cost of gas affecting home visits
- Posted by Lynda Cook Pletcher on Monday, 2008-08-04 at 10:09:52
How are local programs and or providers responding to the increased cost of gas as it relates to home visiting and providing services in natural environments?
Any creative solutions?
- Posted by Cynthia Glimpse on Tuesday, 2008-08-05 at 12:31:26
Good question Lynda. This must impact other parts of education too.- Posted by Lynda Cook Pletcher on Tuesday, 2008-08-05 at 13:51:32
It is impacting not just education but there have been a series of articles in our Local Raleigh paper about nurses and health home visiting programs for all ages and the need to find additional dollars or to cut back services to people and the impact this will have on their care and well being. School systems are talking about 4 day weeks or at least only running buses 4 out of 5 days... Several state EI programs have also asked the question so I posted it here.I have heard home visiting programs (not early intervention however) in a rural state have equipped laptops with camera's so that the home visitor can use that and send live video back to other teams members for on-site advice (rather than another provider having to make a visit later in the week). Wondered if anyone has tried that?
Has anyone tried to have a small group of families meet a provider in a community location that would be a "natural environment" for those families. The library, rec center, a park if several families are working on similar functional outcomes for their child? Other ideas...
I'm also concerned that we don't pass the cost off to families ( have them travel to a program location) when they can not afford to do that either.
- Posted by Lynda Cook Pletcher on Friday, 2008-09-05 at 13:07:53
At the ECO meeting last week in Baltimore, Naomi Youngren (member of this community) introduced us all to a great little device call a Flick Video camera. It was about the size of a small cell phone, had a jump drive in the camera that hooked right into a computer and cost just over $100.00. Primary provider staff were using it on home visits to record a behavior or a issue/concern they wanted input from other team members. It was used to video, in an un-intrusive way, the child/family and then the primary provider took it back to team to view on a computer where they could problem solve and make suggestions. It was certainly a less expensive strategy than having a second team member make two or three separate visits if this was a an appropriate strategy to use for that particular child and behavior.- Posted by Lynda Cook Pletcher on Friday, 2008-09-05 at 13:13:29
Sorry, its a FLIP video (not flick) and sells at most chain stores like Target or Walmart or tec-gadget stores for around $120.00- Posted by Cynthia Glimpse on Monday, 2008-08-11 at 16:12:57
Higher gas prices is certainly a "hot topic" for any program that "takesits services to the people." I hear discussion within programs about
being even more vigilant in assigning service providers according to
geographic location, grouping visits within a geographic location,
providing a higher mileage reimbursement rate for travel to more
rural/remote locations, and offering "group" vs. "individual" sessions
if appropriate for the individual child & family outcomes. Of course,
the challenge of increased cost for direct services also provides us the
opportunity to put into practice our belief of providing "resources"
versus "services" to families. A "resource" perspective of our work
enables us to work with all the resources (informal and formal)
available to a child and family within their natural community
settings. Broadening our thinking about the sphere of influence in a
child's life can lead to less dependence upon professional or formal
services. Just a thought......for what it's worth.......... Angela
--
Angela G. Deal, ACSW, LCSW
Regional Consultant
Early Intervention Branch
Department of Public Health
1429 E. Marion St., Suite 5
Shelby, NC 28150
704-734-7152
704-480-5477 fax
- Posted by Lynda Cook Pletcher on Wednesday, 2008-08-13 at 16:41:13
Angela,Thank you for you great perspective on the difference between a "service"- traveling by a formal provider to a location to deliver a services vs. the resource model that uses all the informal as well as formal supports to help a child grow and develop. What is you most favorite "article" you could share with us here to read ? I'd love to post it or any training materials you have developed.
Lynda