StateFiscalYear
2024 ANNUAL REPORT
CentralIntake&Referral
July2023-June2024
About
HelpMeGrowisasystemofsupportsfor pregnantwomen,caregiverswithnew babies,andfamilieswithyoungchildrenwith developmentaldelaysanddisabilities.
TheseservicesareprovidedthroughEarly Intervention,HomeVisiting,andotherfamily supportofferingsadministeredthroughthe OhioDepartmentofChildrenandYouth.
EarlyInterventionsupportsfamilieswith childrenbirthtoage3whohave developmentaldelaysordisabilitiessothat theyhavethebestpossiblestartinlife.
HomeVisitingisavoluntary,evidence-based familysupportprogramforpregnantwomen ornewparentsthatpromoteshealthy growthanddevelopmentforbabiesand youngchildren.
AsthestatewidecontractorforHelpMeGrowCentral Intake&Referral,BrightBeginningsworkswith regionalpartnerstoconnectfamiliestoHomeVisiting andEarlyIntervention;offerdevelopmental screenings;conductcommunicationsandoutreachto familiesandprofessionals;andincreasepublic awarenessabouttheHelpMeGrowsystemofsupports.
YearinReview
StateFiscalYear(SFY)2024sawnumerouschangesasthenewOhio DepartmentofChildrenandYouth(DCY)beganoperationandoversightof youth-servingprograms,includingHelpMeGrowHomeVisitingandEarly Intervention.BrightBeginnings(BB)continuedtoprovidequalityand consistentservicetoOhiofamiliesandreferralsourcestoconnectthosein needoftheseservicesthroughHelpMeGrowCentralIntake&Referral(CIR). BBanditsregionalpartnersprocessed51,396systemreferralsforHome Visiting(HV)and45,342systemreferralsforEarlyIntervention(EI).
DCYhasbroughtenergyandurgencytoitsworkto“Dowhatʼsrightforkids.” BBstaffarecommittedtothisgoalandsubmittedaproposalinresponseto DCYʼsrequestforproposalsissuedinMarchforEarlyChildhoodCIRforthe HelpMeGrowsystemofsupports.BBishonoredtobethechosencontracted providerofCIRthrough2029.
InpreparationforexpandingtheAgesandStagesQuestionnaire(ASQ) Onlineservicesthroughage5inSFY25,BBworkedtoimproveitsonline CommunityResourcesDirectory.Itnowincludesresourcesforfamiliesand childrenthroughage5withmappedlistingresultsaswellaswaystoshare resultswithothers.
SFY24includedanothersuccessfulHelpMeGrowboothattheOhioState Fair.PBSʼsDanielTigerwasahighlightoftheboothalongwithmanyguest readerswhosharedsomeoftheirfavoritechildrenʼsbookswithyoungsters.
BBisexcitedtocontinuetoworkwithDCYtopromotepositive,lifelong outcomesforallOhioyouth.
HomeVisiting
Outreach
AsSFY24began,outreachteamsstatewideworkeddiligentlytowrapupa numberofoutreachactivitiesbeguninSFY23.
AsignatureSFY24outreacheffortwashosting44babyshowerspromoting HomeVisitingacrossOhiothatattractedmorethan2,300attendees.These eventsweretargetedinareaswherecapacityexistedtoservemorefamilies. Inadditiontogeneratingmorethan200referrals,theshowersfostered collaborationwithMedicaidmanagedcareorganizations,HomeVisitingand EarlyInterventionproviders,aswellasnumeroussocialserviceagencies.
Outreachstaffalsocompleteddistributionstatewideof10,000pregnancykits and35,000safesleepkits.Approximately7,500Spanish-languagekitswere welcomedbyproviderswhoserveSpanish-speakingcommunitiesinareas suchasTuscarawasCounty,wheretheHispanicpopulationhasincreased significantly.ManyOB/GYNofficescontinuedtorequestpregnancykitseven afterthesupplywasexhausted.Theyoftensharedhowmuchpatientsloved thekitsthatincludedapregnancyjournal,breastfeedingandbabycare information,fuzzysocks,andbellystickerstonotetheweeksleadingupto babyʼsarrival.
