Family2Family

New York’s Family to Family Real Choice Grantee, Parent to Parent has compiled a group of publications to assist families with children with special health care needs in understanding the complex system naviagate. Titles include: Understanding Health Insurance, Prescription Tips From Parents, Financial Aid, Researching Health Care Information on the Internet, Selecting a Doctor, Section 504 Fact Sheet, Understanding Medicaid and Tips For Handling Medical Appointments.

Family Voices of North Dakota developed two presentations to assist families in advocacy, navigate the health care system and create collaborative relationships with health care providers and payers. Review the first presentation <i>Getting the Most From Your Health Care Visits</i> for helpful ideas. The second presentation <i>Parent Leadership: Creating Partnerships</i> offers practical tools in care coordination.

Family Voices of North Dakota is a state chapter of the National Family Voices organization and provides health information and education. As part of the Family to Family grant, this chapter has begun to produce <i>Pass It on…Health Care Policy</i>, an e-newsletter that shares resources, information, and activities regarding care for children with special health care needs. Also visit their website for publications, a link directory, and other interactive resources.

Medical Home is an initiative funded by the MCH Bureau and HRSA and administered by SPAN of New Jersey as an approach to providing high quality, cost effective health services. The concept is for coordinated & respectful health care partnership among a child, his/her parents and the child’s Primary Care Provider. The presentations provide an overview of partnering. Titles includes: The Medical Home, Why do Parents Get Involved, Parent Professional Collaboration, and Partnering with Providers.

This listing is a series of family-friendly brochure from the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey. They are designed to help family with important decisions and to introduce families to the New Jersey Care 2000+. Brochure topics include: Medicaid Managed Care, Choosing a Provider, Provider Relations and Advocacy, Dispute Resolution, Welfare, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid, Important Terms, Resource List.

The presentation from the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey discusses advocacy and the elements necessary to effect social change: strategic planning, information and research, involvement of others, support for parent participation, diversity and outreach, leadership building, understanding public policy and the legislative cycle, and effective advocacy strategies. Available in English and Spanish, these presentations address how families can be involved in the advocacy process.

The Children with Special Health Care Needs programs of Nevada assists children with special needs and their families through a variety of health and support services. The Real Choice Systems Change Project has partnered with the Nevada Broadcasters Association to air the various media information on Nevada's television and radio stations. They also host a website with links to support, advocacy, assistance and education.

As part of the New York Family to Family Health Information Center, They provided information to families related to the issues of health care and children with special health care needs.They have created this listing of website links that they suggest families find valuable. They share this resource as an example for other Family to Family grantee programs can create.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invite proposals for grants in three categories: a. Family-to-Family Health Care Information and Education Centers b. Systems Transformation Grants c. Aging & Disability Resource Centers. In FY 05, during the consolidated appropriations process, Congress appropriated $39 million to fund a new round of RCSC grants. States and other eligible organizations, in partnership with their disability & aging communities, may submit proposals until 7/7/05.

The Nevada Children with Special Health Care Needs conducted a 5 month multi-method needs assessment that describes demographics, universal needs and barriers families with children with special health care needs face. Completion of this needs assessment represents an opportunity for community input into the prioritization of needs design & implementation of positive changes to the system of care. The report also includes a summary of Selected States’ Service Delivery Models, tables & figures.