MSDH recognizes family/consumer engagement as a pivotal component in establishing family-centered programs and policies to improve maternal and child health outcomes across all populations. MCH programs have implemented family/consumer strategies at the state and local levels in alignment with MCH services.

 

 

Mississippi’s MCH programs continue to strive towards giving families a voice in all levels of program implementation through:

• Parent feedback survey that assesses services provided by MCH Programs;
• Family/consumer public input survey;
• Contractual relationships with family organizations such as Family as Allies;
• Outreach, mentoring, and training offered to families;
• Focus groups to gather input for various MCH programs;
• Parents hired as parent consultants; and
• Family representatives on the Mississippi Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Advisory Council, Mississippi Genetics Advisory Committee, CYSHCN Leadership Team.

 

Parent Feedback

 

MCH programs have utilized various social media platforms to educate and strengthen family voices throughout their work. Programs such as Oral Health, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, and Breast and Cervical Cancer have used social media to disseminate information, especially during health observances. Oral health highlighted many health observances and used this opportunity to educate the public on the connection to oral health. The Office of Oral Health focuses on the months of February (National Children’s Dental Health Month), March (World Oral Health Day), April (Oral Cancer Awareness Month), and October (Dental Hygiene Month).

 

Outreach and Education

 

MS-BCCP is broad and inclusive. Beyond the state-level program staff, it includes all enrolling, screening, and diagnostic providers across the state, as well as community partners who link participants with those providers through individual interactions, group meetings, and larger community events. MS-BCCP depends heavily on the collaboration of this entire network sharing an equal lift to reach women, provide information and education about breast and cervical cancer and screening, explore their fears and reservations, assess their barriers and needs, provide solutions and resources, and directly care for them through their own systems. Daily, these providers and partners see women in their clinics, hospitals, and imaging centers. They encounter them in their churches, community centers, and other shared spaces where they live, work, and play. Their experiences will be as varied and diverse as the women they serve. MS-BCCP collaborates exclusively with subgrantee partners who employ patient navigators, community health workers, and/or patient health advocates to help women work through their direct needs and their reservations about screening. These partner staff speak the patient's language literally and figuratively to assure all barriers to screening have been explored and not just those typically addressed with tangible assistance. These subgrantees have been strategically selected and are located among the most vulnerable areas of Mississippi. MS-BCCP also partners with the Mississippi Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (MCCCP) Leadership Steering Committee and the Partnership for Comprehensive Cancer Control (MP3C) through the active participation on their annual conference planning committee and the Cancer Survivors Educational Conference.

 

Additionally, among the diverse staff within the MS-BCCP program, we have a breast cancer survivor, who routinely provides insight on how information, messaging, etc. might be perceived or received among women in the high- priority populations.

 

The Maternal and Infant Health Bureau continued its partnership with Six Dimensions, LLC consulting group to conduct maternal health awareness and provide outreach events in the community to better understand women’s birthing experiences, especially those who suffered severe maternal morbidity during their birthing experience. Six Dimensions utilized the Laboring with Hope documentary (Laboring with Hope is a short documentary that addresses the national maternal mortality crisis among Black women. The film is used as a public health strategy to support improving Black maternal health outcomes), Facebook Live discussions, and other events to build a safe space for women to share experiences and what services they wish were available and or could have had access to while pregnant. The findings from these discussions helps the MSPQC work to address clinical gaps and identify community-based partnerships and resources to help women prenatally and postpartum. Key findings from these sessions included:

• Identifying strategies for women to navigate the system for better birthing experiences.
• Listening to, trusting, and respecting the perspectives of black mothers and other pregnant people. Providing education and space for support people to be actively involved throughout the perinatal period. Supporting doula care for parents who are interested in expanding their support team.
• Providing education on perinatal conditions that can affect mothers such as fibroids, miscarriage, and postpartum health.
• Addressing perinatal mental health through education.
• Connecting mothers with the necessary supportive resources in a timely and cohesive manner. Assisting mothers in exploring options for managing labor.
• Providing evidence-based information on delivery options available. Creating community resources guides for expecting families
• Developing and disseminating and advocacy guide to help empower families when making perinatal decisions.

 

The key findings from events held in partnership with Six Dimensions, LLC provided an avenue for the Maternal and Infant Health Bureau to address many of the clinical gaps identified through the MS Perinatal Quality Collaborative and the Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

 

The Office of Oral Health has also used family engagement practices to build protective factors against poor dental health through education and outreach. With federal allowance of virtual WIC certifications due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Office of Oral Health modified outreach efforts with the WIC program by working more intimately with the nutritionists and clerks to provide oral health aides, education, age-appropriate toothbrush and toothpaste, and floss.

 

The Office of Oral Health worked with the WIC team to ensure harmony in maintaining oral health services currently being offered. During the grant reporting period, our office provided oral health services to:

 

June 2022

• Wayne County WIC -50 ORAL HEALTH kits for kids, 50 ORAL HEALTH kits for adults.
• Bolivar County Health Department (WIC Nutritionist) – 24 infant oral health kits and 2 “Baby Teeth are Important” posters. 
• Sunflower County Health Department (WIC Nurse) – 18 infant oral health kits and 25 ‘Healthy Mouth for Your Baby” literature.   

 

September 2022

• Clarke County WIC – 50 finger toothbrushes, 50 adult toothbrushes, 25 child activity books, and 50 “Wiping Out the Mouth” handouts. 
• Leake County WIC – 4 dental referrals to Hispanic parents (Translation services are needed.)
• Smith County WIC – 5 participants and 2 dental referrals

 

Our office also worked with other MSDH and community partners to provide oral health kits and education to children and mothers outside of the WIC program. These activities were:

 

November 2021

• Washington County Health Department – 12 adult toothbrush kits, 8 children’s toothbrush kits, 10 infant rings, 30 kids toothpaste, 30 oral health education booklets.
• Sunflower County Health Department – 72 adult toothbrushes, 144 youth toothbrushes, 40 floss, 40 oral health education booklets. 

 

December 2021

• Greenville High School (864 adult toothbrushes, 864 teen oral health education booklets.
• McWillie Elementary (Carolling event) – 16 children’s toothbrushes, 3 adult toothbrushes.
• Akin Elementary – 357 youth toothbrushes, 160 oral health education booklets. 
• Boyd Elementary – 3557 youth toothbrushes, 160 oral health education booklets.
• Tunica County Health Department – 30 adult oral health kits, 8 children's oral health kits.
• Tate County Health Department – 30 adult toothbrushes, 30 youth toothbrushes, 15 kids toothbrushes, 5 infant rings, 20 finger brushes.
• Desoto Health Department – 24 adult toothbrushes, 30 adult toothpaste, 15 kids toothbrushes, 5 infant rings, 20 finger rings. 
• Sunflower County (Rulleville) – 10 adult oral health kits, 10 youth toothbrushes.   

 

January 2022

• Alcorn County Health Department- 50 adult toothbrushes, 25 finger brushes.
• Prentiss County Health Department – 25 finger brushes, 20 oral health education booklets.
• Union County Health Department – 50 adult toothbrushes, 20 adult toothpaste, 20 floss, 50 youth toothbrushes, 20 kids toothpaste, 20 infant ring toothbrushes, 25 finger brushes.
• Marshall County Health Department – 50 adult toothbrushes, 20 adult toothpaste, 20 floss, 50 youth toothbrushes, 20 kids toothpaste, 20 infant rings, 25 finger toothbrushes.
• Desoto County (Olive Branch) – 50 adult toothbrushes, 20 adult toothpaste, 20 floss, 50 youth toothbrushes, 20 kids toothpaste, 20 infant rings toothbrush, 25 finger brushes.

 

February 2022

• Jackson County Landry's Land of Learning (16 adult and 80 youth kits.) February 2021
• Madison County Madison Crossing Elementary K-5th grade students (provided 675 ORAL HEALTH kits)
• Forrest County oral health training to teachers 23 at Forest Head Start. 160 ORAL HEALTH kits were provided to those children attending Head Start virtually that had not seen a dentist.

 

June 2022

• Legacy Village Oral Health Presentation (youth and infants presentation) -  10 infant oral health kits (contains ring toothbrush and toothpaste), 25 youth oral health kit (contains ring toothbrush, flossers, and toothpaste). 

 

September 2022

• Clarke County Wellness Clinic for Pregnant Women – finger brushes, oral health education brochures, and 50 adult toothbrushes. 
• Choctaw Health Center (medical clinic) – 50 toddler brushes and 50 adult brushes. 
• MSDH Healthy Moms Healthy Babies (50 participants) – 50 adult toothbrushes, 50 finger toothbrushes, and 50 child toothbrushes. 
• Jackson County MSDH Healthy Moms Healthy Babies – 24 infant/toddler toothbrushes, 12 adult toothbrushes, 
• Harrison County MSDH Healthy Moms Healthy Babies – 24 infant/toddler toothbrushes, 12 adult toothbrushes.
• Hancock County MSDH Healthy Moms Healthy Babies – 12 infant/toddler toothbrushes and 12 adult toothbrushes.
• Pearl River County MSDH Healthy Moms Healthy Babies – 12 infant/toddler toothbrushes and 12 adult toothbrushes, 
• George County MSDH Healthy Moms Healthy Babies – 24 infant/toddler toothbrushes and 24 adult toothbrushes.
• Hispanic Festival 1st Annual Event (Forrest County) – 125 adult, 50 child toothbrushes and 100 floss. 

 

In addition to using education and outreach to build protective factors, other programs have used this opportunity to link families to necessary services. OTC provided the Baby & Me Tobacco Free Program MS Telehealth Referral Training to Northeast MS telehealth counties: Chickasaw, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Calhoun, Monroe, Lee, Union, Benton, Marshall, Union, Tippah, Alcorn, Prentiss, Tishomingo, Lafayette. Through this approach, the program was able to complete an intake for 641 women between the ages of 18-44.

 

The CYSCN program is committed to the foundational principle of empowering families to be leaders in their healthcare decisions. The Parent Outreach Coordinator works with Parent Liaisons within our CYSHCN partner organizations on ways to support families by hosting monthly webinar sessions on topics of choice as decided by the Parent Liaisons. These sessions allow for a free flow of conversations and address questions or concerns that parents and our transitioning CYSHCN may have themselves.

 

The CYSHCN team also conducted outreach via health fair or panel participation across the region providing information and supports to families. Some activities were:

 

November 2021

• CYSHCN Cohort Partnership Training

 

January 2022

• CYSHCN Cohort Partnership Training

 

February 2022

• Family Healthcare Center Tougaloo College, Jackson
• Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, Jackson

 

March 2022

• MS Centers for Advanced Medicine, Jackson
• G.A. Carmichael Health Care Center, Canton
• Family Health Care Center, Laurel
• Yalobusha Health Clinic
• Youth Mental Health First Aid, Gulfport

 

April 2022

• Sickle Cell Health Fair, Summitt
• JSU School of Public Health, Ridgeland
• Aaron E. Henry Health Clinic, Lexington

 

May 2022

• Family Engagement Symposium, Jackson
• CYSHCN Partnership Clinic Learning Session, Jackson

 

June 2022

• Help Me Grow Health Fair, Madison

 

July 2022

• Health Homs/Health Babies Kickoff, Raymond
• Young Adult Mental Health First Aid, Madison

 

Advisory Committees

 

Maternal and Child Health Advisory Board

The Maternal and Child Health Advisory Board assists all MCH programs by:

• Reviewing the development, implementation, and adoption of programs, policies, and strategies to ensure integration across agencies and systems
• Advising on methods of integration at the local and state level
• Advising use of block grant funds to address needs in local communities based on state measures and supported by data
• Assisting in the development of information on MCH services and activities to ensure information is created in a culturally, literacy-level, and linguistic manner

Some MCH programs also have a program-specific advisory boards or committees based on federal or state requirements.

 

State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC)

The Early Intervention Program has an advisory group, the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for Early Intervention, that provides guidance on all programmatic activities. The members of the SICC are composed of a minimum of 20% family members, including parents of children under six years of age. The Early Intervention Program was selected for intensive technical assistance from the national Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC), focused on the preparation personnel who work with young children with disabilities and their early childhood partners. The Early Intervention Program assembled a cross-state leadership team of nine people, including a parent representative, to participate in guiding the state effort. The Early Intervention Program has supported this parent leader in ongoing participation on parent leadership initiatives at the state and national level. The Early Intervention Program has participated with other MCH programs in the development of the family engagement policies and improving family engagement efforts across programs.

 

EHDI-MS Advisory Committee

The EHDI-MS Program has an Advisory Committee of various screening, diagnostic, and intervention professionals as well as adults who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) and family members of children who are DHH. Family members and adults who are DHH make up 20% of the Advisory Committee membership. This Advisory Committee has three workgroups, each with family representatives, who work on (a) systems building, (b) professional development and quality improvement, and (c) family engagement. The family engagement workgroup provides direction and feedback on the program’s communication and diversity plans and helped establish the family support program. The EHDI-MS Advisory Committee also has members who work with other MCH programs on its family engagement board to expand efforts to promote higher levels of family engagement throughout our system.

 

Genetics Advisory Committee

The Genetics Advisory Committee (GAC) provides recommendations to the MSDH and Board of Health regarding rules, regulations, and procedures governing the operation of newborn screening and birth defects, including adoption of conditions to the Mississippi Newborn Screening Panel. The committee meets twice annually and is comprised of 13 volunteer members, including national experts, clinicians, consumers, parents, advocates, and partner agency representatives. Although the passage of HB 927in 2022 requires the Mississippi Newborn Screening Panel to include all Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) conditions within three years of adoption, the GAC supports the NBS Program in development and implementation of guidance and education for healthcare providers and families on current and conditions newly added to the RUSP, identifying and sharing testing and treatment options, guidance on public awareness and prevention efforts, and recommendations on newborn screening fees.

 

LPPHHP Advisory Board

The Lead Poisoning Prevention and Healthy Homes program (LPPHHP) also established an advisory board in 2021 to advise the LPPHHP on the planning and implementation of lead screening, advocacy measures, policy recommendations and education/outreach. The board has also been responsible for advising and support the LPPHHP on legislative issues pertaining to lead and other environmental hazards affecting children, assisting with monitoring the progress of the LPPHHP in the implementation of the suggested activities, and to collaborate with the LPPHHP outreach efforts to educate the public about the effects lead poisoning has on young children and the requirements for screening, testing, follow-up, and reporting.

 

Community Water Fluoridation Advisory Board Committee

In Summer 2021, the Offices of Oral Health and Environmental Health reconvened the Community Water Fluoridation Advisory Board Committee to identify strategies to improve acceptance of community water fluoridation in the state. The community water fluoridation program is housed under the Office of Environmental Health due to the regulatory compliance component; however, the Office of Oral Health closely collaborates with the Office of Environmental Health to share the benefits of community fluoridation in the prevention of oral disease. The Advisory Board promotes collaborative efforts with providers, public health organizations, and community stakeholders to increase the percentage of Mississippi residents who have access to community water fluoridation to 77% to meet the Healthy People 2030 goal. The Advisory Board and the American Fluoridation Society helped create a new community water plan for 2022-2025. The main goal for Mississippi’s Fluoridation Plan is to improve oral health outcomes across all communities through access to optimally fluoridated drinking water. The plan has 5 goals, each with corresponding objectives:

• Goal 1: Mississippi has a network of stakeholders across the state who collaborate effectively to promote community water fluoridation
• Goal 2: Mississippians understand the benefits of community water fluoridation
• Goal 3: Community water fluoridation is available to future generations
• Goal 4: Communities in Mississippi have access to data they need to promote and protect community water fluoridation.
• Goal 5: The Mississippi Community Water Fluoridation Plan has an evaluation system to provide accountability and demonstrate plan progress