March 17, 2020 Family Home Visiting Tuesday Topics

Minnesota Department of Health

Family Home Visiting Tuesday Topics

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March 17, 2020

Announcements

MDH COVID-19 Guidance for Home Visiting Programs

MDH’s priority at this time is for home visitors to maintain safe connections to their families, help support families in their parenting, increase access to resources, answer questions, and provide a sense of calm during the COVID-19 global outbreak.

As we await further guidance from the governor, CDC, and our federal funders, MDH recommends that when possible, home visitors use telephone or telehealth visits in place of in-person visits. MDH is not mandating this, but strongly encouraging it to slow the transmission of COVID-19.  MDH will be sending out additional details to our local public health, tribal and non-profit home visiting agencies in the next few days.

To further assist with communication during these rapidly changing times, MDH Family Home Visiting will begin hosting weekly webinars to provide brief updates and allow for Q&A time.  The first webinar will be held Thursday, March 19th from 12 -1 pm CST. 

We will also share summary information from the webinars via direct e-mails to our FHV grantee contact list and/or Tuesday Topics. 


Preschool Children

Funding Issued for Community-based Partnership Hubs

As part of Minnesota’s fulfillment of the Preschool Development Grant, approximately $2 million per year has been issued to the Minnesota Department of Human Services for contracts with community-based partnerships to create Hub models. These partnerships may already exist or may be built for this opportunity. The state will collaborate and coordinate with Tribal Nations and Urban American Indian organizations; schools; counties; community partners; communities of color, greater Minnesota (rural) and urban communities.

Learn more in our overview, Building Local Partnerships for Families, and provide feedback in the Request for Information survey. Please share this opportunity with your networks.

Proof Alliance releases Recovery Supports Grant

On behalf of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Proof Alliance is now accepting applications for the Recovery Supports Grant. We are seeking proposals from qualified applicants to establish or strengthen regional collaborations to provide comprehensive, community-based long-term recovery services to pregnant and parenting women with histories of alcohol use disorders and substance use disorders.

An eligible regional collaborative must be a partnership between:

  • At least one local government
  • At minimum one community-based organization
  • A family home visiting program when available

The overall goal of this grant is to help support pregnant and parenting women in recovery from alcohol- and substance-use disorders in Minnesota. Grantees will promote building healthy families and prevent future births of children exposed to alcohol and drugs by providing community-based and home-based recovery maintenance services.

Applications are due by April 9, 2020. For more information on the Recovery Supports grant, visit https://www.proofalliance.org/grants/current-grants/family-centered-long-term-recovery-supports/.

Evaluation

We Want to Hear from You!        

The FHV Evaluation Team is assembling the 2020 Evaluation Workgroup. The Evaluation Workgroup meets quarterly via WebEx and includes partners from across the state who have an interest in anything related to FHV evaluation!

Please complete this brief (<5 minute) survey so we can learn 1) what topics are of interest, 2) ideal meeting times, and 3) how to best use this group to share evaluation activities and topics. This year, we are also looking for partners who will take a more active role in selecting topics, leading discussions, and strategizing Evaluation Workgroup activities. Take the FHV Evaluation Workgroup Survey. http://j.mp/2ICEyxH

If you have questions, please contact health.FHVdata@state.mn.us.

IHVE Logo

Phase 4 Training for Nightingale Notes Users

There will be two sessions of the IHVE Phase 4 Training for Nightingale Notes users. This training integrates some of the screenings and assessments so you know how to do them from Nightingale Notes. Please attend one of the webinars listed below:

Wednesday, March 18th from 9:00-10:00 AM:

Website to Register for March 18th

OR

Thursday, March 19th from 9:00-10:00 AM:

Website to Register for March 19th

The webinars will be recorded if you are unable to attend. If you have questions, contact Stacy Galles at Champ Software: stacy.galles@champsoftware.com.

IHVE REDCap User Guide has been updated

The IHVE RedCap user guide has been updated. It is available on our website as a PDF. Please use this tool to help navigate data submission in the REDCap system.

Training and Other Resources

No updates at this time.

Coronavirus

Hygiene and Safety for Family Home Visiting during COVID-19

Family Home Visiting will follow the MDH recommendations for preventive measures and guidance related to COVID-19. You can access the most current information and recommendations on the MDH website. Check this website often as updates happen frequently. We encourage all agencies to follow these recommendations and to use their best professional judgement as they consider all their agency activities.

Preventive hygiene recommendations for Family Home Visiting  include:

· Home visitors who are ill should not be visiting families, nor should they be making in person home visits if there are ill family members present in the home. We encourage home visitors to continue with scheduled visits to families who are not ill, but that you strongly consider telehealth or telephone visits in place of in-home visits. MDH will be issuing further communication on specifics but be assured we will be allowing flexibility for agencies to use MDH FHV grant funding to support home visitors and families during this challenging time.

· As always, home visitors use good hygiene techniques! Wash hands vigorously with soap and water for at least 20 seconds between all home visits and frequently throughout the day. Wash hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, before and after eating or preparing food, and after using the bathroom. If soap and water are unavailable, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

· Cough or sneeze into your elbow and refrain from touching your face.

· Use the toys/materials that a family has when possible and avoid touching these materials. For toys/materials that are brought into the home and not left there, make sure they are properly cleaned and sanitized before bringing them into another home.

· Agencies may want to explore the option of using technology to meet with families. In some cases, video visits may be a good alternative. You will need to check with your evidenced based home visiting model to find out specifics of whether this is allowable. You may also want to check on telehealth reimbursement for video home visits with the Department of Human Services.

If you have hygiene or other practice related questions specific to Family Home Visiting and COVID-19, please direct them to the Health.HomeVisiting@state.mn.us email and one of our Family Home Visiting Nurse Consultants will respond.