Linking underserved clients to prenatal care and community resources

The Healthy Start Healthy Families (HSHF) Program strives to promote optimal birth outcomes through connecting pregnant women to a medical home, long-term home visiting services, and other community resources. Outreach workers employ a multi-faceted approach to reach these overburdened low-income families. The bilingual (English/Spanish) outreach workers identify families through free pregnancy testing and options counseling provided on the Mama and Baby Bus; street-based outreach in at-risk neighborhoods; clinic waiting room encounters; and ongoing referrals from community partners.

Although based out of Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc., a multi-service federally qualified health center, outreach workers refer clients to prenatal care sites throughout the DC metropolitan area. This client-centered approach allows families to receive timely and appropriate care regardless of availability of services. At the same time the outreach workers provide ongoing screening of clients for the HSHF Program. Clients are referred to a variety of neighborhood resources – from baby supplies to car seat workshops – regardless of eligibility for the HSHF Program. This systematic and ongoing outreach service builds credibility in the community and sustains relationships with community partners.

This presentation will include a role play of how to approach a client in various settings, and a brief discussion of barriers to reaching clients. An outreach worker from Healthy Start Healthy Families initiated the abstract submission process and will be the key presenter at APHA.