State Implementation Grants for Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs

State Implementation Grants for Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs improves access to a quality, comprehensive, coordinated community-based system of services for CYSHCN and their families that is family-centered and culturally competent. The initiative supports grants to assist State Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) programs, family organizations, providers, and other partners to implement the six core outcomes of a system of services based on evidence based practices for CYSHCN.

State-wide programs either are or work directly with a State Title V Program for Children with Special Health Care Needs and work on providing improved results from the statewide needs assessment that addresses the States’ status regarding each of the six (6) Division of Special Health Care Needs systems outcomes. The programs create effective, strong partnerships between the State Title V Program for Children with Special Health Care Needs (if not the program), primary care providers including the State Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, family leaders and parent organizations such as the Family to Family Health Information Center, state agencies, community-based organizations, state legislatures, and public and private payers, especially Medicaid, and work with partners to develop and implement a statewide plan to achieve a community-based system of services for CYSHCN using evidence based and best practice models. The programs network with and integrate project activities into existing state projects focused on system improvement for populations with special needs, develop a plan to sustain system improvements into the Title V Block Grant and other state activities, as well as plan for a comprehensive evaluation plan using national, state, and community data. This initiative ultimately aims to organize services for the CYSHCN population and establish long term improved accessibility to health care and community services within each state.