Addressing the needs of the child population, Kansas Title V strives to assure that children and families have access to and utilize developmentally appropriate services and supports, specifically through collaborative and integrated communities. This priority crosses various complex systems, such as early childhood and school-aged systems. There is a strong focus on developmental screening and comprehensive annual preventive service visits for the full child population. It’s known that once kids enter school, they are seen less frequently for preventive care services as many of the earlier well-child visits are aligned with recommended immunization schedules. In addition to screening and preventive services, Kansas strives to assure that our school-aged children (those ages 6 to 11) are accessing programs and activities that help them grow, learn, and be healthy. The measures associated with this priority are:

 

NPM 6:  Developmental Screening (Percent of children, ages 9 through 35 months, who received a developmental screening using a parent-completed screening tool in the past year)

ESM:  Percent of children who received a parent‐completed developmental screen during an infant or child visit provided by a participating program

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children should be screened for developmental delays during their regular well-check visits at 9, 18, and 24 or 30 months. According to the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children’s Health (two years of data combined), 44.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 33.3%-56.0%) of Kansas children, ages 9 through 35 months, received standardized developmental, behavioral and social screening using a parent-reported, standardized screening tool or instrument,* compared to 36.9% nationally (95% CI: 34.6%-39.3%). However, the difference was not statistically significant. Subgroup information is not available for this indicator, due to small sample size. From 2016 (single-year estimate) to 2019-2020 (two-year estimate), no statistically significant changes were observed in this indicator.

 

 

Based on the preliminary Annual Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) Report from the Kansas Medical Assistant program, for the federal fiscal year 2021 (10/01/2020-09/30/2021), 36,151 (81.9%) of the 44,153 eligible children, under 1 through 2 years old, received at least one initial or periodic screen.

 

* Indicator has a confidence interval width >20% points, >1.2 times the estimate, or that is inestimable and should be interpreted with caution.

 

 

Based on the preliminary Annual Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) Report from the Kansas Medical Assistant program, for the FFY 2021, 36,151 (81.9%) of the 44,153 eligible children, under 1 through 2 years old, received at least one initial or periodic screen. The NPM shows an upward trend of parents reporting the completion of a parent-completed child developmental screen in the past year (34.6% in 2017 -2018; 44.3% in 2019-2020 NSCH). Title V staff continue to work to overcome this disconnect by increasing messaging and information to parents about the importance of developmental screening and the spread of evidence-based screening tools.

 

 

Local MCH Reach: During SFY2021, 54 of 67 grantees (91%) provided services to the Child population.

 

 

Early Childhood Mixed Delivery System Overview

 

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) funding provided through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), was awarded to the Kanas State Department of Education in early 2019 to support the development of a comprehensive Needs Assessment for early childhood in Kansas. The Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, Kansas Department for Children and Families, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas State Department of Education, and other early childhood stakeholders partnered with Kansas communities to carry out this important work.

 

Early Childhood Systems Building: The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) was awarded to the Kanas State Department of Education in early 2020. The KCCTF, DCF, and BFH leveraged these funds to complete a statewide early childhood needs assessment and develop an early care and education system strategic plan. The initiative has been branded, “All in for Kansas Kids, Ensuring Every Child Thrives.” This plan strives to provide equitable, high-quality care and education to all Kansas families regardless of where they live. The aim is to strengthen local systems by empowering communities with the flexibility they need to deliver connected, high-quality services. The plan was grounded in data to ensure that resources are strategically directed, and the work focused to achieve the greatest impact.

 

Throughout the process, young children ages birth through five and their families were at the core of the work. The collective vision of Kansas being “the best place to raise a child” served as the foundation of the efforts, echoed in the aspirations of thousands of Kansans who contributed to our shared understanding of early childhood in our state. Yet the reality for many Kansas families does not match this vision. The state was awarded an additional three years of PDG funds in 2020 to be able to carry out strategies identified in the strategic plan that would strengthen access to services and supports for families. Outlined in the Strategic Plan, KDHE was assigned five key initiatives:

• Bridges Project: Pilot with KS-SHCN program, in partnership with Kansas Infant-Toddler Services, focused on expanding services for children aging out of Part C (at age 3) through age 8. (Led by KS-SHCN Program/Title V)
• Primary Care Provider Care Coordination Expansion Project: Supports placing holistic care coordination in the medical home in at least two pediatric offices (funds care coordinators). (Led by the System of Supports/Title V System of Care Consultant)
• Family Advisory Council (FAC) Expansion: Backbone support to expand the existing KDHE FAC to include all agencies and serve as the advisory group related to standards for meaningful family and consumer engagement. (Led by the System of Supports/Title V Family & Consumer Partnership Coordinator)
• Supporting You Expansion, Promotion, and Marketing: Peer to peer network expansion to 2 new programs/target populations (e.g., childcare workers, foster parents). (Led by the System of Supports/Title V Family & Consumer Partnership Coordinator)
• Child Care Systems Improvement Team: Backbone support for the child care system advisory group—focus on review of regulations, removing regulatory barriers, and increasing access. (Led by the Child Care Licensing Program)

As one of four state agencies involved in the early childhood systems building initiative, KDHE serves as the lead to carry out certain work under the plan. There are opportunities through several of these projects to collect information/data around ACEs, potentially including education, screening, referral, and follow-up.

 

Help Me Grow: Kansas Title V has remained dedicated to assuring the early identification of children at risk for developmental and/or behavioral challenges and for improved linkages between families and the services and supports they need. As such, Title V led the initiative to become a state national affiliate of Help Me Grow (HMG) in 2017. HMG is a national framework that promotes integrated, cross-sector collaboration to build efficient and effective early childhood systems that mitigate the impact of adversity and support protective factors among families. Successful implementation of HMG leverages existing community resources, maximizes opportunities, and advances partnerships working collaboratively through the implementation and cooperation of four core components: family and community outreach, provider outreach, a centralized access point, and data collection and analysis.

 

The Kansas HMG mission states, “Kansas families have informed and equitable access to seamless, comprehensive supports and services that ensure the well-being and lifelong success of all children.” The HMG vision is “Connected Families Connected Communities: Every Child Thrives.” The Kansas Help Me Grow website was established in 2017 to share information about the HMG Framework, resources for families and providers on developmental health, and promotion of the statewide centralized access point, 1-800-CHILDREN.

 

 

The Kansas HMG effort is not exclusively about health care or developmental screening alone, even though developmental screening is a key component; rather it is focused on forging partnerships to collectively address issues families face in the context of their communities. The areas of focus for this project include: access to quality care and services, social determinants of health, enhanced education and training, sustainability and accountability, and vulnerable populations. Community and state MCH and early childhood partners identified the need for resources around children’s developmental health and screening among three audiences: families, communities, and providers. Additionally, this became the foundational framework for much of the early childhood systems building work and has been integrated into the All in for Kansas Kids Strategic Plan.

 

Statewide Resources through 1-800-CHILDREN: In 2019, Kansas merged the former state Title V toll-free “hotline” (the Kansas Resource Guide) to the “Parent Helpline.” This provided an ability to expand and support a broader resource directory for families across Kansas. Significant work has happened over the last several years to strengthen this resource such as identifying and developing a robust and reliable statewide resource directory, increasing capacity to continuously maintain listed resources, increasing call line staff capacity, upgrading the mobile app, and rebranding following market research.

 

1-800-CHILDREN is led by the Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) and serves as the statewide call line and resource directory. 1-800-CHILDREN provides anonymous, judgment-free support for parents. Families and helpers can easily connect with the information, local resources, and support they need 24/7, even if all they need is a listening ear. No question is off limits. 1-800-CHILDREN is available in English, Spanish, and 200 additional languages. In addition to calling, families can reach 1-800-CHILDREN by sending a text or email to: 1800children@kcsl.org. Additional resources are available online at 1800CHILDRENKS.org, and the mobile app can be downloaded by searching 1800ChildrenKS in iOS or Android app stores.

 

 

Title V staff has worked to ensure that 1-800-CHILDREN resources are included on all applicable awareness and educational resources that are disseminated via KDHE and our contract partners. In addition, staff have consistently worked with the KCSL team to ensure that appropriate and up-to-date resources are included in the 1-800-CHILDREN resource management database – ensuring parents and families are connected to the best possible resource in their community that can meet their needs.

 

Developmental Screening Initiatives (Objective 3.1)

 

Title V strives to increase the number of families who receive regular developmental screenings with access to relevant and related resources, like 1-800-CHILDREN and community referral systems. The focus is on the child health care provider outreach component of HMG, with a focus on providing education to MCH providers, health care providers, and families about developmental health and promotion. Other strategies that support this goal include promotion of the Integrated Referral and Intake System (IRIS), supporting local MCH grantees on developmental health and screening practices, support integrated data initiatives, and promote healthy child development and early learning programs.

