Care Rounds

Supporting Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs Integrated Care Rounds (September 2024)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

Join the NC InCK team as they discuss how best to support children and youth with special health care needs in the September 2024 Integrated Care Rounds.

Click this link for the September 2024 Supporting Children &Youth with Special Health Care Needs Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

  • Children with a medical complexity make up less than 1% of children in the U.S. 
  • A care coordination team can support families by understanding concerns, navigating financial or housing issues, advocating within the public school system, and guiding ongoing goals of care as well as discussions about realistic goal setting 
  • The CAP/C Waiver provides additional supportive services to supplement services from regular Medicaid Direct/insurance such as private duty nursing, durable medical equipment and supplies, therapy services, and home health 

Resources

  • NC InCK Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Guide: This guide is designed for Family Navigators and other professionals serving families of children with complex medical needs, intellectual disabilities, and/or traumatic brain injuries. This guide contains information to help Family Navigators and others connect CYSHCN to the services/supports they need to thrive. 
  • North Carolina LIFTSS: NC Medicaid implemented NCLIFTSS (Linking Individuals & Families to Long Term Services and Supports). NCLIFTSS provides Medicaid beneficiaries a long-requested single point of entry for accessing Medicaid Lomg Term Services and Supports and streamline processes between initial contact and service provision. 
  • NC Exceptional Children's Assistance Center: A parent organization, committed to improving the lives and education of ALL children through a special emphasis on children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. See the website for important resources, trainings, and opportunities to connect with a parent educator. 

Family Experiences with Care Management Integrated Care Rounds (August 2024)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

In the August 2024 Integrated Care Rounds, the NC InCK team discusses family experiences engaging in the NC InCK care management model. We also learned about the positive outcomes that have resulted from care management.

Click this link for the August 2024 Family Experiences with Care Management Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

Families who are engaged in or graduated from NC InCK care management reported many positive outcomes from program participation, particularly:  

  • Reduced caregiver stress due to improved economic stability and assistance with connecting to and coordinating various supports for their children (and themselves!)  
  • Improved health outcomes for children due to connection to essential health care services and food and nutrition supports  
  • Improved overall family well-being due to reduced administrative burden on caregivers and improved whole-family access to a broad spectrum of services and supports (from after-school programs and school supplies to vision care to over-the-counter cold medications) 

Supporting LGBTQIA2S+ Youth and Young Adults Integrated Care Rounds (May 2024)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The May 2024 Integrated Care Rounds discusses supporting LGBTQIA2S+ youth in the NC InCK model. The NC InCK team and guests discuss health disparities, terminology, policy considerations, supportive services and resources, and the importance of affirming care.

Click this link for the May 2024 Supporting LGBTQIA2S+ Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

  • LGBTQIA2S+ individuals are more likely to experience certain health disparities due to stigma and discrimination they experience in the healthcare setting and their daily lives.
  • In efforts to provide compassionate and effective care, it is essential to recognize key components of being an active ally. Learning about terminology, pronouns, and language considerations is an important step in supporting LGBTQIA2S+ youth. Transgender and nonbinary youth who said their pronouns were respected most or all of the time attempted suicide at half the rate of those whose pronouns were not respected.
  • Gender-affirming care is life-saving healthcare for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals of all ages. Therefore, it is important to have awareness of policy impacts on access to care, how to identify affirming providers, and how to navigate support with parents and caregivers.

Resources

Serving Families with Mixed Immigration Statuses Integrated Care Rounds (April 2024)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

This month, the NC InCK team discusses resources available to children and families with mixed immigration statuses and how to access local supports.

Click this link for the April 2024 Serving Families with Mixed Immigration Statuses Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

  • About 1 in 5 children in NC have a parent who is an immigrant. Many children in NC InCK have caregivers and other relatives in their household who have an immigration status different from their own. These differing statuses affect families’ eligibility for important resources.  
  • Understanding and discussing families’ immigration status can be confusing and intimidating. Building trust and knowing the right questions to ask can help!  
  • Citizen children of immigrant parents qualify for services like SNAP and Medicaid regardless of their caregivers’ immigration status. While many government programs require certain legal statuses to participate, programs like community food banks, free/reduced price school meals (and summer meals/Summer EBT), and WIC are open to all regardless of status. 

Resources

Early Childhood Part 2 Integrated Care Rounds (March 2024)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

In this second discussion of early childhood supports, the NC InCK team outlines services, collaboratives, and resources that help early care, education, and health.

Click this link for the March 2024 Early Childhood Part 2 Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

  • Child Care Referral Central is a regional (Alamance, Caswell, Person, Franklin, Granville and Vance counties) collaborative that offers free customized childcare referrals & information on vouchers or scholarships for all families seeking care from birth to age 12.  
  • Early Intervention services are critical in supporting children and families. Two major programs that provide these services are: the Children’s Developmental Services Agency (CDSA, aka Infant-Toddler Program) and Care Management for At-Risk Children (CMARC). CDSA offers services for kids ages 0-3 who exhibit developmental delays or have established conditions, while CMARC supports children who have special healthcare needs, ACES, exposure to substance use, or been in the neonatal intensive care unit. 
  • To apply for Pre-K, children must live within the district they are applying for, and be aged 4 (or will turn 4) by August 31st. Pre-K application materials vary by county.

Resources

 

Supporting Children and Families’ Physical Health Integrated Care Rounds (February 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The NC InCK team discusses important information about how our Family Navigators can support pediatric physical health.

