Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence at Children’s Medical Center

Program/Project Name

Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence at Children’s Medical Center

Affiliation Name

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Health

Website URL

https://www.childrens.com/specialties-services/specialty-centers-and-programs/foster-care

Model Type

Medical Home

City

Dallas and Plano

State

TX

State specific location

Hospital Based Clinic

How is program/project funded?

Health Insurance

Describe how it's funded

Funding is a blend of health insurance reimbursements and philanthropic support.

What services does it provide?

Entry to care health assessment, Comprehensive health assessment, Standardize screening (developmental, mental health), In-clinic mental health evaluation, Subspecialty referrals

Where does it provide services?

Locally-based

Description of program/project

The Rees-Jones Center’s Ambulatory Clinical Program provides comprehensive care to children in foster or kinship care, with particular focus on their special health care needs and reducing the impact of childhood adversities on short and long-term health. The delivery model emphasizes foster parent support, care coordination, and child welfare collaboration to promote a child's recovery from abuse and neglect. Children's Medical Center is the training hospital for UT Southwestern Medical Center medical students, residents, and behavioral health professionals, as well as advance practice and nursing students from other affiliated universities. Team members also engage in community trainings, policy education, and quality improvement initiatives at the community level through the Center’s other programmatic pillars. Integrated team includes pediatricians, psychiatrist, psychologists, nurse practitioners, nurse coordinators, nursing staff, early childhood specialists, clinical therapists, CPS liaisons, community liaison and support staff.

How are patients tracked?

Commercial electronic medical record, EPIC

Does the program provide special focus?

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Teen pregnancy prevention, Developmental delay/issues, Mental health, Developmental Issues, Children in family foster care, Youth in group home/residential care, Young Children, Adolescents, Specialized Treatments for Trauma

Program/Project strengths

The team also provides careful monitoring of special health care needs and helps coordinate care with child welfare as children transition through foster care. The team has developed collaborative relationships with child protective services, child placing agencies, CASAs, and the foster care health plan to continually improve access and quality of care, as well as care coordination. Experiences of children, families, and the service community are shared and addressed through collaborative policy, research, and training initiatives to improve care of children statewide.

Program/Project challenges

The majority of needed medical and mental health services are not reimbursable either through Medicaid or Texas Medicaid. Child welfare policies do not require the child welfare or judicial community to engage medical and mental health professional during permanency planning, transitions, or reunification. This gap leaves children at risk for health declines or unsafe transitions.

Contact Name

Dr. Heidi Román

Email Address

Anna.Flores@childrens.com

Phone Number

214-456-6261