237953 Roles for State Maternal and Child Health Programs in Building Systems of Care for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 12:50 PM

Treeby Brown, MAPP , Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Washington, DC
Background: The increasing incidence of children identified and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) poses a major challenge to state maternal and child health (MCH) programs as they try to meet diverse and often complex needs of these children. Indeed, no one single agency can effect the system change needed to insure that that all children and youth with ASDs receive early and comprehensive screening, diagnosis and treatment. As a result, states have used this as opportunity to form and strengthen interagency and interorganizational partnerships and to develop new policies, programs, and financing mechanisms that could strengthen the system of care for all children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Methods: The State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC) convened a partnership group to develop strategies and approaches to help states build their systems of care for CYSHCN. At the same time, SPHARC collected data on state efforts and activities from the TVIS, a national survey of state MCH programs conducted by AMCHP, Act Early summit data, state autism implementation grantees, and select state interviews. Results: The result of this policy and research work is a policy framework that presents comprehensive roles for MCH programs along with best practices, data on state activities, and tools for state assessment. From this policy framework, MCH leaders at the state and local levels will have the tools and the data from other states to determine appropriate roles and approaches to take in building, improving, and sustaining these systems of care.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Program planning
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the framework for assessing roles for state programs in building systems of care for children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). 2. Identify specific roles and examples for state and local MCH leaders to pursue/replicate in building systems of care for children and youth with ASDs based on survey and research results. 3. Design a state action plan for MCH leaders to develop in collaboration with other state programs to develop their system of care for children and youth with ASDs.

Keywords: Children With Special Needs, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I am the director of the State Public Health Autism Resource Center and provide technical assistance to state public health programs building their systems of care for children and youth with ASDs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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