Rural Health Outreach Program for Children (Mena, Arkansas)
| Topics |
Children
Family planning
Women
Youth
|
| States served |
Arkansas
|
| Description |
Poor pregnant teenagers and young mothers face three
formidable barriers to providing proper care for unborn and
newborn babies. First, many women become pregnant in their early teens and immediately drop out of school. Second, since all medical and social service providers are located in the county seat, rural families must travel up to 50 miles to access services. This challenge is especially daunting for pregnant girls who do not yet have a driver's license. Third, many service providers are reluctant or unwilling to accept Government insurance plans. Some women lack the assertiveness to get past gatekeepers and, as a result, they are unable to obtain services for themselves and their children. |
| Services offered |
Nine local organizations that offered different types of health and social services agreed to create a consortium to share responsibility for providing a range of services to young parents and expectant mothers. They also agreed to provide referrals to Healthy Connections, Inc. (HCI), the focal point of the network, for case management, transportation, parenting education, and followup. HCI outreach workers helped client families design a service plan customized to their needs. The plan ensured that
pregnancy education and checkups were completed, that infant well-baby checks and immunizations were maintained, and that other family needs were addressed through the network. Outreach workers frequently made home visits to provide information and education on parenting, child development, sanitation, nutrition, alternative discipline methods, stress management, and parent-child interaction. In some cases, merely leaving educational material for
families to read was not enough, as some clients were unable to read. Using grant funding provided by the State, HCI purchased a TV/VCR combination unit and 70 educational videotapes so that clients and families could hear and see the information, participate in a discussion after the video, and recognize the need for changes in their lifestyle or behaviors. |
| Results |
The Healthy Connections program succeeded in achieving its
objectives. More than 150 families enrolled in the project, and outreach workers conducted 3,826 home visits, spending nearly 5,000 hours doing one-on-one education with at-risk families. During the 3-year project, 100 percent of children served by the program received all recommended well-baby checks and immunizations. More than 90 percent of pregnant women received 13 prenatal visits and participated in at least 6 prenatal education classes. In all, 120 education classes were conducted, with nearly
1,300 participants attending the classes. At the end of the 3-year grant cycle, several of the traditional infant health indicators showed significant improvement:
• Births to unwed mothers decreased by 32 percent in the last 2 years.
• First trimester prenatal care rates increased by 18 percent in the last 2 years and tripled from 7 years ago.
• Confirmed cases of child abuse declined dramatically.
• Child immunization rates exceeded the targets identified in Healthy People 2010. |
| Replication |
The Healthy Connections model can address many of the
challenges endemic to small, rural communities with a limited number of service providers and an underserved population. Many people in such communities, especially at-risk families, lack the knowledge, resources, or initiative to participate in communitybased programs. However, a culturally competent in-home education program can provide information and resources when and where they are most needed. |
| Source |
Outreach Sourcebook, Vol. 8, 1998-2001, Office of Rural Health Policy
|
| Contact person |
Bob Young, M.ED., M.A.
Executive Director
Healthy Connections, Inc.
404 Seventh Street
Mena, AR 71953-3201
Phone: 501-243-0279
Fax: 501-243-0285
E-mail: hci@voltage.net
|
| Date added |
July 13, 2005 |
Summaries of success stories are provided by RAC for your convenience. Please contact the success story contact person directly for the most complete and current information.
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