1 in 5 children in the United States have a special health care need. This National Center for a System of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) is here to support these children, their families/caregivers and the professionals who care for them.
What We Do
The goal of the National Center for a System of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) is to advance and strengthen the system of services for CYSHCN, their families and caregivers at the community, state and national levels.
The work of the National Center is grounded in the Blueprint For Change: A National Framework for a System of Services for CYSHCN. The Blueprint for Change presents a vision for how to improve the system of services for CYSHCN through improved equity, access, quality of life and family well-being and financing.
To accomplish this goal, the National Center will:
- Convene families/caregivers, youth, public health professionals, clinicians and others to guide all project activities.
- Develop and disseminate a Roadmap to support implementation of the Blueprint for Change.
- Convene state teams co-led by Title V and families/caregivers to test Blueprint implementation strategies.
- Provide technical assistance, training, and support on Blueprint Implementation.
- Evaluate all project activities.
Who We Are
The National Center for a System of Services for CYSHCN consists of four partnering organizations that function as a Consortium:
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Boston University
- Family Voices
- The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health
In addition to the Consortium members outlined above, the National Center also collaborates with these additional partners on its work:
- Association of University Centers on Disabilities
- The Altarum Institute
- The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
All activities of the National Center are guided by a diverse steering committee, which includes families/caregivers, young adults, pediatricians and other clinicians, Title V partners and supporting sectors within the system of services for CYSHCN.
Virtual Town Hall
The National Center for Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) hosted a virtual town hall called Charting a New Course for CYSHCN: Introducing a new National Center for a System of Services. This Town Hall was open to the public and in particular to clinicians, families/caregivers, individuals with special health care needs/disabilities, public health professionals and any other partners serving CYSHCN.
Contact Us
Need technical assistance or support? Submit your inquiries to our team using our contact us form.
Who We Serve
We provide technical assistance, support, resources, and education to:
- State/territory Title V CYSHCN Programs
- Family/caregivers, youth, and family/youth-led organizations
- Clinicians caring for CYSHCN and their families
- Other maternal and child health partners
How Can We Help?
Some technical assistance topics we can address are listed below:
- Implementing the Blueprint for Change
- Improving the system of services for CYSHCN
- Increasing access to care
- Health equity
- Quality of life and wellbeing
- Financing of services
- Medical home implementation
- Early and continuous screening
- Pediatric to adult health care transition
- Accessing community-based services
- Family and youth engagement
This list is not exhaustive – if you have a question about systems of services for CYSHCN, don’t hesitate to reach out.
The National Center for a System of Services for CYSHCN is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,500,000 with no funding from nongovernmental sources. The information or content are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
Last Updated
08/08/2023
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics