Child Development Screening Referral Program with San Fernando Community Health Center and the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing at California State University, Northridge

Child Development Screening Referral Program with San Fernando Community Health Center and the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing at California State University, Northridge Goal: Create a quality care network for families of children with identified developmental needs to provide a warm personalized referral program to access services through the appropriate centers at CSUN as well as referral to programs in the community. Project Need ? Services for child and family services as identified by developmental screenings are essential for addressing issues early and offering appropriate supportive care. ? Due to the complexity of the developmental issues ranging from autism to language delay and social/emotional development, treatment and/or services requires an interdisciplinary approach; numerous potential therapies exist as well as a wide variety of care providers. ? Navigating these care providers and therapies can be costly, time-consuming, bewildering, and overwhelming for families already significantly impacted by the challenges of having a family member with developmental needs. ? As a result, some families do not get the help they need for their family member, and for themselves. ? At the same time, individuals preparing for careers in health care, child development, education, and other fields can greatly benefit from supervised experiences in providing compassionate, competent, culturally sensitive care for children and their families. California State University, Northridge ? California State University, Northridge is a regionally focused, nationally recognized university serving the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas, with an enrollment of more than 36,000 culturally and socioeconomically diverse students; the university offers undergraduate degrees in 66 disciplines, graduate degrees in 55 fields, and credentials and a doctorate in the field of education. ? The university?s mission is first and foremost to meet the educational goals of its students; in doing so, it also serves the needs of its broader community. ? Cal State Northridge has decades of experience helping improve the lives of thousands of community members through services such as physical therapy, counseling, nutrition resources, speech and hearing evaluation, and therapeutic exercise and fitness?and in the process, it educates and prepares thousands of practice-ready graduates annually. ? Many of these services operate out of four colleges within the university: the College of Health and Human Development, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, and the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication. ? The university?s College of Health and Human Development focuses on promoting the optimal health, development, and wellbeing of people throughout their life spans; its 9 undergraduate and 8 graduate degree programs are all highly multidisciplinary and practice-oriented, giving students the opportunity to put their knowledge to work through service-learning, internships, and other field-based experiences. ? The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences enrolls the largest number of students at Cal State Northridge and operates the largest social work outreach program of any educational institution in the region; it prepares thousands of students annually through an applied curriculum that leads students and faculty into local communities to face some of the community?s most challenging problems and develop thoughtful, innovative solutions on a regional, national, and global scale. ? The Michael D. Eisner College of Education produces more teacher candidates than any other higher education institution in the state; additionally, the college prepares highly effective school administrators, school psychologists, school counselors, and marriage and family therapists. Guided by research and evidence, the college is a leader in advancing education reform and addressing the needs of diverse learners. ? The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication offers a variety of innovative programs in the performing and visual arts, journalism, cinema and television, and communication, and leads the university?s music and arts education outreach programs for the region?s K?12 community. The college operates the Music Therapy Wellness Clinic, which provides individualized music activities for children and adults with disabilities and special challenges, including autism. ? In 2009, the university established the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing, an innovative collaborative of campus and community affiliations focused on a) strengthening individuals and communities through creative partnerships and education, b) leveraging the university?s talent, expertise, and resources to address community-expressed needs, and c) promoting a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to healthy living. ? By working closely with communities to address their expressed needs while also preparing the students who will ultimately serve those communities professionally, Cal State Northridge plays a unique, transformative role in the San Fernando Valley?providing hope and support, resources and services?and, in the process, effecting long-term change. San Fernando Community Health Center and California State University, Northridge Clearly, there are many synergies to be realized through a partnership between our two organizations. Together, we will capitalize on these synergies and create a network of resources and referral services for families with children who have been identified as a result of developmental screening at the San Fernando Community Health Center. Operating under the auspices of the university?s Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing, the referral support services will consist of 1) a quality care network of child development related campus and select community resources and services ; 2) access to an already existing online portal providing information about and access to the campus and select community; and 3) one-on-one warm referral support to help families navigate a path to the resources and services that will best meet their children?s specific needs. Project Description Component 1: Quality Care Network of Child Development Resources and Service Providers at CSUN as well as selected resources in the San Fernando Valley Cal State Northridge has extensive, long-standing relationships with a wide range of health and wellbeing-related service providers, organizations, and resources throughout the San Fernando Valley region as well as the campus centers for health and human services. Component 2: Online Portal An online portal to the campus centers and some community-based programs providing health and human services already exists through the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing. It provides families with information about and access to a quality care network of providers. Component 3: Warm Referral Services Working one-on-one a team member of the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing will provide appropriate referrals to families as identified by the San Fernando Community Health Center. Working in consultation with the referring partner at SFCHC families will receive a warm transition to their care partner. The team member from the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing will follow-through and track clients to ensure families are provided needed support in accessing services.