Project Web Site

Measuring and Monitoring 
Community-Based Systems of Care for CSHCN
 

Introduction to the M&M Project

All states are being asked to create a comprehensive system of care for children with special health care needs and their families as outlined in the federal 10-year action plan: All Aboard the 2010 Express. This plan is the culmination of several parallel activities sponsored by the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs (DSCSHN) of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The plan represents an exciting partnership among public, private, and family sectors at the federal, state, and local levels all working together to create a system of care for children and families. To create this system, six performance outcomes must be achieved. All Aboard the 2010 Express delineates recommended policies and practices to be implemented to achieve the six outcomes:

1. Families of children with special health care needs will partner in decision-making at all levels and will be satisfied with the services they receive;
2. All children with special health care needs will receive coordinated ongoing comprehensive care within a medical home;
3. All families of children with special health care needs will have adequate private and/or public insurance to pay for the services they need;
4. All children will be screened early and continuously for special health care needs;
5. Community-based service systems will be organized so families can use them easily;
6. All youth with special health care needs will receive the services necessary to make transitions to all aspects of adult life, including adult health care, work, and independence.
    

What is the M&M Project?

The M&M project is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's Division of Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs. It represents a collaborative endeavor of the Early Intervention Research Institute (EIRI) at Utah State University and more than eight states across the country. The purpose of the project is to work in partnership with states to implement a process that involves assessing current measurement capacity, developing new measurement strategies, and using data results for achieving these six CSHCN outcomes. 

What is required of M&M partnering states?

First, each state is asked to develop a  Participatory Action Research (PAR) Team consisting of family representatives, community providers, and policymakers from the various programs within Title V as well as other departments, such as Education, Developmental Disabilities, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Medicaid. This PAR team serves to guide the overall workscope. A smaller data subcommittee may be formed to gather specific information about existing data sources and relay it to the broader PAR team.

State PAR teams usually meet approximately 2-3 times during the year, and the data subcommittee may meet an additional 2-3 times. The M&M effort can be integrated into an existing effort, such as statewide needs assessment, and the PAR team can be used on an existing group, such as a CSHCN advisory committee. M&M staff from EIRI facilitate the team meetings, guiding the teams through a process of obtaining and interpreting existing data, developing new measurement strategies, and using data to drive system priorities.
 

What are the benefits of participating in M&M?

Partnering M&M states have strengthened their measurement capacity via data warehousing, data integration, development of interagency surveys, and simply sharing data results that pertain to the broader population of CSHCN. The PAR approach provides the opportunity for various public and private programs to dialogue regarding common goals and priorities found across programs. This can lead to the development of new strategies for working together. The M&M project also informs future federal policies regarding state reporting requirements and conveying the needs of states in their efforts to achieve the CSHCN outcomes.

For further information, contact:

Richard N. Roberts, Director
Diane D. Behl, Co-Principal Investigator 
Early Intervention Research Institute
6580 Old Main Hill
Center for Persons with Disabilities
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-6580
(435) 797-1172
Toll-free (800) 887-1699
FAX: (435) 797-2019
http://eiri.usu.edu

Publications

These files require Adobe Acrobat.

An Introduction to Measuring and Monitoring Community-Based Systems of Care for CSHCN

I. Use of National and State-Wide Surveys to Measure and Monitor CSHCN Outcomes
II. Data Warehousing and Data Integration to Measure and Monitor CSHCN Outcomes
III. Continuous Quality Improvements Measurement for State CSHCN Programs
 

Measuring and Monitoring Community-Based Systems of Care for CSHCN: Accomplishments Supporting Healthy People 2010

Presentations

State Approaches to Measuring and Monitoring Healthy People 2010 Outcomes for CSHCN
 

This link will allow you to view and print the PowerPoint Presentation made at the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), Washington, DC, March 2, 2002. Diana Denboba, Public Health Analyst from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau served as the moderator. Presenters included: Richard Roberts and Diane Behl from the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University, Linda Price and Sarah O'Brien from the South Carolina Children's Rehabilitation Services, and Pete Bailey from the South Carolina Office of Research and Statistics. 

 

A Division of the Center for
Persons with Disabilities