InSpring2024,HelpMeGrowbeganinstallingstandalonekiosksinstrategic locationsvisitedbyfamilieslikelytoqualifyforHelpMeGrowservices.These includecommunityhealthcenters,hospitals,WICoffices,publiclibraries,and othersitesthathavewelcomedthisbeneficialresource.Familiescan conveniently,andattheirownpace,exploretheHelpMeGrowwebsiteand learnaboutthesystemofsupports,includingtheASQOnlineserviceandthe CommunityResourceDirectories.Thewebreferralformallowsforeasy completionrightatthekiosk.Outreachspecialistscheckthekiosksregularly toensureproperoperationandstrongrelationshipswiththehostsites.
HomeVisiting
Outreach:BytheNumbers
6,329
Outreachactivities
3,703
1,899
Presentationsand/ormeetings
673
Locationscanvassed Events
HelpMeGrowwascommittedtosharinginformationaboutHelpMeGrowsystemof supportsincludingHomeVisitingandEarlyInterventionthroughparticipationatstatewide conferences,includingtheOhioChaptersoftheAmericanAcademyofPediatricsand NationalAssociationofSocialWorkers,LatinaComoTuExpo,andtheOhioPublicHealth NursesandSchoolNursesAssociations.
HelpMeGrowlooksforwardtocontinuingitsoutreacheffortstosupportOhioʼsDepartment ofChildrenandYouthasitworkstopromotepositive,lifelongoutcomesforallOhioyouth.
HomeVisiting
PublicAwareness
ToincreaseawarenessandunderstandingofHomeVisiting,CIRproducednineprofile videosfeaturingcurrentHomeVisitingparticipantswhosharedtheirexperienceswiththe program,alongwiththeirhomevisitors.ThestoriesarepowerfulandputafacetoHelp MeGrowinawaythatshowsthepersonalimpactofHomeVisitingonboththefamilyand thehomevisitor.CIRisexcitedtosharethesestorieswiththepublicandlooksforwardto howtheywillhelpfamiliesconsiderandunderstandservicesavailable.
CIRcontractedwitharesearcherandcommunicationsfirmtoexplorerefreshingthe OHBabykit,lastupdatedin2015.Researchincludedfocusgroupswithfamiliesand medicalprofessionalsfromdiversebackgroundsandgeographiclocations,andin-depth interviewswithbothobstetriciansandpediatricianstogatherinputontheOHBabykit. Preliminaryfindingsweremostlypositive,withparentsappreciatingtheinformationand itspresentation.CIRlooksforwardtoworkingwiththeDCYleadershiponthenext iterationoftheOHBabykittoensureresearchrecommendationsalignwiththekitʼs futureuse.
CIRworkedtoredesignmarketingpiecesandpromotionalmaterialswiththenewHeart ofitAllstatebrandingthroughoutSFY24asappropriatematerialsbecameavailable. The rebrandingworkwillcontinuethroughoutSFY25.
HomeVisiting
Advertising
HomeVisitingadvertisingincluded:
· Displayanddigitaladvertising.
· Parentmagazines.
· SocialMedia.
· Billboards.
· Grocerycartsandhandsanitizerunits.
· PBSTVandNPRradioadvertising.
· Conveniencestoreandbeautysalonposters.
· Pharmacybags.
· Publicbenchads.
· LaMegaradio,print,andsocialmedia.
Perguidancefromstateleadership,formerstatedepartment logosandcolorswerereplacedwiththenewOhioHeartofItAll brandingonalldesignsfornewlypurchasedadvertisingasthey becameavailable.
HomeVisiting
SystemReferrals
CIRprocessedatotalof51,396systemreferralsinSFY24,whichisup2.5%fromSFY23.Ofthose referrals,50%wereforpregnantindividuals;andofthosepregnant,51%identifiedas Black/AfricanAmerican.
51,396
Systemreferrals processedinSFY24
50% 51%
Notes:Datarepresentsthosewithknowninformationatthetimeofreferral. or25,706werepregnant women
Familiescanreceivemultiplesystemreferrals. or15,541ofthosepregnantwomenwere Black/AfricanAmerican
CIRalsomonitorsthegestationalagesofpregnantindividualsreferredtoHomeVisitingwiththe objectivetoincreasethenumberofreferralsreceivedforthoseintheirfirstandsecond trimesters.InSFY24,theaveragegestationalageofapregnantindividualattimeofreferralwas 25.9weeks.
