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Our Approach


CHIP provides primary and secondary prevention services to pregnant women and families with children up to the age of 6 years. In addition, CHIP provides asthma case management for children up to the age of 18 years. These services are provided in the family's home through a team approach. A team consists of an Outreach Worker, Registered Nurse, and Mental Health Clinician. Additionally, CHIP provides transportation support. The team develops a trusting relationship with the family by focusing on the family's strengths and building on those strengths. Working in partnership with the family, a Family Service Plan is developed, which serves as a guide and a tool for measuring the family's progress in achieving identified goals. Read Lakisha's Story.


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The long-term goals for all families are family self-sufficiency and school readiness for the children. The Outreach Worker provides education on parenting and life skills, linkage to community resources, and advocacy for needed resources. Six Outreach Workers are certified Parent Educators for the Parents as Teachers Born to Learn 0-Kindergarten Curriculum. The Registered Nurse, a key component of the CHIP model, provides health and developmental assessments, health education, chronic disease management education, dental hygiene education and dental varnishing, and coordinates the family's health care with community providers. CHIP uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaire as the screening tool to track a child’s development. The Mental Health Clinician provides a social-emotional assessment of the family and a mental health assessment of the primary care giver. If this assessment indicates a need for mental health treatment, the Mental Health Clinician can provide this service in the parent's home or refer the family to a community provider when necessary. By addressing mental health concerns of the primary care giver, this comprehensive approach to wellness provides an optimal environment for a child to develop to their potential.

Specific key focus areas include:

  • High risk pregnancy case management;
  • Assessment of child development and referral for early intervention services when indicated;
  • Preparation for school readiness to include ensuring ongoing health care, dental care, and literacy (activities include participation in Raising a Reader and the Parents as Teachers Born to Learn curriculum); and
  • Asthma case management.

Because of a commitment to serve Spanish speaking families, CHIP employs three bilingual staff members.

CHIP is a voluntary program and offered at no cost to families. Referrals are accepted from parents, health care providers and human services professionals. The frequency of home visits is determined by the Family Service Plan. However, a minimum of two home visits per month occur. In addition, multiple collateral contacts are made. These include but are not limited to: primary care providers, social services, community organizations, child care providers, and housing resources. Transportation services to medical appointments, social services, and other community organizations are provided when needed. Caseload capacity for each team member is determined by a case level management system. Families are enrolled in the program for an average 1.9 years.

Read more about the goals of CHIP in our Strategic Plan for 2009 - 2014

For the 2008-2009 program year, CHIP served 375 families with 817 children. Of these, 186 families with 338 children were newly enrolled. Registered Nurses, Outreach Workers and Mental Health Clinicians completed 4,561 home and office visits to families.

  • Primary Care Provider: 12% → 96%

Of the children under age six enrolled at least six months, 96% (356/370) have a regular source of health care with a primary care provider. At enrollment, only 12% had a primary care provider.

  • Immunization Status: 23% → 96%

Of the children under age six enrolled at least six months, 96% (354/370) are up to date or on track with immunizations. At enrollment, only 23% were up to date or on track.

  • Emergency Room for Children with Asthma: 28 visits → 5 visits

We served 171 asthmatic children in the 2008-2009 program year. These children had an 82% reduction in emergency room use in the first 12 months of CHIP service (reduced from 28 to 5 visits), compared to their ER visits during the 12 months prior to enrollment.

 
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