The F2F Project is designed to assist families that have a child with Special Health Care needs and will:
F2F project is providing services statewide. These statewide activities develop training and information materials, present workshops, publish The Idaho Parent Network, a quarterly newsletter, create, and maintain internet and web base instruction, and offer other technologies (video conferencing).
The basic goals and objectives of IPUL’s Family To Family Health Information Center (IPUL F2F HIC) have been identified through conversations with the Children’s Special Health Program, Family Voices of Idaho, the Council on Developmental Disabilities, and other partners and stakeholders who understand and recognize the urgent need our state has to provide families with a centralized source of health care information.
Goal 1: Establish a sustainable, centralized statewide Family To Family Health Information Center based on identified needs. Because of the diverse needs of the state of Idaho, including population diversity and geographic diversity, it will be necessary that an advisory board is created to represent the greatest cross-culture of the population of this state. The F2F HIC will work to build this representation, in order that the Advisory Council can accurately reflect and maintain family-directed needs. The F2F center will be able to document meaningful family participation and continuously monitor satisfaction through evaluation processes. Contact lists will be developed. Proof of cultural competence in project materials and products developed will be evidenced by product development.
Objective 1.1:Identify families of children and youth with special health care needs who want to be a part of the F2F advisory council. Families must represent 2/3 of the council and will be representative of the cross-culture of this state, including socioeconomic status.
Objective 1.2:Identify and recruit key stakeholders/professionals who serve children and youth with special health care needs who want to be a part of the F2F advisory council. The purpose of the professional representation would be to provide in-kind technical assistance and advise of current system issues across the state.
Objective 1.3:Identify and utilize the experiences of other funded Family To Family Health Information Centers across the state to help insure Idaho’s plan stays on track and learns from their prior experience.
Goal 2: Provide outreach, dissemination of information, education and training to families of children and youth with special health care needs.IPUL’s centralized statewide F2F HIC will support improved access to information and technical assistance via increased telephone and website use. Resource guides and other materials will be available through mail, email, and web-site. Feedback from families on the usefulness of these new tools will be documented through the development of a research tool. Documentation of technical assistance and referrals with numbers increasing each year will be documented for each project year. Dates of training's (face to face, web-based, or other) will be documented with results of training evaluations.
Objective 2.1:Establish toll-free phone line for children/youth with special health care needs and their families staffed with personnel knowledgeable about the system of care within Idaho.
Objective 2.2:Develop and disseminate information about the F2F HIC in Idaho via various marketing methods. Outreach to be statewide, and will include the toll free number, the web-site and information will be bi-lingual/culturally competent. Outreach should also target foster families, new immigrant agencies, and adoption agency centers.
Objective 2.3:Review and enhance the Medical Home of Idaho information to include a Family Module that is easily accessible on the web.
Objective 2.4:Develop specific health care information fact sheets based on the needs of families.
Goal 3: Create an infrastructure for collaboration and sustainability by developing new family and interagency relationships and strengthening the existing ties with community-based, local, state, and national partners.
Objective 3.1:Collaborate with existing F2F HIC’s and other resources on best practices and lessons learned in providing services to children and youth with special health care needs.
Objective 3.2:Partner with other national, state and local family organizations working with children and youth with special health care needs to identify ways to facilitate effective system change. Look for additional partnerships outside of the traditional comfort zone, i.e., immigration agency, foster care, adoption agencies that provide placement for children with special health care needs.
Objective 3.3:Serve as a clearinghouse for state level organizations that are seeking family involvement for program and policy development and conferences. Work with families to mentor them into these roles through various family leadership skill development workshops or training's.
Objective 3.4:Identify long-term strategies for sustainability by working closely with the advisory council to identify short-long term objectives to meet this goal.