pediatrics: Pediatric Residency Program
Through the Initiative, the Pediatric Residency Program provides educational experiences for residents to acquire the skills and motivation to interact in a culturally competent manner with families, community organizations, health and social service providers, churches, governmental agencies, and key policy-makers to improve the health of all children as an integral part of their pediatric practice. In experiential learning spanning three years, residents actively participate in population-based practices, needs and resource mapping, advocacy and consultant roles. The learning environments are the community-based organizations, churches, and school and public health systems affiliated with four unique populations in the San Diego area (rural/Native American, urban/immigrant, homeless, and international border). The ultimate goal of the Dyson Initiative is the development of pediatric professionals with greater skills and interest in community-based medicine, advocacy, and the capacity to improve the health of children in their communities. Here you can learn how diverse programs around the country are educating residents about community pediatrics and fostering practical community experiences.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Chapter
Academy chapters are organized groups of pediatricians and other health care professionals working to achieve AAP goals in their communities. Chapters are the channels of representation for individual members of the Academy. Please contact your local chapter for additional state resources.
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Chapter - California
The American Academy of Family Physicians is one of the largest national medical organizations, representing more than 94,000 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students.
Family Voices Chapter - California
Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Through a national network, they provide families tools to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among professionals and families, and serve as a trusted resource on health care.
Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs)
F2F HICs are non-profit organizations that help families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them. F2F HICs are in a unique position to help families because they are typically staffed/run by parents of CYSHCN themselves, and as parents, they have traveled through the maze of services and programs designed to help CYSHCN. Staff at F2F HICs understand the issues that families face, provide advice, offer a multitude of resources, and tap into a network of other families and professionals for support and information. Family Voices, through the National Center for Family / Professional Partnerships, provides technical assistance, training, and connections to other F2F HICs and partnering organizations.
Support for Families of Children with Disabilities
Address: 2601 Mission Street Suite 606, San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415/282-7494 | Fax: 415/282-1226
Primary Contact: Juno Duenas, Phone: 415/282-7494 | E-mail: jduenas@supportforfamilies.org
Title V Block Grant to States
Title V of the Social Security Act is one of the largest Federal block grant programs. It leads the nation in ensuring the health of all mothers, infants, children, adolescents, and children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Title V is administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) as part of the Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services.
MCH Contact
Shabbir Ahmad, DVM, MS, PhD, Acting Division Chief, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Program
Address: 1615 Capitol Avenue, 5th Floor, MS 8300, PO Box 997420, Sacramento, CA 95899-7420
Phone: 916/650-0300 | Fax: 916/650-0305 | E-mail: Shabbir.Ahmad@cdph.ca.gov
Web site
Title V and Children with Special Health Care Needs
MCHB Objective: Support development and implementation of comprehensive, culturally competent, coordinated systems of care for the estimated 18 million U.S. children who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.
CSHCN Contact
Luis R. Rico , Acting Chief, Children's Medical Services Branch
Address: 1515 K Street, Room 400, MS 8100, PO Box 997413, Sacramento , CA 95899-7413
Phone: 916/449-5240 | Fax: 916/327-1106 | E-mail: Luis.Rico@dhcs.ca.gov
Web site
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Contact(s)
State EHDI programs promote universal newborn hearing screening, develop effective tracking and follow-up as a part of the public health system, promote appropriate and timely diagnosis of the hearing loss, prompt enrollment in appropriate Early Intervention, ensure a medical home for all newborns and strive to eliminate geographic and financial barriers to service access.
State Newborn Screening & Genetics Programs
California Newborn Screening Program and Contact Information
From the National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center Web site
California Genetic Services and Contact Information
From the National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center Web site
Newborn Screening and Genetics Collaborative – HRSA Region 7
Translating research into practical health care services and systems to improve the health and quality of life of individuals with heritable disorders through Collaboration and Partnership
Early Intervention/Part C Coordinator
The Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, ages birth through age 2 years, and their families.
Rick Ingraham
Phone: 916/654-2773 | Fax: 916/654-3255 | E-mail: ringraha@dds.ca.gov
Web site
Section 619/Special Education for ages 3-5 Coordinators
This program provides free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children, ages 3 through 5 years, with disabilities:
Chris Drouin
Phone: 916/327-3698 | E-mail: cdrouin@cde.ca.gov
State Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) Chairs
The ICC advises appropriate agencies on the unmet needs in early childhood special education and early intervention programs for children with disabilities, assists in the development and implementation of policies that constitute a statewide system, and assists all appropriate agencies in achieving full participation, coordination, and cooperation for implementation of statewide system.
Raymond Peterson
Phone: 858/576-2932 | Fax: 858/576-287
Medicaid
Medicaid is Title XIX of the Social Security Act and is a federal/state entitlement program that provides medical assistance to certain individuals and families with low incomes and/or special health care needs. Medicaid is of unique importance to children; together with the Children's Health Insurance Program, Medicaid insures over 1 in 4 children in the United States, with millions more eligible but currently unenrolled. The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program is a critical component of Medicaid, which guarantees that children enrolled in Medicaid are screened for medical or developmental problems early, and that necessary treatments and services are provided.
Medicaid State Director
For the most updated contact, please refer to the National Association of State Medicaid Directors Member List.
