Innovative Approaches

Parents with Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) experience a complex system of uncoordinated services.

What is the Innovative Approaches Initiative?

The Appalachian District Health Department received a three year grant opportunity that focuses on bringing together key community stakeholders to work on systems that impact families with children and youth with special health care needs from birth to 21 years of age. Innovative Approaches is a community-led, family driven initiative. Currently, there is a Steering Committee with over 45 participants, including 19 parents with children and youth with special health care needs and 6 workgroups.

Innovative Approaches has 5 goals based on the national Maternal and Child Health Bureau performance measures:

1. Increase the percent of CYSHCN whose families are partners in shared decision-making for their child’s optimal health.
2. Increase the percent of CYSHCN who receive coordinated, ongoing, comprehensive care within a medical home.
3. Increase the percent of CYSHCN who are screened early and continuously for special health care needs
4. Increase the percent of CYSHCN who can easily access community based services
5. Increase the percent of youth with special health care needs who receive the services necessary to make the appropriate transitions to adult health care, work and independence.

What are special health care needs?

Children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) are defined by the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) as:

“…those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.”

Some examples include:

•       ADHD
•       Allergies
•       Asthma
•       Autism Spectrum Disorder
•       Childhood Cancers
•       Cerebral Palsy
•       Deaf or Blind
•       Diabetes
•       Down Syndrome
•       Heart Disease
•       Developmental Delays
•       Mental Health Conditions

And Many More

How can I get involved?

Join the Innovative Approaches Steering Committee. The committee is a group of people from community organizations, providers, school personnel, and families who have children with special health care needs. Meetings take place every other month. Contact Maria Julian if you would like to join.