AverageGestationalAge 25.9weeks
State
HomeVisiting
SystemReferralSources
Thechartbelowprovidesaproportionalbreakdownofthe51,396systemreferrals bytheirreferralsource.
Medicaid:ElectronicPregnancy
ofPregnancy
PCSA:PublicChildrenServicesAgency
HomeVisitingProvider
Caregiver,Family,orFriend
WIC:Women,Infants,andChildren
CIRwillcontinuetoreviewreferralsbysourcetodeveloptargetedoutreachandmarketing strategies.ThetopfourreferralsourcesthatshowedanincreasefromSFY23were:
HomeVisiting
ProgramReferralsAccepted
Morethan14,000distinctfamiliesacceptedHomeVisitingservicesinSFY24,whichisup 6.4%fromSFY23.Ofthosewhoaccepted,55%werepregnantindividuals.Ofthose pregnantindividuals,52%identifiedasBlack/AfricanAmerican.
Familiesaccepting HomeVisitinginSFY24
14,444
Note:Thenumberoffamiliesaccepting HomeVisitingdoesnotincludethose referredorconnectedtootherhome visitingprogramsoutsidetheOhio DepartmentofChildrenandYouth's datasystem.
Datarepresentsthosewithknown informationatthetimeofreferral.
Similartosystemreferrals,CIRmonitorsthegestationalagesofpregnantindividualswho acceptprogramreferralstoHomeVisitingaswellasthosewhoarefirst-timepregnant individuals.CIRsawa3%increaseinprogramreferralsacceptedforpregnant individualswiththeirfirstchildcomparedtoSFY23.InSFY24,theaveragegestationalage atthetimeofapregnantindividual'sprogramreferralacceptancewas23.5weeks.
Firsttimepregnantmoms acceptingaprogramreferral up3%
Average GestationalAge 23.5weeks
HomeVisiting
ProgramReferralsAcceptedModelsandFundingStreams
CIRreviewsthemodelandfundingstreamsfortheprogramreferralsacceptedeach year.ThisallowsCIRtoexaminetrendsandshiftsinmodelsandfundingsourcesto makeanynecessarychangestocurrentoutreachstrategiesaswellasimplement newtargetedstrategies.
AcceptancebyHomeVisiting
Model
AcceptancebyFundingStream
HealthyFamiliesAmerica(HFA)
Nurse-FamilyPartnership(NFP)
ParentsasTeachers(PAT)
MomsandBabiesFirst(MBF)
HFAChildWelfareProtocols(HFA-CWP)
HelpMeGrowHomeVisiting(ODH-HMGHV)
Maternal,Infant,andEarlyChildhood
HomeVisiting(MIECHV)Program
Medicaid
LocalFunding
ProportionsformodelandfundingstreamremainedroughlythesamebetweenSFY23andSFY24 withaslightincreaseinODH-HMGHVfunding(from81-82%).
HomeVisiting
Waitlists
Somefamilieswhoacceptaprogramreferralcannotbeassignedtoaprogramimmediately duetocapacitylimitations.ThesefamiliesareplacedonaHomeVisitingwaitlistandcontactis maintainedtoprovidestatusupdates,confirmthefamilyisstillinterestedinHomeVisiting services,andofferothercommunityresourcesasneeded.Themonthlyaveragenumberof familiesonthewaitlistwentfrom945inSFY23to1,127inSFY24.
ThemajorityofthewaitlistincreasecanbeattributedtothefirsttwoquartersofSFY24.Since thehighof1,357familiesinAugust,thewaitlisthasshownagenerallylineardecrease.Asof thefourthquarterofSFY24,theaveragenumberoffamiliesonthewaitlistpermonthwas953.
CIRcontinuestomonitortheHomeVisitingwaitlisteachmonthtoanalyzesignificanttrends andprovideguidancetoitsstaffforprogramassignment.
