Health Care Highlights

Here you will find highlights on implementation of the Health Care Provisions of the Fostering Connections Act, as well as selected resources available on FosteringConnections.org.

Health Care Resources

• Federal Guidance
  The Children's Bureau provides a very helpful document intended to serve as a reference for stakeholders interested in locating Children's Bureau (CB) policy, guidance and other implementation activities related to the Fostering Connections
• California's Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care
  California uses Public Health Nurses in each county child welfare office.  Read more about this model here.  
• Foster Children: HHS Guidance Could Help States Improve Oversight of Psychotropic Prescriptions
  The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on the study of the prescription of psychotropic medication to children in foster care.

November 10, 2010 Health Convening

The health information below was shared at a convening held on November 10, 2010 and sponsored by the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (NAPCWA), PolicyLab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and FosteringConnections.org. At the convening, representatives from state child welfare and Medicaid agencies met to discuss approaches to implementing the health care provisions of the Fostering Connections Act.  Panel discussions were organized around: 1) sharing data, 2) models of care, and 3) monitoring usage of pyschotropic medications.  The agenda for the convening is here, and materials shared by presenters and participants are provided below.   Additional resources to support state implementation efforts of the health provisions of the Fostering Connections Act are available here. Please join the discussion on LinkedIn here.

Tennessee

• Policy 20.15 Medication Administration, Storage and Disposal
  Tennessee's policy on Medication Administration
• Policy 20.18 Psychotropic Medication
  Tennessee's policy on Psychotropic Medication Usage
• Policy 20.24 Informed Consent
  Tennessee's policy on Informed Consent
• Policy 20.59 Medication Error Guidelines
  Tennessee's policy on Medication Error Reporting
• Tennessee: DCS Regional Map
  A regional map of Tennessee by county
• Tennessee Department of Children's Services Regional Well Being and Program Divisional Interface
  Information on the "Well Being" Units and how they interface within the divisions
• Tennessee: Coordination of Health Care Services
  A summary and description of the Health Care Services and coordination of those services in Tennessee for children in care
• TennCare Centers of Excellence recieves Silver APA Achievement Award, 2004
  TennCare Centers of Excellence for Children in State Custody-A Successful Partnership for Serving a Population With Complex Needs
• Tennessee Department of Children's Services Aggregate Psychotropic Pharmacy Data Summary January-December 2009
  A summary of January-December 2009 provided by pharmaceutical data from Blue Cross Blue Shield.  Summary information was given on demographic information, such as adjudication, gender, and race. Summary information on the physician prescribing the medication, as well as, drug information was given. The information from each month has been totaled and averaged for the year.
• Tennessee Department of Children's Services Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
  Information on the new Children's Services Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
• Training on Health Issues for Resource Parents
  A report on the trainings provided to Foster Parents on Health Issues

Utah

• Categories for Time Reporting
  The categories Utah uses for time reporting on health issues facing foster children
• Daily Documentation Sheet
  A copy of the daily documentation sheet used by Utah case workers regarding child's health care
• Time Study Signature Page
  A description and explanation of the daily documentation sheet in Utah
• Designation of Responsibility for Payment
  Information for the designation of responsibility of payment for a child's health care needs in Utah
• Department of Health Nurses Agreement
  Agreement between the Utah Department of Health and Department of Human Services for the tracking of the health care of chlidren in care 
• Funds for Health Care Needs of Foster Children
  A description of the usage of the Custody Medical Care Program at the Department of Health in Utah for payment of health care needs.
• Health Care Access and Coordination
  A description of Utah's health care access and coordination for children in foster care.
• Psychotherapeutic Medication Report on Utah's Foster Care Clients
  A report on the psychotherapeutic medication usage in Utah's foster care system as of July 9th, 2008.
• SAFE Report Example
  An example of the health care report from Utah's SAFE system.

Texas

• White Paper on Psychotropic Medication Usage
  A White Paper on pyschotropic medication usage in Texas.
• Full Report on Psychotropic Medication Usage
  The Full Report on psychotropic medication usage in Texas.
• STAR Health Program
  Information on the STAR Health Program in Texas.
• Letter to Health Care Providers
  The letter to Texas Health Care providers regarding Psychotropic Medication Utilization Parameters for Foster Children.
• Texas Health Passport
  A description of the Texas Health Passport
• Texas Fostering Connections Implementation
  A report on Texas regarding the Fostering Connections implementation thus far.

Maine

• PREP: What is PREP?
  Information on the Pediatric Rapid Evaluation Program (PREP)
• PREP Program Poster
  A poster on PREP
• Making a Choice
  Information for making a choice about antipsychotic medication

• An Evaluation of Adverse Childhood Events, Behavioral and Developmental Problems, Placement, and Health Status in Children Entering Foster Care in Maine
  This study is based on data collected on children residing in six central Maine counties who entered foster care between 1999 and 2005.

• Antipsychotic Consent
  A powerpoint describing the usage of antipyschotic medications in Maine

  • Appendix
  • Worksheet

Research on Psychotropic Medications

• Multi-State Study on Psychotropic Medication Oversight in Foster Care
  A study by Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute on the oversight of Psychotropic Medication.
  • Executive Summary
  • Appendixes

For a full list of Health Resources, see here.