Projects
Wisconsin Family to Family Health Information Center
Project Goals:
- Goal 1: To increase the coordination between existing state funded information and assistance activities and the availability of health and community resources to CSHCN.
- Analyze the Action Steps developed by participants in the Wisconsin Blueprint to Improve the Health of Ind. With Disabilities and coordinate project activities with conference participants.
- Convene an interagency workgroup that will guide project activities and participants in a series of discussions on mapping and streamline access to information and assistance for families of CSHCN.
- Convene meetings that include consumers, information and assistance entities, community organizations and DHFS staff to develop recommendations for policy that streamline access to I & A for families of CSHCN.
- Formalize commitments from existing I & A entities on how they will collaborate to support CSHCN
- Publicize information and assistance availability through interagency network outreach
- Goal 2: To increase the ability and sustainability of highly trained health benefits specialists with expertise in CSHCN.
- Identify potential community partners in each DHFS region who can provide an organizational home and support for individuals trained in health benefits counseling
- Identify 1-4 people in each DHFS region, preferably parents of CSHCN who can participate in health benefits training
- Develop strategies for ongoing support to the network of health benefits specialists
- Provide training and technical assiatance to identified individuals, including an initial intensive 2 day training, followed by quarterly meetings and conference calls, to support the network
- Goal 3: Assure the availability of resources and training so that parents of CSHCN, including parents of under-represented segments of the community, can be knowledgeable and effective navigators of their child's system of care.
- Existing informational fact sheets will be utilized and new fact sheets developed in response to the need for information as identified by families, Regional CSHCN Centers, consumer groups and personal contacts to ensure that families understand their insurance coverage
- The Project Director will work with two underrepresented groups: Hispanic and Native American families, to insure the accessibility of information contained in the fact sheet.
- A dissemination plan and format will be developed and implemented to share informational materials with consumer groups, Regional Centers for CSHCN, Family Support programs and healthcare providers.
- Project resources and other key identified resources will be made available through the Family Voices website and other partner websites.
- One training will be offered per year, including skill-building activities, to families in each region of the state in collaboration with ABC for Health and the Regional CSHCN Centers based on needs identified by families through the Regional Center parent network.
- Goal 4: Develop an infrastructure for a sustainable family to family information and training center.
- Identify an advisory board that represents family, community, and DHFS partners in support of CSHCN.
- Implement a strategic planning process to establish a private non-profit family run and directed organization focused on improving health care for CSHCN.
- Provide technical assistance and support to the advisory board to support the process of a sustainable independent family run organization
- Disseminate information about the organization to families in Wisconsin and solicit membership for the purposes of sharing information
