Project Description:
The overall goal of this project is to assist families of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) in making informed decisions about healthcare in order to promote good treatment decisions, cost-effectiveness, and improved health outcomes. Project objectives include:
1. To continue to assure that families of CYSHCN play key leadership roles in the planning, operations, evaluation, and sustainability of the Missouri F2F.
2. To support and expand collaborative partnerships between families of CYSHCN, health care providers, policymakers, family advocacy organizations, programs and agencies at local, state, and national levels.
3. To provide health care information, education/training and mentoring to families of CYSHCN to assist them in accessing information and services related to HRSAs six core outcomes.
4. To support families of CYSHCN to become active leaders and partners in decision making at all levels of services, systems and public policy related to CYSHCN.
5. To sustain the services of the Missouri F2F and publish/disseminate information and outcomes locally, regionally, and nationally.
Coordination: The IHD will serve as the lead applicant for the Missouri F2F in collaboration with a diverse array of partners that represent state agencies such as the Bureau of Special Healthcare Needs and Division of Developmental Disabilities as well as other key advocacy and family support organizations. Family professional partnerships will be supported through the Missouri F2F Advisory Council and a statewide Family Stakeholders group.
Evaluation: The evaluation will use both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The process evaluation will assess on-going project activities and provide information to monitor and improve the project. The outcome evaluation will assess the programs success related to outcome indicators to provide an indication of the extent to which the projects efforts achieved stated objectives. The result of a mixed methods approach is a rich description that will inform current and future practices related to family peer support.
Annotation: The Missouri F2F will provide information, training, and personal support to families of CYSHCN and professionals through collaborative local, state, and national partnerships. The result will be improved informed decision-making and health outcomes.
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English