HomeVisiting
PathwayHUBs
ThroughoutSFY24,CIRcontinuedtopartnerwiththePathwaysHUBsacrossthestatetoexpand thenumberoffamiliesconnectedtofamilysupportservices.FamiliesnoteligibleforHome Visiting,notinterestedinHomeVisiting,orplacedonaHomeVisitingwaitlistareoffereda referraltoaPathwaysHUB(pendingavailabilityandeligibility).
InSFY24,1,374familiesreceivedareferraltoaPathwaysHUB(anincreaseof9%comparedto SFY23).
WICReferrals
CIRoffersreferralstotheSpecialSupplementalNutritionProgramforWomen,Infants,and ChildrenorWICforallfamiliesreferredtoHomeVisitingfromanMedicaid(ePRAF/ROP)referral source.InSFY24,30%ofthesereferredfamilieswhoacceptedaprogramreferralwerealso referredtoWICbyCIR.Anadditional60%ofthesefamilieswerealreadyreceivingWICservices. Intotal,90%ofthefamiliesreferredfromMedicaid(ePRAF/ROP)whoacceptedaHomeVisiting programreferralwereconnectedtoWICservices(up9%fromSFY2023).
1,374
Familiesreferredto PathwayHUBs
90%
Programreferralsaccepted connectedtoWICservices
EarlyIntervention
PublicAwareness
InSFY24,CIRconducteditsoutreachandadvertisingeffortsinphases, prioritizingcountiesneedingthemostpublicawarenessofEarlyIntervention. Effortsweresupportedbythefollowingpublicawarenesscampaigns:
TargetingVulnerablePopulations:CIRresearchedpotentialreferral sourcesworkinginfoodinsecurity,domesticviolence,homelessness, drugdependency,andotherhealthdisparitiestoemailEarly Interventioninformationtailoredtothefamiliestheyserve.
SpecificDelays:CIRpurchasedpaidsocialmediaanddigitaldisplay advertisingonhowEarlyInterventioncanaddressfamilyconcernsabout specificdevelopmentaldelays.
Childcare:CIRsentemailsanddeliveredpromotionalmaterialsto childcareentitieswithoneortwostarsinStepUptoQuality(SUTQ)or thosethatarenotpartofSUTQonhowEarlyInterventioncanbenefit thefamiliestheyserveandinformationontheAgesandStages Questionnaire(ASQ)OnlineService.
HearingLoss:Toreachmorefamilieswhowouldautomaticallyqualify forEarlyInterventionservices,materialsaboutHearingLosswere distributedtodiagnosingaudiologistsandfamiliesstatewide.
CIRprovidesEarlyInterventionoutreachtoprofessionalsandfamiliesacross OhioalongsideHomeVisitingasapartoftheHelpMeGrowsystemof supports.OutreachstaffcontinuedtoprovideEarlyInterventionprintand promotionalmaterialstothelocalprovidersasordersweresubmitted throughthehelpmegrow.orgwebsite.
Additionalcollaborationandsupportwasmadeavailabletohospital-based childfindspecialistsacrossthestatewithmeetingsandsharedmaterials.
EarlyIntervention
Advertising
EarlyInterventionadvertisingincluded:
Displayanddigitaladvertising.
Parentmagazines.
SocialMedia.
PBSTVandNPRradioadvertising.
LaMegaradio,print,andsocialmedia.
Perguidancefromstateleadership,formerstatedepartmentlogosand colorswerereplacedwiththenewOhioHeartofItAllbrandingonall designsfornewlypurchasedadvertisingastheybecameavailable.
EarlyIntervention
SystemReferrals
CIRprocessed45,479systemreferralsinSFY24.CIRmonitorsthereferralsourcefromwhich eachreferralisreceivedinordertoidentifyareasofgrowthandneed.Thechartbelowprovides thebreakdownofallsystemreferralsinSFY24byreferralsource.
45,479 Systemreferrals processedinSFY24
Family,Friend,orCaregiver
Physician HospitalChildFindSpecialistPCSAForm(HEA8021) EI8045Form Hospital PublicHealthSocialServiceAgencies HelpMeGrow OCCSNEarlyCareorChildcare WIC
Note:Childrencanreceivemultiplesystemreferrals.