 

Provider & Parent Education/Training: Title V continued coordination with other early childhood partners to promote and offer additional training and technical assistance opportunities for the Ages & Stages Questionnaire, 3rd Edition (ASQ-3) and ASQ Social-Emotional, 2nd Edition (ASQ:SE-2). Utilizing knowledge and resources acquired from the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 Training of Trainers Institute hosted by Brookes Publishing, the Child/Adolescent Health Consultant continued to join others around the state to conduct trainings for organizations, their staff members, and communities. Training participants represented public health, family physicians, pediatricians, home visitors, childcare providers, and school personnel. The goal was to spread the awareness and use of these evidence-based screening tools, how/when to conduct screenings, how to analyze and share the results, and follow-up steps if the screening shows potential developmental delays. Title V staff encouraged local MCH agencies to purchase ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 starter kits if they did not already utilize the screening tool at their location and register all staff members for upcoming trainings.

 

Parents participate in child well visits, home visitations, and local events where developmental screenings take place but may not realize or understand that the questions they are being asked, or that the questionnaires they complete are tied to a developmental screening tool. For that reason, Title V provided partners with a one-page fact sheet and social media messaging in English and Spanish to increase caregiver/parent knowledge. The fact sheet and social media messages are a quick reference and reminder of why it is important to screen, who can complete a developmental screen, names of specific evidence-based screening tools, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations on what age intervals a screening takes place, and what happens after the results are analyzed. The electronic documents were disseminated to local MCH agencies, childcare providers, libraries, healthcare workers, and home visitors to use with families.

 

Development Milestone Cards & Passports: Title V continued to disseminate the Developmental Milestone and Activity Postcards and Developmental Screening Passports previously created through the Early Childhood Comprehensive Service (ECCS) grant for MCH programs’ use with families. The 21 Developmental Milestone Postcards contain developmental milestones provided by the CDC and age-appropriate activities promoted by Vroom. The cards are shared with families to start a conversation about a child’s development and to encourage a fun learning experience at home. The Developmental Screening Passports are helpful tools for families in tracking the number of developmental screenings their child received. Local MCH staff including home visitors, early childhood educators, and healthcare providers are reminded that these resources can be downloaded from the Kansas Help Me Grow website, and printed copies are available upon request as long as supplies last.

 

As part of the pilot implementation for the Bridges Program, a new initiative within the Kansas Special Health Care Needs (KS-SHCN) Program, Care Coordinators received an overview on developmental screening that discussed the differences between monitoring, screening, and evaluation; benefits of screening, AAP’s recommendation on developmental screening, types of screening tools and resources (including Help Me Grow Kansas and 1-800-CHILDREN); screening data in Kansas; and their role as a Bridges Care Coordinator in helping families navigate the early childhood system. Developmental Screening Passports (400 English/100 Spanish) and Development Milestone Card Sets (60 English/10 Spanish) were provided to the five locations selected as the Bridges project sites. The KS-SHCN care coordinators are using these resources with up to 60 families across the state. Additionally, KS-SHCN has shared information about the Developmental Milestone Cards and the Developmental Screening Passport with SO staff who are not participating in the Bridges program, so they may also offer them to families they are working with. Read more about the Bridges Program in the CSHCN section narrative.

 

Coordination and Referrals: In addition to providing ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 trainings and increasing awareness and knowledge about developmental screening to families, Title V supports coordination and two-way referrals with other providers offering community-based services through the utilization of the statewide 1-800-CHILDREN helpline, including referrals to providers and services through local health agencies participating in Integrated Referral and Intake System (IRIS) communities. The 1-800-CHILDREN resource directory includes early childhood programs and early intervention services, as well as numerous resources that address social determinants of health (e.g., food, housing, parenting, employment, education, safety, legal services).

 

Title V continued to encourage MCH agencies to place the 1-800-CHILDREN logo/weblink on their agency website, show clients how to download the 1-800-CHILDREN mobile app to their phones, update their agency information in the statewide resource directory as needed, and promote the 1-800-CHILDREN helpline on their social media platforms and at community events. As the resource becomes more widely known, Title V anticipates an increase in the amount of calls and service connections in their counties.

