Program/Project Name

Family Crisis Center Medical Clinic

Affiliation Name

Denver Health/Denver Department of Human Services

Website URL

http://www.denvergov.org/humanservices/DenverHumanServices/ProtectionPrevention/FamilyCrisisCenter/tabid/441484/Default.aspx

Model Type

Evaluation

City

Denver County

State

CO

State specific location

Denver Health medical clinic within Denver Department of Human Services facility (Family Crisis Center)

How is program/project funded?

State Funding, County Funding, Health Insurance

Describe how it's funded

Denver Department of Human Services contracts with Denver Health to provide these services.  Costs to DDHS are offset by billing for medical examinations done (Medicaid) with some additional funding from other activities of the medical team (teaching, testimony).

What services does it provide?

Entry to care health assessment

Where does it provide services?

County-based

Description of program/project

The Denver Health (DH) medical clinic at Denver Department of Human Service's (DDHS) Family Crisis Center provides multiple services.  These services include medical screening of all children entering into out of home care, child abuse and neglect evaluation for area children upon request of a healthcare provider, law enforcement, or human services, and the initial evaluation and ongoing medical care for youth placed in residence at the Family Crisis Center which is a therapeutic residential child care facility.  Finally, medical staff contacts family when a child is placed in out of home care for the purposes of gathering healthcare history and provides some intial case management for these children as indicated as well as ongoing case management for children being placed outside the metor area.  Children placed in the metro area are cared for at the Connections for Kids foster care clinic which is also a DH/DDHS program.

How are patients tracked?

Colorado TRAILS (human services database)

Does the program provide special focus?

No special focus

Program/Project strengths

This program's long-standing collaborative relationship between Denver Health (Denver's safety net hospital) and Denver Department of Human Services ensures the program's ability to integrate the health plan into permancy planning for the child. Strong relationships between the healthcare community, human services, the courts, Denver Children's Advocacy Center and the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect provide the framework for innovative approaches to the medical care of children in out of home placement such as the development of the Connections for Kids foster care clinic at Denver Health's Eastside Family Health Center.

Program/Project challenges

Ongoing challenges with funding as this is an integrated program between Denver Health and Denver Department of Human Services.  DDHS has reduced funding at times despite relying upon the same level of services at the clinic.

Contact Name

Kathryn Wells, MD, FAA

Email Address

kathryn.wells@dhha.org

Phone Number

720-944-3747

Last Updated

07/23/2021

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics