Center for Persons with Disabilities Releases Assessment Tool for State Title V Leaders

November 23, 2009

Champions for Inclusive Communities has released a community-based assessment tool designed to assist State Title V Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs leaders and their partners. The tool helps assess the state's capacity to implement family centered, comprehensive, coordinated and culturally competent community-based service systems for CYSHCN.

ChampionsInC is a national center designed to support communities in organizing services for families of children and youth with special health care needs. It is a project at the Center for Persons with Disabilities' Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University.

The tool, "Examining State Capacity for Achieving a Community-Based Service System for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs," seeks to answer the following questions:

1. Who are the best choices for state-level stakeholders to represent families, youth, community providers, and other important players in the service system?
2. What state level policies and practices should be in place to achieve the outcomes in our vision?
3. What policies and practices should be in place across communities in your state?
4. What are some data sources or ways to measure achievements for children, youth, and families?

Basic elements of such a system at the state and community level are identified in a format that can be considered by a team of CYSHCN stakeholders. Resources for obtaining training and technical assistance related to the CYSHCN performance outcomes are also provided.

We hope this is a valuable component when working with Title V partners for the upcoming Block Grant Five Year needs assessment. It can also assist at any point in strategic planning.

Find the tool here.

Questions? Contact Ginger Payant and Diane Behl.