State Waiver Information
Waivers are the result of a process that allows state Medicaid agencies to apply for and receive permission from HCFA to provide services not otherwise covered by Medicaid and/or to do so in ways not described by the Social Security Act. Most Medicaid managed care programs require Waivers. The Waivers, which can differ greatly, are known by their numbers (1115, 1119), or as home-and community-based, or as Katie Beckett Waivers.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
CHIP is Title XXI of the Social Security Act and is a state and federal partnership that targets uninsured children and pregnant women in families with incomes too high to qualify for most state Medicaid programs, but often too low to afford private coverage. Within federal guidelines, each state determines the design of its individual CHIP program, including eligibility parameters, benefit packages, and administrative procedures. The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) reauthorized the program through FY 2013, and includes many incentives for states to find and enroll more eligible children in both Medicaid and CHIP. CHIPRA also includes a number of quality provisions that aim to monitor and improve care delivered through the Medicaid and CHIP programs. Each state does have a CHIP program, and the names of these programs differ from state to state.
Children’s Health Insurance State Program Director
For the most updated contact, please refer to the CMS listing of CHIP Directors.
Community Health Centers in the State
Federally-funded health centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income. Health centers provide checkups when you're well, treatment when you're sick, complete care when you're pregnant, immunizations and checkups for your children, dental care and prescription drugs for your family, mental health and substance abuse care if you need it. For a listing of CHCs in California, please use HRSA’s ‘Find A Health Center’ search engine.
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) California State Profile
These state profiles provide a snapshot of how the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant works in specific states. The profiles detail the Federal funds appropriated to each state, state match, specific programs funded, numbers of people receiving services and state health needs.
AAP Issue Brief: Implementing the Medical Home in Medicaid, CHIP, and Multistakeholder Demonstration Programs
(AAP Member access only)
The Medical Home Issue Brief serves to provide guidance to AAP chapters working with states to implement medical home projects in Medicaid and CHIP as well as multipayer demonstration programs. It also addresses a number of the policy questions that frequently arise in creating state supports for the medical home.
Child Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) Medical Home Portal - California State Profile
These state profiles provide a state’s medical home performance level for all children or children with special health care needs, based on national survey data.
National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC) Adolescent Health Database
The NAHIC database includes national and state-level profiles of key measures of the health of adolescents and young adults, based on Healthy People 2010. Known as the Data Project, the online resource contains information on recent progress in key areas of adolescent health. National-level data is available by gender and race/ethnicity and also state-by-state, with summaries and data tables. The site also features information about data collection and presentation, state and national Excel files and guidance for using this data to improve the health of adolescents and young adults.
2010 KIDS COUNT Databook
The Annie E Casey Foundation has released the 2010 Kids Count report. The annual Kids Count report is a national and state-by-state profile of the well-being of America's children that seeks to enrich discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all kids. The 2010 Kids Count report data is available as an interactive databook, a complete PDF-format report , and on request, in print. Data and rankings on 10 key indicators of child well-being are available by state, county, and city.
California Medical Home Web site
California Statewide Medical Home Implementation Plan - Promise to the State
Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition
A social movement led by children’s hospitals, hospices, home health and grassroots agencies, and individuals to improve care for children with life-threatening conditions and their families.
Alameda County Medical Home Project for Children with Special Health Care Needs Resource Guide
The goal of this guide is to aid providers and their staff in making appropriate referrals by providing a “snapshot” of each program, including: Eligibility requirements, Services provided, Application procedures, Contact information for each resource.
Case Study: Partnership Health Plan of California Improves Managed Care for Children with Special Needs; A Best Clinical and Administrative Practices (BCAP) Pilot Project
Partnership worked to create a medical home to streamline care for children with special needs; and provide comprehensive resources for their families. The health plan believes that the level of success achieved would not have been possible without the involvement of its practice sites and the strength of its coalition. "Improving Managed Care for Children with Special Needs."
Access to Health Care for California's (CSHCN): Chartbook
New California data on access to care for CSHCN. The data compares the care children in Medi-Cal receive to the care received by other children in California and in other state Medicaid programs.
California HealthCare Foundation
The California HealthCare Foundation has developed two easy-to-use presentations that provide detailed information about Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. The comprehensive Medi-Cal presentation covers the basics on eligibility, enrollment, benefits, service delivery and many other program details. It also includes a review of Medi-Cal's legislative history, points of comparison with other state Medicaid programs, and background on policy issues. This new primer serves as a valuable resource for understanding Medi-Cal, which represents 15 percent of General Fund spending and is the main source of health care insurance for 6.4 million people, or one in six Californians.
The Healthy Families presentation also summarizes program essentials such as eligibility, enrollment and benefits, service delivery and policy issues. Healthy Families provides low-cost health insurance to children of families whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medi-Cal, but are below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (about $38,600 for a family for three). As of September 2003, 673,000 children were enrolled in Healthy Families at a cost of more than $650 million. The presentation formats can be used by policy leaders, health care administrators, or others to include localized information.
The UCLA Children's Comfort Care Program (CCCP)
This program is dedicated to alleviating pain and other symptoms that children with serious and life threatening illnesses experience. The Children's Comfort Care Team provides recommendations for many different types of treatments -both medical and nonmedical- to help with pain, nausea, anxiety, and other discomforts associated with serious illness.