 

Utilizing Statewide ASQ Data: Title V, in partnership with other state agencies, entered into an agreement with Brookes Publishing to establish a statewide ASQ Enterprise for alignment of statewide data. Successful discussions and planning strategies have been ongoing with Brookes Publishing, and a plan is now in place to consolidate multisector development screens into one statewide hub account. Below is an image of the multi-sector structure. Technical assistance was provided to local MCH agencies on how to access the statewide ASQ Enterprise and guidance for documentation of developmental screenings and referrals into the shared data measurement system, DAISEY.

 

 

As a partnering program the Kansas Early Childhood Developmental Services (KEDS - formerly Infant Toddler Services/ITS) networks have become the early childhood hubs for ASQ. This allows all early childhood entities the ability to partner without being responsible for maintenance of the system. Through this partnership KEDS networks were provided information and access to the Developmental Milestone Cards and Passports. 

 

Integrated Referral and Intake System (IRIS): Kansas selected IRIS as the tool to support web-based communication for organizations to connect the families they serve to the right resources in their community. IRIS empowers communities to build a family-centered referral network based on common expectations. Title V supports communities who choose to implement IRIS. Title V staff connect communities to technical assistance and help in crafting innovative solutions for communities that currently participate in or want to explore IRIS. Recognizing the potential of local networks to impact health and well-being by facilitating access to resources across the lifespan, state public health leadership address barriers limiting the participation of critical community partners such as behavioral health, primary care, and concrete supports. State public health leadership use the rich, ever-growing data generated from IRIS networks to reveal gaps in services, identify opportunities for increased partnership at the local level as well as determine program priorities and opportunities. For communities that utilize IRIS an uptick in referrals and linking families and children to needed resources is expected.

 

Healthy Child Development Programs: Title V staff recognize MCH agencies, home visiting programs, and healthcare providers that currently promote early literacy programs such as AAP’s Turn a Page, Touch a Mind, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and other interactive activities recommended by Learn the Signs. Act Early Campaign. Through promotion of local practices and the impact these programs have had in Kansas, Title V encouraged other partners across the state to incorporate more early literacy and age-appropriate activities that help children develop healthy habits into their services.

 

Local MCH Agencies: Local agencies provide developmental screening at least once a year to children they serve. Many local agencies use the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 for developmental screenings for ages 2 to 60 months (5 years) and use the Bright Futures Pediatric Symptoms Checklist (PSC) for children over 5 years of age. Local MCH agencies continued to provide required ASQ screenings during KanBeHealthy (KBH) well child visits. Developmental screening is a vital component to the continuum of care for children. Educational material is provided to parents regarding developmental milestones during the visit. Local agency activities are highlighted below:

• Hays Area Children’s Center: MCH home visitors completed ASQ with families who had a child(ren) less than one year of age. Information about the importance of annual developmental screenings was covered with clients and referrals were made, when appropriate, to the local KEDS networks.
• Labette County: Staff offer parents the tool to be completed on their infant/child when receiving services. The tool is reviewed by nursing staff to identify any risk for delays and then discussed with parents highlighting the child’s strengths and any identifying delays. Any child who has identified risks, are referred to their primary healthcare provider, Parents as Teachers, Early Head Start and/or to their local KEDS network.
• Pawnee County: The MCH staff use the ASQ parent completed questionnaire for developmental screening and Pediatric Symptom checklist for older children. Parents are given referrals &/or information based on the guidelines.
• Shawnee County: Goal to screen all MCH infants and children. Referrals are made if not within normal range or if a parent has concerns about their child’s development for further evaluation through the local KEDS network. MCH staff distribute and educate clients about the CDC Milestone Moments booklet and what they should expect of their child’s development.
• Wabaunsee County: Staff have parents complete the ASQ and counsel them on the growth and developmental expectations for the coming months. Parents are provided with written and verbal health information and education.

 

MCH home visitors provide child development and child social-emotional development screenings for families they serve. Universal MCH home visitors provided developmental screening for participants who have continued to receive services and are not eligible for other community-based home visiting programs. Technical assistance and training were provided to local agencies regarding the protocol and expectations for incorporating the developmental screening (parent completed tool) into child well visits. Distinctions between the intent, purpose, and use of Bright Futures and the ASQ were provided to ensure local agencies were not using one or the other, but both per intent and standards related to monitoring and improving child health. Read more about the MCH Universal Home Visiting Program online at: http://kshomevisiting.org.

