Family Connects Oregon is a nurse home visiting model based on the work of Family Connects International. The nurse home visitor works with families to identify what families need and want from local resources, and then provides an individualized, non-stigmatizing entry into a community system of care. This system includes referrals to other, more intensive, home visiting programs, and health and social supports around the state, such as obstetricians and primary care providers, pediatricians and family practice physicians, child care options, mental health services, housing agencies and lactation support organizations.
A safe and healthy environment during early childhood forms the foundation for a lifetime of physical and mental well-being and healthy relationships, and each family has unique strengths and constraints that need to be considered.
Evidence shows that when a home visitor can assess family needs and connect families to services that best address those needs, the health of the family improves. Current programs are not designed to reach all families which makes it difficult to make population-level change on health outcomes such as low birth weight or postpartum depression.
Key Points
- The Family Connects model does not replace more intensive targeted home visiting programs. Nurse home visitors work with families to identify what families need and want from local resources and provide an individualized, non-stigmatizing entry into a community system of care, including referrals to other more intensive home visiting programs and social supports.
- In collaboration with hospitals and birth attendants, a provider would engage all parents of a newborn shortly after birth, ideally face-to-face, to schedule a home visit. If families choose to accept this service, they receive one to three visits in their home to help them get off to a good start and get connected to services they need and want.
- Participation is voluntary for families.
- Implementation of Family Connects Oregon will roll out over time using a phase-in approach, beginning with eight communities listed below (early adopters).
- Family Connects Oregon will leverage federal Medicaid funding and engage commercial health plans to offer services for all Oregon families of newborns, regardless of income status.