The Home Visiting Central Intake Bulletin
Central Intake e-newsletter for Home Visiting providers
June 2020
|
Welcome back to The Home Visiting Central Intake Bulletin!
Help Me Grow Central Intake and Referral (CIR)
wants to thank you for your continued partnership in serving families across Ohio. The support you have offered to pregnant women, families, and their young children during these uncertain times has made a real difference.
|
|
Home Visiting and COVID-19
|
|
March 2020 saw the rise of the COVID-19 crisis, and Governor Mike DeWine enacted stay-at-home orders to reduce the spread of the disease. But the need for high-quality Home Visiting did not go away. As Help Me Grow’s Home Visiting services moved out of the home to videoconferencing and phone calls, enrollment and interest in programs remained steady.
Governor DeWine's enthusiasm for Home Visiting is strong! He has mentioned the importance of Home Visiting twice during his daily press conferences, and also tweeted about his continued commitment to serving Ohio's youngest children.
Click the icons to the right to view the governor's comments on Home Visiting, or visit the links below:
|
|
|
SFY20 Third Quarter Referral Data
|
|
During the third quarter,
10,086 system referrals
were processed in OCHIDS.
|
|
Of those referrals, half came from the non-medical community, including WIC, community agencies, county agencies, electronic Pregnancy Risk Assessment Forms (ePRAF), etc.
; 15.6 percent from medical professionals; 13.7 percent from HEA8045 forms submitted by Home Visiting providers, WIC offices and other community agencies; 11.3 percent from PCSA 8021 forms submitted by Children's Services; and nearly nine percent from caregivers.
|
|
Of the 10,086 Home Visiting system referrals,
6,133
were for pregnant women with an average gestational age of 22.7 weeks.
|
|
There was a
23.3 percent
increase in program referrals during the third quarter of SFY20 when compared to the third quarter of SFY19. Of those program referrals,
62 percent
were for pregnant women, and
51 percent
of those women were first-time moms.
|
|
Many regional and statewide outreach events and activities were cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, and many referral sources had limited face-to-face interactions with families. However, CIR provided virtual outreach to maintain exposure of Help Me Grow.
Outreach staff contacted housing authorities, birthing hospitals, pandemic-approved child care centers and many others, asking them to display and distribute Help Me Grow information at their facilities. CIR also collaborated with WIC and Children's Services agencies to encourage Home Visiting referrals.
As proposed last quarter, advertising was implemented in the following areas:
- Regional family and parent magazines;
- Public Broadcast Stations (PBS) stations and National Public Radio (NPR) stations throughout Ohio (see above);
- Cart sanitation stations and pharmacy bags at local stores;
- Radio, print, and social media targeting Ohio's Hispanic population;
- Medical professional websites such as American Academy of Pediatrics and Contemporary OB/GYN; and
- Flyers distributed at restaurants open for pick-up/delivery, food banks, and school lunch/breakfast pick-ups, when allowed.
|
|
Digital Advertising and Social Media
|
|
|
CIR launched paid digital advertising campaigns for Home Visiting during the third quarter that extended throughout the fourth quarter. Advertising is targeted towards OEI communities and counties with Home Visiting capacities lower than 75 percent. The campaign goals are to increase brand awareness and site traffic to
www.helpmegrow.org
.
As of May 31, the campaigns have generated
more than four million
ad views by the targeted audience and
more than 3,700
visits to the website.
Social media advertising through Facebook and Instagram was launched in the fourth quarter. As of June 4, Home Visiting ads garnered
more than 11,000 views
, and
2,044 post engagements
.
|
|
|
Groundwork Ohio has worked hard during the pandemic to provide a steady, regularly updated stream of resources, toolkits, and webinars for both families and providers. T
hese resources include information on COVID-19, financial assistance, grant opportunities, and activities for young children.
Click the button below to access the centralized tools and information for supporting of programs and families.
|
|
Even though COVID-19 has changed the experience, the value of Home Visiting has not dwindled for new parents.
|
|
Pictured above: RN Amanda Looper with Nurse-Family Partnership in Montgomery County.
Photo credit: Help Me Grow Brighter Futures, Western Region
|
|
Here are real family testimonies:
"Having access to phone visits during this time has helped me remember that I still have that important person in my life who has helped me during my journey of being a mother. Talking with my home visitor gives me motivation and an overall sense that I am not alone in this all and neither is my baby!"
“I’m so excited to be able to continue virtual visits with my home visitor. Not only do I learn new fun things to do with my baby girl, I also look forward to talking to someone I trust.”
"I prefer the in-home visits; however, I am extremely grateful that we are still able to stay connected and remain supported during a time that many of us need that the most!"
|
|
|
Did you know?
Families can receive both Home Visiting and Early Intervention services!
If you are currently serving a young child and there is a concern about the child's development, make a referral for Early Intervention!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|