Public Health & Safety Division             

Public Health Home Visiting

Public Health Home Visiting

SFY 2006 Report

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    Historically, visiting in the homes of patients has been a corner stone of public health nursing. Montana public health nurses and health care providers who offer services to families in their homes continue this strong tradition today. Home visiting provides an opportunity to meet the family on their own ground, giving the family a better sense of control and involvement in identifying and meeting their own health needs. For the nurse, visiting in the home provides a much clearer picture of family strengths and needs in an informal, relaxed setting in which the nurse is a guest in the family home. The Public Health Home Visiting Program (PHHV) expands these services to include a Registered Dietitian and a Licensed Social Worker.

 

Home visiting in Montana is supported by the CACH (Child, Adolescent, and Community Health Section), which provides financial support, technical assistance, training, resource materials and standards and guidelines for practice and assistance with Targeted Case Management . These activities are carried out primarily through the Public Health Home Visiting programs under the provisions of the MIAMI legislation.

The PHHV project continues the efforts of the State to provide home visiting services to high-risk pregnant women and infants, establishing common program expectations. The objectives for the program are to:

•  Improve pregnancy outcomes in service areas.

•  Improve family functioning in target populations served.

•  Monitor and improve the home environment of pregnant women and infants in the target population, considering environmental, economic, psychosocial, and medical risks.

•  Decrease the incidence and impact of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the target populations.

Home visiting services are part of the comprehensive efforts to improve the heath of expectant mothers and infants with special health care needs. Montana has approximately 10,500 births per year and 15-20% of them may be considered high risk due to medical, social, or economic reasons.

Local PHHV projects provide nursing, dietitian and social services, health education and advocacy for pregnant women. Professionals at each PHHV site monitor the woman's pregnancy and outcome. A woman needing additional assistance will be referred to various agencies that can help.

The PHHV Programs provide public health home visiting services to at least 15% of the pregnant women in their community who are high risk, each of the women's infants through their first birthday, and at least 25% high risk infants identified as having special health care needs.

The PHHV Programs provide at least four visits during the prenatal and immediate postpartum period for the pregnant woman, and at least four visits during the infant period for infants of high risk women and for infants with special health care needs. Screening and assessment tools used in the visits provide information that guides the care plan. Data collected from the programs is entered into the Public Health Data System to track health trends in the state.

PHHV Sites

    • Anaconda-Deer Lodge PHHV- City-County Health Department
    • Cascade PHHV - City-County Health Department/ Better Beginnings
    • Chippewa Cree (Rocky Boys) Reservation PHHV - Chippewa Cree Health Center
    • Custer PHHV - County Health Department
    • Dawson PHHV - County Health Department
    • Flathead PHHV - City-County Health Department
    • Gallatin PHHV - City-County Health Department
    • Hill PHHV - County Health Department
    • Lake PHHV - County Health Department
    • Lewis and Clark PHHV - City County Health Department
    • Missoula PHHV - City County Health Department
    • Park PHHV - County Health Department
    • Richland PHHV - County Health Department
    • Butte/Silver Bow PHHV - City County Health Department
    • Yellowstone PHHV - City County Health Department

PHHV Resources

PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS

BACK TO SLEEP SIDS PREVENTION
MONTANA'S CHILD
SMOKING CESSATION
PERINATAL SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION
FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) Prevention Sites:

Blackfeet Reservation (Blackfeet Early Head Start) Cascade City-

County Health Department, Flathead City-County Health

Department, Lewis & Clark City-County Health Department,

Missoula City-County Health Department and Yellowstone

City-County Health Department

PUBLIC EDUCATION MATERIALS

GESTATION DIABETES
TEEN PREGNANCY
PRE TERM LABOR
PRE TERM BIRTH
MIAMI MANUAL - TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIV AND OTHER STDS

For additional information contact
Deborah Henderson
406-444-0041
dehenderson@mt.gov