Integrating Service Needs for Homeless Children in a Medical Home
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Transcript of Integrating Service Needs for Homeless Children in a Medical Home
Integrating Service Needs for Homeless Children in a Medical Home
Christine Achre, MA, LCPC
Key objectives of presentation
Describe service needs of homeless children Provide an Overview of the Medical Home for
Homeless Kids Project Describe preliminary outcomes of the project Discuss lessons learned from coordinating
this project
Beacon Therapeutic Diagnostic and Treatment Center Brief agency overview History of delivering services to homeless
families Day School Services Broader Shelter Outreach Services Specialized TOTS program
Needs of homeless children Demographics of homeless children
20% of children ages 3-5 have diagnosable mental health disorders
Sicker than housed children Social and emotional delays at
higher rates than housed children Developmental delays at higher
rates than housed children with a higher socioeconomic level
Exposed to multiple transitions Despite the high needs for services,
less than 50% of children will get the help they need
Source: National Center on Family Homelessness
Needs of homeless childrenNeeds of homeless children
Seminal study by the National Center on Family Homelessness (formerly known as the Better Homes Fund) identified four key areas of a child’s life affected by homelessness Emotional development Physical Illness Family Stability Education
Needs of homeless children
Emotional needs Mental health
characteristics and needs Higher rate of emotional and
behavioral problems Less likely to receive
necessary professional care.
Needs of homeless children
Physical Illness Physical health characteristics
and needs Higher rate of acute/chronic illness Lack of access to services
Needs of homeless children Family stability
Most, but not all homeless families are headed by a single mother
Reasons for becoming homeless represent economic, emotional and environmental hardships
Homeless mothers often represent with significant challenges
Involvement in foster care Homeless as children Mental health concerns including post-traumatic stress,
depressive and anxiety disordersSource: National Center on Family Homelessness
Needs of homeless children Education
Characteristic needs of young homeless children Increased rate of developmental delay and
learning disability System issues that inadvertently
contribute to the needs Lack of access for routine immunizations,
dental care
Needs of homeless children
Despite the enormous needs of homeless children, the system had been fragmented and disconnected
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Background of the Medical Home Model Partnership between Beacon Therapeutic
and University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital About University of Chicago Comer Children’s
Hospital
What is a Medical Home?
Key components Accessible Family Centered Coordinated Comprehensive Continuous Compassionate Culturally Competent
Source: AAP Policy Statement: The Medical Home
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project
Goals of the project
Identify and fill an access need to ensure that physical health needs of homeless children are met
Identify and provide specialized developmental services to ensure that homeless children can succeed in their kindergarten placement
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Key Service Components
Specialized developmental screening Well-child physical health care Access to dental care Psychiatric and psychological support on-site as well
as in the shelter setting Recreational therapist focusing on children’s motor
skills Educational linkage and advocacy
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Project receives funding support from
Illinois Department of Human Services In-kind services from University of Chicago United Way Pilot Funding United Way Partner Agency funding Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Initial Outcome
Children and their parents are made aware of the resources offered by the Medical Home program Indicator:
100% of parents will consent to participation in TOTS/Medical Home Program
Initial outcomes revealed – 100% consented to participation in the program
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Initial Outcome
Kids enhance their positive life-skills Indicator
100% of children referred will follow up on development and/or physical health screenings
Initial outcomes revealed100% consented to one or both areas of screenings
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Intermediate Outcomes
90% of children will exhibit improvement in their overall functioning including physical, emotional, behavioral and developmental Initial outcomes revealed 89% of children exhibited
improvement
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Long-Term Outcome: Children will
successfully transition to their kindergarten placement having stabilized all identified need areas Indicator: 90% of children who complete
treatment will successfully transition to kindergarten
Initial outcomes revealed – 100% of children who left the program were transitioned to their kindergarten placement
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Strategies and Clinical Tools Used
Behavior Monitoring Form Child Behavior Checklist Kindergarten Readiness Form Children’s Global Assessment Scale Parent Stress Index (PSI) Trauma Symptoms Checklist for
Young Children (TSCYC)
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Lessons Learned
Parents must be partners Transient nature of this population Transportation logistics Health Information and follow-up for parents Time and coordination among partners
Medical Home for Homeless Kids Project Conclusion
We believe that the medical home program reflects an integrated, multi-disciplinary service delivery model