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Highlights
Maternal and Child Health – Children
with Special Health Care Needs
We want to improve community-based services for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) to improve systems of care. This includes clients receiving health care benefits through the Health and Human Services Commission’s CSHCN Services Program.
Title V performance measures drive our work. These performance measures align with priorities identified through a comprehensive needs assessment process. We report progress on performance measures annually to the federal government.
CSHCN Performance Measures of the Texas Title V Block Grant include:
- Percent of adolescents with and without special health care needs who received the services necessary to make transitions to adult health care;
- Percent of children with and without special health care needs having a medical home; and
- Percent of children and youth with special health care needs and their families who received supports and services necessary to be integrated into their communities.
Other national, state, and community agencies support the progress on CYSHCN performance measures. Program activities are planned and implemented in partnership with stakeholders including:
- Families;
- Community organizations;
- Universities;
- National technical assistance centers; and
- Other state agencies and programs.
CSHCN
Systems Development Group Areas of Focus:
Transition
Due to advances in health care,
CYSHCN are living longer, healthier lives. Most CYSHCN survive into adulthood. This
highlights the need for adult care transition services and support.
Transition is a dynamic, lifelong process. I needs to meet a youth and
family’s individual concerns as the youth moves from childhood to adulthood. In Texas 18.6% of CYSHCN received services necessary to transition to adult health care (compared to 22.9% nationally).
Medical Home
CYSHCN who receive care in a
medical home are more likely to meet other Core Systems Outcomes. A medical
home is an approach to providing comprehensive primary care. It facilitates
partnerships between patients, physicians, and families. Care in a medical
home should be:
- Comprehensive;
- Coordinated;
- Continuous;
- Accessible;
- Family-centered;
- Culturally competent; and
- Compassionate.
In Texas, 45% of CYSHCN received care in a medical home (42.3% nationally).
Community
Inclusion
CYSHCN have the same needs as
typically developing children. They need inclusion in social, recreational, and other community activities. All families contribute to and are affected by their communities. This includes families with CYSHCN. We support accessible and welcoming communities. We also promote activities that are inclusive and can lessen the sense of isolation experienced by many
CYSHCN and their families. In Texas, 55% of CYSHCN caregivers report feeling isolated because of their child's disability. Over a third do not feel a sense of belonging to their community.
External links are
informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State
Health Services. For more information
about Children with Special Health Care Needs, Maternal and Child
Health, or maternal and child
health in Texas, please email TitleV@dshs.texas.gov or call 512-776-7373