 

Healthy Activities for School-Aged Children (Objective 3.2)

 

Through alignment with local MCH programming on child health promotion efforts across the state, particularly through communities and schools, Kansas Title V strives to “increase the proportion of children, 6 through 11 years, with access to activities and programs that support their interests, healthy development, and learning.” This can be accomplished through assuring children have safe and inclusive places to play, have the opportunity to just “be kids” when they are in their communities, and help them establish healthy relationships with the adults in their lives.

 

Kansas School Nurse Survey: In May 2021, the Title V School Health Clinical Consultant for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) distributed an open-ended five-question survey to Kansas school nurses via a link on the Kansas School Nurse Organization (KSNO) website. The purpose of the survey was to better understand what Kansas school nurses perceive as their top COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 school health priorities and support needs. During a four-week distribution period, the survey collected responses from 68 unique respondents, representing 16 of 105 counties and 19 of 286 school districts (15.24% and 6.64% respectively). The small sample size, combined with the disproportionate representation, limited the reliability and generalizability of the survey’s findings. A second survey was distributed in August 2021 at the Kansas School Nurse Conference, in partnership with a graduate student working on completing her MPH degree.

 

The August survey captured responses from 119 unique respondents and had more representative proportions of urban, semi-urban, and rural school districts (by respondent self-reported population type). The top five priorities were relatively consistent between the May and August surveys for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 school health priorities. Leading priorities for COVID-19 health included promoting a sense of safety in schools; quickly identifying cases and differentiating COVID-19 symptoms from other COVID-like symptoms; enforcement and compliance with risk mitigation strategies; education about COVID-19 disease, mitigation strategies, and quarantine/isolation protocols; and the mental health impacts of the pandemic. Leading priorities for non-COVID-19 health included meeting acute care illness and injury needs of the school community; health education for students, staff, and families; effective and consistent communication between parents and nurses and nurses and school staff about student health needs; administration of both routine and emergency medications; and behavioral and mental health.

 

The August survey asked respondents about their resource priorities via a series of matrix questions that allowed respondents to indicate how important it is to have resources for specific topics and which type of resources would be most beneficial for those topics. In both surveys, nurses expressed a need for policy and procedure guidance for COVID-19 and routine daily workflow topics. Results from the August survey reveal that nurses strongly prefer web-based resources for most health topics but prioritize trainings for mental health.

• Leading COVID-19 topics for which nurses need resources include identifying cases, school safety, mental health, communication and COVID-19 education.
• Leading non-COVID-19 resource topics include health education, behavioral & mental health, acute care, chronic illnesses, and communications.  

 

Overall, survey results indicate that nurses responded from the perspective of their day-to-day workflows (and what they prioritize in those workflows) as opposed to school communities’ perceived health needs, which have been identified by other community needs assessments (Adolescent Health Needs Assessment, the 2025 MCH Needs Assessment, and the Kansas Title V State Action Plan). When considered within the context of other health needs assessments and current school health initiatives, these survey results reveal an overarching need for school health workforce support. These survey results, and the corresponding report and recommendations, will be used as a guide for school-based Title V work in the coming years.

 

Well-Child Preventive Services (Objective 3.3)

 

Title V strives to assure comprehensive preventive child well visits through the promotion and utilization of the Bright FuturesTM guidelines, increasing access to care coordination in primary care settings, and providing technical assistance to local agencies around developmental health and promotion.

 

KanBeHealthy Trainings & Bright FuturesTM: According to the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) 81.6% of children visited a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional for a preventative check-up. KanBeHealthy (KBH) is the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit that provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. EPSDT is key to ensuring that children and adolescents receive appropriate preventive, dental, mental health, developmental, and specialty services. Kansas Medicaid utilizes Bright FuturesTM as the EPSDT/KBH standard of care, so all services are expected to be provided in accordance.

 

Feedback from local health agencies indicated a need to re-train clinical professionals on conducting KBH visits. The Kansas KBH training, including the Orientation Manual, has been updated and trainings are provided by request. Correspondence with the regional Bright Futures representative continues and is beneficial in identifying free resources, trainings, or membership opportunities for state and local MCH agencies.

 

The KS-SCHN program continued to address the need for annual preventative care for their uninsured program participants by covering an annual well child visit, vision and dental exam, which mirrors the EPSDT benefit, through the Direct Assistance Program-Medical Services (DAP-MS). Additionally, the importance of this yearly visit is reiterated to all families on the program, as this can be lost amongst the specialist and therapy visits their child requires. Some families have shared that they use their child’s specialist, for example the pediatric pulmonologist, for their child’s primary care in lieu of a pediatrician or family practice physician. These families are encouraged by care coordination staff to find a primary care physician in their area and assist them in this search, upon request.

