This 24-month proposal, starting in June 2019, aims to support a community-level improvement effort that is focused on improving the receipt of services for young children identified at-risk for developmental and behavioral delays. This proposal is anchored to the priority areas and priority sites identified and confirmed by the community-level stakeholders at the January 2019 meeting and focused on the specific topic areas for which the majority of attendees voted were of most importance. This proposal is intentionally aligned and synergistic with a number of the CCO 2.0 policies that focus on children aged 0-5, proposed CCO Incentive Metrics focused on children aged 0-5, and the Early Learning System Strategy that will guide and inform priority work for the Early Learning Hub.
Anchored to a collective impact model and as the backbone organization of early learning across all three counties, the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon will convene stakeholders semi-annually to share the learnings, discuss implications for spread, and to inform priorities and policies within the region. At the end of the project, a number of generalizable tools will be developed to support the spread of innovation more fully across all the region including the following: a) A toolkit for primary care practices, b) EI referral and care coordination methods, and c) Toolkit for primary care and behavioral-based strategies to address children with social-emotional delays, and d) A summary brief of key learnings in providing proactive and targeted developmental promotion and behavioral supports to children from highly socially complex families.
This project will ensure that young children identified will receive best match follow-up through closed loop referral to prepare them for kindergarten. Phase II builds on quantitative and qualitative data review to identify activities to advance increased outcomes for children through targeted improvement pilot work over the next two years. This work includes a focus on seven project-level activities:
- Activity #1: Provide on-site training and support to two engaged primary care sites (Mosaic and COPA) around improving follow-up to developmental screening.
- Activity #2: Recruit and engage primary care sites serving children for which disparities and inequities were observed. Madras Medical Group and St. Charles Prineville have joined our project as pilot sites.
- Activity #3: Collaboratively work with Early Intervention (EI) to improve education to referring providers on best match referrals to EI and on closed loop communications for children referred.
- Activity #4: Develop Pathways and Processes for Children Specifically Identified with Social-Emotional Delays
- Activity #5: Develop Pathways and Processes for Children who Need Medical and Therapy Services
- Activity #6: Provide Proactive Developmental Promotion and Behavioral Health Meant to Build Resiliency for Children in Socially Complex Families
- Activity #7: Summarize key learnings to inform spread and innovation across the region and to inform community-level priorities.
Funding Sources: Funding for this project has been provided by the Central Oregon Health Council, the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon, and the Central Oregon Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) System Development Funds.