Agenda - 04-19-1994 - VIII-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 UNIVERSAL HOME VISITING OF FAMILIES WITH NEWBORNS IN ORANGE COUNTY Problem Statement: The service delivery system in Orange County is unable to identify all families and children in need of health and human services, and even when identified, families are not always willing or able to access needed services. The current network of home visiting services is fragmented and lacks the capacity to identify and serve all families in need of such services. Problem Resolution: A universal home visiting program has the potential to identify, at the earliest possible time, families with newborns who need health and human services and to provide these services and/or refer families to appropriate-"resources including, among others, the Child Service Coordination Program. At-risk - families often face barriers to accessing needed services. These barriers can be financial, structural, or personal. Home visiting can be an effective strategy in overcoming these barriers through the provision of services in the home. In 1992, 1163 new Orange County residents were born. Of these 573 (47%) were born in the county and 636 (53%) were born out of the county. The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) report, Home Visiting: A Promising Early Intervention Strategy for At-Risk Families, ( 1990) , defines home visiting as "a strategy that delivers health, social support, or educational services directly to individuals in their homes. " A Pound of Prevention: The Case for Universal Maternity Care In the U.S. , ( 1992 ) , edited by Kotch and associates, points out that home visiting services are particularly useful in accessing groups that are difficult to reach through center-based or other more usual service delivery methods. Home visiting services differ from strict case management services in that social and health, as well as, educational services are delivered in the home. Post-partum/newborn assessments, psycho-social counseling, and parenting education and modeling are examples of services that can be delivered in the home. It is also possible, however, for the home visitor to provide case management services. Collaborators: In developing the idea and determining the need for this planning grant, discussion has occurred with Karen Metzger, RN, of UNC Hospitals, Robin McCoy of Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools, Bill Frenzel of the Orange County Schools, Anne Maiden of the Hearth Foundation, as well as, the nursing and social work staff at the Health Department. The concept was also briefly discussed with the Child Service Coordination Collaborative Team. Contributed resources will likely be office space, equipment and consultation to the individual hired to carry out the planning grant.