Engaging Community Partners and Providers

Improving the health of our community takes teamwork. As a CYSHCN Program professional, you play an important role by working directly with community partners. Building relationships with local providers, program staff, and advisory groups will help you guide families and youth to the right resources. We like to think of CYSHCN Program professionals as bridges, connecting the needs of children and youth with the programs and services that can best support them. You make these connections by sharing helpful information and providing warm referrals.

Below you'll find brief descriptions of best practices, tools, and resources that you can use to meet the "Partner and Provider Engagement" and "Community Resources" objectives in your workplan.

Who are partners and providers?

Community partners and providers are all of the people who work to serve children and youth in your community. They include medical providers and specialists; county and community departments; and services that promote well-being, child development, emotional and social support, and emergency preparedness. Community partners also include community advisory and advocacy groups working to support the same goals.

The Priority Partners reference list identifies community entities with whom you are encouraged to build relationships. These contacts will give a broad knowledge base to inform your referrals.

Best Practices for Engagement

Your ability to confidently refer families and youth to services depends on regular visits with key partners. Your workplan requires quarterly visits with primary care practices and school-based health centers. It also requires yearly visits with other partners as outlined in the Partner and Provider Engagement portion of the workplan. The frequency of these visits is meant to improve systems of care through relationships that are based on familiarity, reliability, and trust.

With consistent effort, community partners and providers will see you as a trusted collaborator and the CYSHCN Program will be known as an effective resource for information and education.

Public Health Detailing

Public Health Detailing is the practice of building relationships with community partners and marketing your services. Effective detailing starts with a deep understanding of the program you are promoting and the community you are in. Your ability to convey the program's benefits clearly and concisely will empower you to confidently interact with partners throughout your community. ACT for Youth offers training and support for this work.

Referrals

Put simply, referrals are the practice of bringing people and services together. "Warm referrals" involve trust and familiarity, which you'll build over time through your detailing practice. There are limits to the amount of support you can provide in your role as a CYSHCN Program professional, but done well, warm referrals can be very successful.