 

Title V facilitated the acquisition of a statewide license for the online Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit, 2nd Edition. The online toolkit includes resources such as: age-specific client forms that apply the Bright Futures Guidelines; supplemental and just-in-time topical handouts for parents in English and Spanish; the AAP Periodicity Schedule that includes the recommended evidence-based screening tools to be used at various ages; and guidance to implement the Bright Futures forms into electronic health record systems. All local health departments and other MCH-funded agencies are given access to the site and resources at no cost upon completion of an online course with a demonstration of navigating the toolkit. The Child/Adolescent Health Consultant contacted representatives in each county that had not yet received access to offer the resource. The consultant also provided ongoing technical assistance to agencies regarding the online Bright Futures Toolkit. Targeted and intentional technical assistance was provided to communities that show low well visit participation rates, immunization completion rates and uninsured children ages 5-10 years of age. Communities that show gaps in services were invited to meet with Title V staff to review available data, brainstorm solutions and collaboration between partners with shared goals, create an action plan and marketing strategy.

 

Along with general inquiries about the toolkit, utilization strategies and best practices, the consultant focused on promoting mental health conversations during well visits. In October 2020, Bright Futures published an updated Implementation Tip Sheet on this topic. By the age of 11 years, children can show onset symptoms of anxiety and impulse control disorder. The AAP Periodicity Table recommends screening for depression beginning at age 12 years. Title V staff encouraged and promoted the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) recommended by AAP, as well as the KSKidsMAP modified AAP algorithm for integrating mental health care into well-child visits. This algorithm demonstrates how the Bright Futures behavioral health screening recommendations can be integrated into well-visits, and highlights decision points in which the KSKidsMAP Pediatric Mental Health Care Team could be contacted via Consultation Line to support the practitioner in identifying next steps for appropriate care and treatment. The algorithm and support materials serve as a reminder of the recommended components of a well-child/adolescent visit, increase the identification of those exhibiting signs and/or symptoms, strengthen the quality of the visit, and enhance treatment mechanisms of children and adolescents with behavioral health concerns.

 

Title V and KDHE’s Local Public Health Program (LPHP) utilized the Regional Public Health meetings and other communication venues for local public health administrators as an avenue for communicating updated changes on KBH visits and exams/EPSDT and other important issues related to child health. The program worked to increase access to training and resources for local health departments related to developmental screenings.

 

Other Activities Related to Children’s Developmental Health

 

Cross-System Referrals: The KS-SHCN program has continued to expand and strengthen referral processes among other screening programs (e.g., genetic/metabolic, hearing, and heart newborn screenings), surveillance programs (e.g., birth defects), home visiting and early intervention programs (e.g., MCH UHV, MIECHV, infant-Toddler Services), and external systems (e.g., foster care, Medicaid).

 

Formal referral protocols were developed for the BFH screening and surveillance (S&S) programs along with a shared referral tracking sheet that ensures the loop has been closed on referrals. S&S promotes and uses the “Decision Schema” to help them determine who to refer to the KS-SHCN program and when, specifically with the Infant-Toddler Services Program. Additionally, the KS-SHCN Care Coordinator work in collaboration with the child’s family and any BFH referral program/service provider to make sure that the child and family’s needs are being met and that there is no duplication of services between programs. More information can be found on the referral process in the CSHCN section.

 

The realignment of the BFH continues to create new alignment opportunities across programs serving shared MCH populations (both Title V and non-Title V supported). A critical shift within this realignment moved KEDS, KS-SHCN, MCH, Teen Pregnancy Targeted Case Management, Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative, Family Planning, Universal Home Visiting, and Maternal Infant Child Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs together in one section. The intent and purpose were to better align these programs with each other and help staff begin to see the collaboration in services and supports that could occur to improve services to the MCH populations.

 

To help staff identify and understand how working collaborative and promoting referrals among programs, the Community Partnership Director lead some team collaboration activities within the C&F section and then partnered with the S&S team Director to show both sections the benefit of collaboration and how all services and supports cross. This helped staff gain a better understanding of each program and how they interlock throughout the life span to create seamless services for families in Kansas. More collaborative trainings are planned in the future.