Children’s Screening, Assessment, Referral and Treatment Policy Workshop

California State Council Education Goal 1: California infants and toddlers reach their developmental potential and families have the necessary supports to provide for their family member's special needs.

ED1.1: The Council will promote policies that give infants and toddlers and their families access to culturally appropriate and timely diagnosis, services and supports to maximize developmental potential and strengthen families.

California State Council Health Goal 1: Californians with developmental disabilities have access to a full range of coordinated health, dental and mental health services in their communities.

HE1.1: By September 30, 2011, the Council will promote policies and programs to educate physicians and clinicians on developmental disabilities on how to best provide appropriate health, mental health and dental care for consumers.

California State Council Health Goal 3: Californians will achieve optimal health and wellness through the prevention of primary and secondary causes of disabilities and promotion of healthy lifestyles.

HE3.1: The Council will educate at least 100 policymakers, public officials and health professionals per year on the importance and need for universal developmental screenings for all children.

HE3.4: By September 30, 2009, the Council will educate juvenile court judges, probation departments, mental health and social service agencies, educators, and regional centers in at least eight Counties on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), its prevention, associated secondary disabilities, diagnostic information, local resources, interventions, and best practices.

During the latter part of August 2008, a group of 30 individuals from around the nation were invited to participate with the Children’s Research Triangle of Chicago Illinois in an important policy workshop to define and describe the challenges and solutions to developing a community-based system of Screening, Assessment, Referral and Treatment (SART) for the early identification and treatment of children at risk from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and other family and environmental factors. The final product will be a policy paper that addresses clinical, funding, and sustainability issues. Completion is expected in the spring or summer of 2009.

Because of past and current activities of the Area One Board and local Mendocino County community; three individuals from Mendocino County were selected to participate in the project. Those representatives included Dr. Jeremy Mann, Pediatrician, Linda Nagel, Public Health Nurse, and Tom Montesonti, Executive Director of Area Board One.

In order to initiate work on the policy paper the following topics were discussed.

• Identification of the key challenges that need to be addressed in order to design and implement a community-based (SART) system for high-risk children.
• Training community practitioners
• Availability of qualified clinicians
• Funding mechanisms, diagnostic criteria, program evaluation, long-term sustainability
• Identification of next steps to advance the policy discussion and develop a general time frame for development of a policy paper
• Identification of lessons learned
• Identification of over all key challenges
• Identification of possible revisions to existing models
• Identification of children in the community who have been affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs as well as family/environmental risk factors
• Presentation of new data and review of new FASD screening instrument currently being developed
• Proposed solutions for delivery of effective treatment for children identified as at-risk

For further information contact: Tom Montesonti at 707-463-4700

---