Interprofessional Family Reviews: Interprofessional Support for Community Health Worker Roles

Background

Healthy Families is an evidence based national program model which provides education, resources and support for the most vulnerable first time parents through voluntary, strength based, intensive home visiting by trained community health workers with the goal of achieving positive pregnancy, maternal and child health outcomes; promoting positive parenting outcomes and preventing child abuse and neglect.

There is a pressing need to identify effective models that provide support for community health workers, who have a critical role in achieving important public health goals. Community health workers, supported by an advance practice nurse and clinical psychologist, can be part of a collaborative care model that can achieve prevention goals through accessible and effective interventions.

 An interprofessional practice model is a successful, innovative, and cost effective way to achieve program and family goals.

 Methods:

Research Question: What are the perceptions of community health workers about the effectiveness of collaboration in interprofessional family reviews to support vulnerable mothers at risk for poor parenting outcomes due to health and mental health challenges?

The Wilder Collaborative Factors Inventory (WCFI) (Mattessich, Murray-Close, & Monsey, 2001) was used to assess the elements of effective collaboration. Qualitative questions were added to the survey.

 Results:

Quantitative results and qualitative themes confirmed that CHWs value the consultation, training, and support they receive in the IPFRs.

 Conclusions

Healthy Families program community health workers perceive the interprofessional family reviews as effective in providing support, consultation, and training for serving vulnerable families. IPFRs will be used to support accreditation standards for CHW supervision.