State Systems Development Initiative (SSDI)

The State Systems Development Initiative (SSDI), launched in 1993, complements the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant Program. The purpose of the SSDI projects is to assure that the Title V agencies have access to policy and program relevant information and data. SSDI assists State Agency Maternal and Child Health and Children with Special Health Care Needs programs in the building of State and community infrastructure. SSDI projects aid the Title V agencies in their ongoing Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessments efforts, in determining performance and outcome measures, and in the setting of State priorities. The efforts of the SSDI projects results in comprehensive, community-based systems of care for the maternal and child health population groups that include preventive and primary care services for pregnant women, mothers, and infants; preventive and primary care services for children; and services for children with special health care needs.

States focus their SSDI resources on establishing or improving data linkages; establishing or improving access to surveys and/or surveillance systems; continuing general support of their Title V Block Grant Program; and initiating the development of a life course performance metrics.

The States are expected to concentrate SSDI resources on the Title V Block Grant Health System Capacity Indicator (HSCI) #9(A), with first priority on data linkages. This indicator consists of the data linkages between birth records and 1) Infant death certificates,
2) Medicaid eligibility or paid claims files, 3) The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) eligibility files, and 4) Newborn screening files. States must give first priority to these four data linkages, but they may also focus on establishing or improving access to: 1) Hospital discharge surveys, 2) A birth defects surveillance system, 3) A survey of recent mothers at least every two years, similar to the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), and 4) A survey of adolescent health and behaviors at least every two years, like the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS).

The SSDI programs continue to address ongoing needs assessment and the improvement of the State’s data capacity for the performance/outcome measures of the Title V Block Grant Program. Also, the SSDI programs have begun to develop and implement life course performance metrics that will assist in measuring the State’s progress towards incorporating life course principles into their policy development, strategic and operational planning, and program evaluation.