Public Health Issues
Access to health care and social services, promotion of healthy lifestyles and prevention of child abuse and neglect
are issues of concern that are addressed by public health nursing visits to families referred to SHD for PCHS.
Families and individuals are referred to SHD for a variety of reasons: may include inability to access needed medical
and/or social services, a child perceived as not progressing "normally", a child with frequent absences from school
and unwilling to work with the school, a family new to the community with a crisis or health concern and unsure of
where to seek help, a family dealing with the loss of an infant due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a family
lacking parent protective factors, or families involved in domestic violence
Purpose
To assess the situation and refer for appropriate services.
To support individual/family in accessing appropriate needed service(s).
To provide health and parenting education for the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and a safe and nurturing environment for the child and family.
To prevent child abuse and/or neglect.
To reduce the incidence of SIDS.
To interrupt the cycle of violence, reducing the incidence of domestic violence
Target Population
The target population is those individuals and families referred to SHD who are perceived to be in need of health and
or social services and are without resources or skills and knowledge to be able to effectively access the needed
service. The PCHS referrals received by SHD are primarily low income, the working poor, new to the community or
individuals or families without a support system to assist them in time of crisis.The PCHS referrals involve
individuals and families who are not financially eligible for other program services such as First Steps.
Most important outcome measures
Increase in client access to and utilization of health care, social and supportive services.
Increase in health behaviors exhibited by clients (e.g. improved dietary intake, decreased tobacco use,
car seat restraint use, immunizations current).
Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries are the children with special health care needs, their siblings and their families. Community
partners such as primary care providers, health plans, schools and agencies who work with children with special
health care needs benefit from additional knowledge regarding specific conditions, resources and collaboration
of services
