Foster Care Health Interventions
Speaker: Michelle Walls
Although foster youth make up a small percentage of the nation’s population of children, they are a high-risk group for illness. In childhood, they are more susceptible to child abuse, behavioral and mental health conditions. Due to frequent transitions, foster youth frequently experience discontinuity in healthcare. Recent studies recommend a number of patient-care models and strategies such as developing interdisciplinary health teams, that support better health outcomes of children in foster care.
Physicians and other healthcare professionals need to practice interventions that better ensure the healthcare needs of foster youth are met during initial and follow-up encounters. Healthcare systems and physicians should increase their knowledge of processes recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Health Care for Children in Foster Care and consider implementing models of care that are integrated with child welfare units.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize and identify when patients in foster care are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes and develop interventions to support continuity of care.
Strategize approaches to coordinating interdisciplinary care between professionals to improve care for foster youth.
Develop increased awareness about the barriers and risk factors that foster youth face and explore physicians role in the foster care system.
Education on Michigan's state-based initiatives and programs that relate to the health of foster youth.
Desired Results:
Physicians develop increased knowledge on the foster care "medical homes" clinic model and integrative and/or interdisciplinary practice models. Physicians develop as advocates for the well being of foster youth and become a larger influence in foster children's coordination of care. To spark interests in innovative development of programs that are on course with recommendations to improve care for foster youth.