Click this link for the February 2023 Supporting Children and Families' Physical Health Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

  • Family Navigators (FNs) are communicators: How to start the conversation on challenging topics: for example, when discussing obesity, avoid using words like fat, obese and BMI.  It takes time to establish trust.  Don’t be afraid to put sensitive topics in a “parking lot” for a future call.
  • FNs are educators and advocates: Food security directly impacts physical health along with so many other parts of life. Working with members and ensuring they are linked with SNAP/WIC and the VAB each PHP offers are critical steps to helping members stay physically healthy. 
  • FNs are knowledgeable: Physical health is important all year around. During the summer months there are a variety of high-quality summer opportunities to stay informed about and connect families to including camps with scholarship supports, and summer jobs & internships for adolescent and young adult members. 

 Resources

Behavioral Health Part 2 Integrated Care Rounds (November 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

In this second discussion of behavioral health, the NC InCK team outlines crisis resources, whole-person care, and therapies that help better understand and support behavioral health.

Click this link for the November 2023 Behavioral Health Part 2 Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

  • There are many evidenced-based therapies to treat different behavioral health diagnoses. Having a basic understanding of evidence-based treatment modalities can help with identifying an appropriate treatment provider and allow Family Navigators to share knowledge of what to expect with families. Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidenced-based therapy that can be beneficial for children and young adults who have experienced trauma.   
  • There is a continuum of behavioral health crisis supports available to children and families in NC InCK counties. It is important for Family Navigators to be aware of available crisis supports and share them proactively with family or members that have a known or suspected behavioral health diagnosis.  
  • Tailored Care Management (TCM) provides whole-person care management to individuals who are Tailored Plan eligible. TCM providers can link individuals to enhanced supports available in the Tailored Plan to address mental health and I/DD diagnoses.  Family Navigators can assist with transitions to TCM by supporting families in reaching out to LME/MCO member services and the enrollment broker. 

Resources

Schools Part 2 Integrated Care Rounds (September 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The NC InCK team discussed school supports, collaboration, and holistic care management during their second conversation about Schools in the September 2023 Integrated Care Rounds.

Click this link for the September 2023 Schools Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck.

Key Takeaways

  • Family Navigators are Connectors: Due to the large amount of time students spend in school, collaborating with the school system can help increase access to services that address social, behavioral, and health needs. School personnel are with the student daily and can help a family accept a referral or engage in care management.  
  • Family Navigators are Advocates: School supports such as Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Section 504 Plans are underutilized in North Carolina! In the U.S., NC ranks 46th in providing appropriate in-school support and accommodations for children with mental health needs and 50th in suspending children with disabilities. These statistics disproportionally affect Black students. Effectively communicating a child’s educational needs empowers families to speak up if they are not being met. 
  • Family Navigators Understand: Asking the right questions, and listening to children and families can reveal challenges such as bullying, housing insecurity, absenteeism and more. Understanding these experiences will ensure holistic care management supports are in place. 

 

Resources

  • NC Center for Afterschool Programs – Website that allows you to search for afterschool programs by zip code and filter by grades served and activities offered. 
  • Just U & Me Mentoring Program – A mentoring program that engages Vance County fifth-grade students in social-emotional intervention strategies that will help them improve classroom participation and academic success; meets weekly on Saturdays from 9am – 12pm. 
  • Durham Performance Learning Center – A program that helps high school students who aren't succeeding in traditional school get back on track for graduation in small classes with 1:15 teacher student ratio. Students may be recommended by current/ previous school, but families can apply independently as well. 
  • ICR Appendix – Several resources listed including IEP/ Special Education Guides, before and after school programs, school resources by NC InCK County, and education related Value Added Benefits offered through each PHP.

Adolescent and Young Adult Engagement and Well-Being Integrated Care Rounds (August 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The August 2023 Integrated Care Rounds discusses Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) engagement in the NC InCK model. The NC InCK team and guests talk about what risks adolescents and young adults may face and how to empower families to set healthy goals together.

Click this link for the August 2023 AYA Engagement and Well-Being Integrated Care Rounds Slide Deck

Key Takeaways

  • The adolescent brain is particularly susceptible to addiction, with youth showing signs of dependance quickly. Nicotine dependance can develop within days to weeks after as few as 100 cigarettes, and before daily smoking. Nicotine impacts brain areas responsible for learning, attention, impulse control and mood. Youth-friendly resources, such as Live Vape Free (LVF), can play a crucial role in helping young people quit vaping products.  
  • It is especially important to engage Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) in their care. Tips for this include: talking with parents/caretakers about including their adolescents in care management, discussing consent and confidentiality with AYA and answering their questions, encouraging and involving adolescents in goal planning, and focusing on proactive skill building!  
  • NC InCK has been receiving community referrals from Juvenile Justice Court Counsellors since May, 2023. If a family chooses, Family Navigators can collaborate with Juvenile Court Counselors to better support and reach the goals of Juvenile Justice involved youth and their families.  

 

Resources

Concrete Economic Supports Part 2 Integrated Care Rounds (June 2023)

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

Description

The NC InCK team and our guests discussed economic hardship and its impact of children and families during the second part of the Concrete Economic Supports Integrated Care Rounds event (June 2023).

Click this link for the June 2023 Concrete Economic Supports Integrated Care Rounds slide deck.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2023 NC Child Health Report Card found that 40% of children in North Carolina live in poor or low-income households. Poverty, the stress caused by the experience of poverty, and the interaction with multiple systems is linked with multiple poorer health and well-being outcomes.  
  • This training includes information on accessing supports, including clothing, internet, utilities, WorkFirst, and Unemployment benefits. Use these resources in addition to those shared in the March 2023 Integrated Care Rounds. Viewers will learn how to support families through understanding and applying for supports.   
  • Family Navigators should actively support families in connecting to and enrolling in economic supports through walking with them to complete forms, calling access lines, and following up on applications.  

Resources