Note:Thefollowingreferralsourcecategoriesincludethedistinctreferralsourceslistedaftereach.Family,FriendorCaregiver:FamilyMember, Friend,Parent;Physician:Physician;HospitalChildFindSpecialist:HospitalChildFindSpecialist;PCSAForm(HEA8021):PCSAForm(HEA8021);EI 8045Form:EI8045;Hospital:Hospital;PublicHealth:ODH-EBLL,ODH-NAS,LocalHealthDepartment,StateHealthDepartment;SocialService Agencies:CountyBoardofDevelopmentalDisabilities,MentalHealthAgency,NonprofitCommunityProvider;HelpMeGrow:ODH-BCMH;OCCCSN: ODH-OCCSN;EarlyCareorChildcare:ChildCare,EarlyHeadStart,HeadStart,LocalPreschool;WIC:WIC
CIRsawanespeciallystrongincreaseinreferralsfromEarlyCareorChildcareprogramsources. Thesereferralswereup21%inSFY24comparedtoSFY23.Similarly,referralsfromWICwerealso upby17%comparedtoSFY23.CIRwillcontinuetoreviewreferralsbysourcetodevelop targetedoutreachandmarketingstrategies.
EarlyIntervention
ProgramReferralsAssigned
Atotalof32,366childrenwereassignedtoEarlyInterventioninSFY24.CIRtracksthe demographicinformationofeachassignedprogramreferraltoidentifyareasofgrowthand ensurechildrenarebeingreferredforEarlyInterventionservicesatcriticalages.Thecharts belowprovideaproportionallookatageandgenderofchildrenassignedtoEarlyIntervention inSFY24.
Note:Childrenassignedarededuplicatedfromchildrenwhomayhave receivedmultiplereferralsduringtheyear.
Asshownabove,67%ofassignmentstoEarlyInterventionoccurredbeforeage2.CIRwillcontinue tomonitorthesedemographicmeasureswithagoalofreferringchildrenasearlyaspossible.
EarlyIntervention
ElevatedBloodLeadLevelsandNeonatalAbstinenceSyndrome
EarlyInterventionforyoungchildrendiagnosedwithelevatedbloodleadlevels(EBLL)and/or neonatalabstinencesyndrome(NAS)continuestobeapriorityinOhio.Thesediagnoses,along withothersthatcanbefoundatwww.ohioearlyintervention.org,makeachildautomatically eligibleforEarlyInterventioninOhio.
InSFY24,CIRprocessed1,913referralsforchildrendiagnosedwithEBLLin84countiesand 114referralsforchildrendiagnosedwithNASin23counties.
Note:ThesecountsarebasedonreportsprovidedbytheOhioDepartmentofHealthonEBLLandNASreferrals.Thiswouldincludereferrals receivedforchildrenalreadyinvolvedinEarlyInterventionthatdonotgenerateasystemreferral.
Outcomes
ReferralOutcomes
Note:TheabovetablesdonotincludeEBLLandNASreferralswithincompleteinformation.
Note:Anagreementbetweenstatedepartmentsallowsinformationforchildrendiagnosedwith EBLLand/orNAStobeprovidedtoCIRtoofferHelpMeGrowEarlyInterventionservices.
StateFiscalYear2024AnnualReport | CentralIntake&Referral
EarlyIntervention
StatewideNeedsAssessmentforOutreachand PublicAwareness
CIRconductedastatewideneedsassessmentinordertoinformtheir marketingandoutreachapproachforthestatewideEarlyIntervention program.Thisassessmentincludesananalysisofselectreferraldata, includingcomparisonstorelevantsecondarydata.Referralsmadeinthefirst halvesofSFY23andSFY24wereusedtoinformthisassessment.
Onenotablefindingintheassessmentistheneedtoincreasequalitysystem referralsfromspecificreferralsources.Thisisparticularlyimportantfor OCCSNsources,Hospitals,andWICsourcesaswesawadecreasein conversiontoprogramreferralsassignedbetweenSFY231sthalfandSFY24 1sthalf.Outreachtothesereferralsources,specificallyhowtoinformfamilies ofthereferralandthebenefitsofEI,wouldbebeneficial.
inConversionRate
CIRwilllooktodevelopstrategiestoaddresstheseneedareasinSFY25.
Note:ConversionratesarecalculatedusingsystemreferralsfromSFY24comparedtoassociated programreferralswithintheSFY24+30daystoallowforcontacttime.
