Topic Areas

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

NC InCK Opens Referrals to Juvenile Justice Court Counselors for Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth

Posted on by manda.hufstedler@duke.edu

On May 30th, NC InCK partnered with the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJDP) to open referrals to NC InCK care management services for all juvenile court counselors in NC InCK’s five counties – Alamance, Durham, Granville, Orange, and Vance. For the first time, court counselors working with juvenile justice-involved youth will be able to complete a simple referral form so that more youths can receive NC InCK care management with a guardian’s consent. 

Each month, NC InCK links data between NC Medicaid and DJJDP as part of our process of prioritizing children for care management. NC InCK hopes warm referrals from court counselors may increase the number of juvenile justice-involved youth receiving services.  

 

By the Numbers: Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth We Hope NC InCK Will Serve 

Across NC InCK’s five counties, approximately 950 youths interact with DJJDP in some form each year. About 600 of those youths have health insurance through Medicaid, making them candidates for NC InCK’s services.  

Additionally, about 50 youths per year are in an out-of-home placement in a juvenile detention center or Youth Development Center. These youths are very likely to need enhanced behavioral health supports during and after their commitment. 

NC InCK Training for Court Counselors 

NC InCK hopes that more youths involved in juvenile justice can benefit from care management services. To engage more of these individuals and their families, NC InCK is working with three juvenile justice districts-Districts 9, 14, and 15. This work is aimed at helping court counselors understand the NC InCK model, recognize families who may benefit from these resources, and easily refer families that are interested to NC InCK.  

This May, NC InCK staff traveled to all three regions where they trained 26 court counselors and leaders on the NC InCK model, examples of care, and how to make referrals. NC InCK’s Integration Consultant Judy Lawrence, who is based in the DJJDP, led these trainings and maintains coordination with the districts. After making a referral, District 15 Juvenile Court Counselor Matthew Rierson shared, “It was a very simple referral process and they were able to reach out to the family in a timely manner. I felt the training gave me enough information to confidently explain the program to the parent before making a referral.” 

Members of the NC InCK team at District 15 training From left: Judy Lawrence, Josie Hatley, Alyzia McAlmon, and Sarah Allin
Members of the NC InCK team at District 15 training From left: Judy Lawrence, Josie Hatley, Alyzia McAlmon, and Sarah Allin

Applying Lessons Learned Statewide  

NC InCK will continue to prioritize juvenile justice-involved youth and their families. Juvenile Justice is one of NC InCK’s 10 Core Child Service Areas. All Care Managers in the NC InCK model receive training on the juvenile justice process, recommendations for supporting and engaging juvenile justice-involved families, and have access to ongoing, as needed, support from Judy and fellow integration consultants while working with juvenile justice-involved youth and their families.    

We hope to share whether this new referral process increases engagement among juvenile justice-involved youth and to communicate lessons learned with our partners at NC Medicaid, Local Management Entities, and Prepaid Health Plans. With success, we can build more systems statewide that better connect youths with juvenile justice involvement to care management resources that meet their needs. NC InCK also hopes to learn if care management improves connections to health, education, and social services for juvenile justice-involved youth, potentially reducing the risk of out of home placement and preventing future interactions with the DJJDP system.  

website headshots_our team (3)

Judy Lawrence has served as an Integration Consultant with North Carolina Integrated Care for Kids (NC InCK) based with North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJDP) since November 2021. This role focuses on integrating the supports and resources provided to DJJDP-involved youth and their families across multiple core youth service areas.

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