Children in Central Oregon have lifelong health and learning challenges. This is often due to a lack of early identification and access to services. Although regional developmental screening rates increased in Central Oregon from 2013 (52%) to 2017 (71.2%), a significant number of children need education services and supports at Kindergarten enrollment. However, 42% of referrals to the Early Intervention program did not meet eligibility requirements. Anecdotal information from primary care providers indicates they have limited knowledge of community-based services and community referral processes. Also, parents and caregivers often do not have the information, capacity, or resources to follow-up on referrals. Without appropriate screening, referral, and follow-through, children's access to services will continue to be lacking.
"The collection of services and modalities in the region had high value to providers in helping to improve their understanding of different service modalities, including availability and capacity in their region, and better support the engagement of their patients in these pathways. The Internal Behavioral Staff, who was new to the position, found a lot of benefit from the tools and resources provided. She strategically aligned this pathway into her scope of work to support the breadth of patients served."
Madras Medical Group
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- To improve community-level systems and services for children who are at risk of developmental and behavioral delays, the Pathways from Developmental Screening project was created.
- The program was implemented by The Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon.
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The project attempted to:- Improve access to services for young children identified at-risk for developmental and behavioral delays.
- Improve care, including identification of assets and resources, referrals, follow-up, and coordination.
- Ensure service provision for at-risk children to prepare them for kindergarten.
4,085 screenings were completed from July 2017 to June 2018.
18% of children were identified as at-risk based on July 2017 to June 2018 screenings.
Over 80 individuals from nine sectors within health care, early learning, education, and parent-groups, were interviewed to identify ways to improve screening and follow-up.
One in three (34.8%) children in Central Oregon have three or more social complexity factors that impact their health, development, and ability to be ready for kindergarten.
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This project is teaching us:- The importance of community processes on health outcomes.
- There are many opportunities to improve follow-up, closed-loop communication, identify best match services, and family access in Central Oregon.
- The data also revealed disparities and inequities in services and follow-up by county and race-ethnicity.
Provided on-site training and support to the two already confirmed primary care sites (Mosaic and COPA) around improving follow-up to developmental screening.
Recruited and engaged primary care sites serving children for which disparities and inequities were observed.
Collaboratively worked with Early Intervention (EI) to improve education to referring providers on best match referrals to EI and on closed-loop communications for children referred.
Developed pathways and processes for children identified with social-emotional delays.