AgesandStagesQuestionnaire (ASQ)OnlineService
CIRcontinuedtoprovidetheAgesandStagesQuestionnaire(ASQ)onlinedevelopmental screeningserviceinSFY24.Nearly600childrenwerescreened.AlsoinSFY24,CIRworked toalsobuildingtheinfrastructuretoexpandtheservice.Thisserviceincludesmakingthe ASQserviceavailableforOhiofamilieswithchildrenthroughage5usingtheSparkler:Play forParentingapp;havingtheASQavailableinSpanish,French,andArabic;andbuildinga systemtonotifycaregiverswhenitʼstimetocompleteanewscreeningfortheirchild.Also inSFY24,CIRworkedonbuildingtheinfrastructuretoexpandthisservice.
MarketingandOutreach
Alimitededitione-newsletterwasdevelopedforprovidersandindividualsinterestedin learningmoreabouttheexpandingASQOnlineservice.
CIRcontractedwithwithamarketingandadvertisingfirmtoconduct researchandplaneffortstoreachtargetedaudiences.Thefirm createdapublicawarenesscampaignandmarketingstrategyto amplifytheASQOnlineserviceusingtheSparklerApp.Contentwas designedtocreateaunifiedbrandexperiencethatdrivesawareness, fosterstrust,anddeliversresults.Contentincludes:
Paidandorganicsocialmediaconcepts.
Postcardforearlycareandeducationproviders.
Counterandrackdisplaycards. 30secondvideoscripts. andmore!
CommunityResourceDirectories
CIRworkedthroughout SFY24withadatabase developertomake updatestothe CommunityResource Directoriesʼonline interfacebasedonuser researchconductedin SFY23.Theupdated interfacewaslaunched duringSFY24ʼsthird quarterandincludedthe followingimprovements:
Additionalproviderlistingfieldsincludingages served,cost,eligibilityinformation,hoursof operation,andinformationlastreviewed.
Pop-upquestionnairetoassistwithgenerating amorepersonalizedlistofprovidersavailable.
Anexpand/collapseviewinsearchresults (replacingthe“view”buttonoption).
Improvedinterfaceforeaseofuseonboth desktopandmobile.
Aself-updateand"addyourorganization" functionsforproviderstoaddandsubmit theirownchangestothedirectories.
Enhancedlocationsearchandkeyword searchoptionsoflistedproviders.
Abilitytoshareproviderlistingsviatext, email,print,andlinksharing.
APDFbuildertoeasilycompilecounty providerlistsforuserdownload.
Toincreaseawarenessofthedirectories,CIRadvertisedthetoolstatewideviapaidsocial mediaadvertising.InSFY24,thedirectorieshad33,372visits.
HomeVisitingprograminformationisalsoreviewedandupdatedquarterly,alongwith payoroflastresort(POLR)approvedprovidersfortheEarlyInterventionprogram.
CommunityResourceDirectories
CIRresearchedandupdatedexistingproviderlistingsandaddednewprovidersforthe expandedsearchoptionsthatnowaccountforfamilieswithchildrenuptoage5.New and/orexpandedserviceareasandcategoriesaddedinclude:
Birth-5Supplies
Carseatprograms
Diaperbanks
Childrenʼsbeds
Schooluniforms
Toydrives
CareerDevelopment
Communitycolleges
DressforSuccessprograms
Employmentassistance
Jobtrainingandreadiness
DevelopmentalServices
AppliedBehaviorAnalysis(ABA)providers
Brailleservices
EarlyCareandEducation
EarlyHeadStartandHeadStart
Preschools
Childcarecenters
EnrichmentandFamilyEngagement
Childrenʼsmuseums
Librariesandtoylendinglibraries
Naturecenters
Playgrounds
Storytimes
Youthsportsprograms
Zoos
FoodandNutritionResources
Foodassistance
Freemealprogramsforchildren
Formulaproviders
InformationandReferral
Connectivity
Non-EnglishSpeakerResources
Publictransportationresources
Safetysupplyproviders
PregnancyandParentingSupport
Breastpumps
CenteringParenting
Doulaservices
Fatherhoodresources
Kinshipsresources
OB/GYNs
Pregnancylossandrecovery
Aquatictherapy(forpregnant women)
Medical,Health,andNursing
Pediatrichealthcare(local,small practices)
Pediatricspecializedhealthcare practitionersinCardiology, Endocrinology,Genetics, Hematology,NAS/NOWS, Neurology,andPulmonary
Withthenewanalyticstoolappliedtothedirectoriesinthefourthquarter,CIRwasableto seethecountieswiththemostvisitorstothedirectorieswereFranklin,Cuyahoga,Hamilton, Montgomery,andSummit;topkeywordsearcheswerediapers,housing,speech,andWIC; topfiveserviceareasearcheswereBirth-5Supplies,PregnancyandParentingSupports, DevelopmentalServices,EarlyCareandEducation,andFoodandNutritionResources.
ProfessionalDevelopment andQualityAssurance
DuringSFY24,arandomsampleof1,190referralsand754callswerereviewedto determinethequalityofservicesprovidedbytheStatewideCentralIntakeand Referralteam.Theteamexceededexpectations(scoring95%orgreater)inallfive complianceareasincludingtimelydataentry,accuratedataentry,customerservice, proceduraladherence,andproceduralsafeguards.
BBconductedvirtualsitevisitswithalleightregionalcentersduringeachquarterto discussrelationshipswithprovidersandreferralsources,addressquestionsrelated tothepoliciesandproceduresmanualand/ordatasystems;brainstormprofessional developmentopportunities.
TherewerethreePoliciesandProceduresManualMiniReviewSessionsforstatewide intakeandoutreachstaff,coveringhomevisitingwaitlistmanagement;processing referralswithearlyinterventiondiagnoses;professionalreferralfollowups; processingreferralsforchildrenwithin45daysofthirdbirthday;prenatalreferralsto EI;howtodescribethespecifichomevisitingmodels;guidanceonprocessing referralsduringsystemoutages;anddeterminingwhenareferraliscomplete.
CIRofferedtoallintakeandoutreachspecialistsvirtualsessionsonTheArtof Persuasion,Negotiation&ConflicthostedbyBonfireTraining.Thesesessionsoffered lessonsonmanipulationversuspersuasion;mindsetreset;compassionatecuriosity; voicetone;thethreecharacteristicsofgreatnegotiators;andtipsforconflict.
helpmegrow.org
CIRcontinuedthemaintenanceandenhancementofthe HelpMeGrow.orgwebsitethroughoutSFY24.Thewebsite received716,543viewsacross552,674activeusers.
Siteupdatesincludedthelaunchofhelpmegrow.org/jobs, whereearlychildhoodserviceproviderscansubmitjob postingsinEarlyIntervention,HomeVisiting,orCentral Intake.Thepageincludestestimonialsfromproviders currentlyworkinginbothHomeVisitingandEarly Interventionacrossthestate.Sinceitslaunch,morethan90 jobsubmissionshavebeenposted,andthewebpagehas received8,814visits.
WiththenewHeartofitAllHelpMeGrowlogosinhand,CIR startedupdatingsomeofthesiteimagestomatchthenew brandingguidelinesaswell.
BudgetSummary
TheOhioDepartmentofHealthprovided$5,271,590andtheOhioDepartmentof DevelopmentalDisabilitiesprovided$2,347,526tofundBrightBeginningsandits regionalpartnersʼworkofoperatingHelpMeGrowCentralIntake&Referralstatewidefor SFY24.RegionalpartnerscontractedthroughBrightBeginningsinclude: ActionforChildren.
ButlerCountyEducationalServiceCenter. EducationalServiceCenterofEasternOhio. HelpMeGrowBrighterFutures/GreaterDaytonAreaHospitalAssociation. LucasCountyFamilyCouncil. NobleCountyHealthDistrict. PikeCountyBoardofDevelopmentalDisabilities.
BrightBeginningsanditssubcontractedregionalpartnerswant tothanktheproviders,stakeholders,andfamiliesinvolvedwith theHelpMeGrowsystemofsupportsforanothersuccessfulyear. Wecontinuetoprovideacoordinatedsystemtoensurethat Ohioʼsyoungchildrenandtheirfamiliesareconnectedto supportsandservicesthathelpachievetheirbestoutcomes.
