Family Health Council Of Central Pa Inc

THE MISSION OF THE FAMILY HEALTH COUNCIL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA, INC. IS TO BUILD AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH NETWORKS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND EFFECTIVE RESOURCE ALLOCATION.

THE HIV PROGRAM WORKS WITH TEN PROVIDER AGENCIES IN A FOURTEEN-COUNTY REGION TO PROVIDE MEDICAL CASE MANAGEMENT, REFERRAL SERVICES, LINKAGE TO MEDICAL CARE, SUPPORT SERVICES, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, HEALTH EDUCATION, FOOD AND NUTRITION SUPPORT, AND HOUSING SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV, WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING ACCESS TO AND RETENTION IN HIV MEDICAL CARE. IN ADDITION, HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMING IS DELIVERED TO PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK FOR ACQUIRING HIV BY TWO OF THOSE PROVIDER AGENCIES. THE HIV PROGRAM WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE PROVIDER AGENCIES, AS WELL AS KEY HIV STAKEHOLDERS IN THE REGION, TO PROVIDE WRAP-AROUND SERVICES FOR THOSE INFECTED AND AFFECTED BY HIV. SINCE JUNE OF 2019, THE PROGRAM HAS SPONSORED THE FIRST OF ITS KIND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TARGETING HIV POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED BUT ARE NOT IN MEDICAL CARE. THE MULTI-FACETED CAMPAIGN INCLUDED AN UPDATED WEBSITE, BLOG, ADVERTISEMENTS, PUBLIC RELATIONS INTERVIEWS, AND NEW FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES. AS OF JANUARY 2020, THIS CAMPAIGN HAS GARNERED 525, 874 IMPRESSIONS ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA, BLOGS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2021, THE HIV PROGRAM JOINED A STATEWIDE PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN FOCUSED ON HIV TESTING FOR ALL.HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH AIDS (HOPWA) IS A U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) FUNDED PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES PERMANENT HOUSING PLACEMENT (PHP), TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (TBRA), AND/OR SHORT-TERM MORTGAGE OR UTILITY ASSISTANCE (STRMU) FOR INFECTED AND AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS. CURRENTLY, 267 INDIVIDUALS ARE BEING SUPPORTED THROUGH THE TBRA PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES THEM WITH STABLE HOUSING UNTIL THEY ARE ACCEPTED INTO A LONG-TERM PROGRAM, SUCH AS SECTION 8 OR PUBLIC HOUSING. OUR REGION SUPPORTS 49% OF THE TBRA CLIENTS IN ALL OF PENNSYLVANIA.

THE STATE OPIOID RESPONSE (SOR) HOUSING PROGRAM PROVIDES HOUSING SUPPORT, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO PEOPLE WITH OPIOID AND STIMULANT USE DISORDERS WHO ARE LIVING IN FIVE COUNTIES IN CENTRAL PA. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, SO THEY ARE ABLE TO FOCUS ON TREATMENT, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. SERVICES PROVIDED THOROUGH THE PROGRAM INCLUDE RENTAL/MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE FOR A MAXIMUM OF SIX MONTHS, FUNDING FOR SECURITY DEPOSITS/PREVENTION OF UTILITY SHUTOFF/EVICTION PREVENTION, AND INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT TO SUPPORT WELLNESS AND ONGOING HOUSING STABILITY. PROGRAM CLIENTS RECEIVE CASE MANAGEMENT THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUD TREATMENT PROVIDERS TO SUPPORT RECOVERY AND HOUSING SUSTAINABILITY. OTHER PROGRAMS - OTHER SUPPORTED PROGRAMS USE MENTORING, COUNSELING, AND EDUCATION TO PROMOTE ABSTINENCE FROM SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN YOUTH AGES 9 TO 14; PROVIDE EDUCATION IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH TO ADOLESCENTS USING EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULA; PROVIDE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE DIAGNOSIS, COUNSELING, AND TREATMENT SERVICES TO HIGH RISK POPULATIONS; HELP ENROLL PEOPLE IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) PROGRAM AND SUPPORT ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE FOR WIC CLIENTS.THE SUN SMILES PROGRAM PROVIDES ROUTINE DENTAL SCREENING, ORAL HEALTH CARE NAVIGATION BY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, AND PAYMENT FOR DENTAL SERVICES FOR ADULT AND CHILD WIC CLIENTS IN A THREE-COUNTY REGION OF CENTRAL PA. FIRST FUNDED IN 2021, THE PROGRAM'S GOAL IS TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM DENTAL HEALTH FOR WIC CLIENTS IN THE REGION. LAST PROGRAM YEAR, SUN SMILES SCREENED 2,009 WIC CLIENTS FOR DENTAL NEED, REFERRED 571 PEOPLE TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FOR ORAL HEALTH CARE NAVIGATION, AND SCHEDULED DENTAL APPOINTMENTS FOR 358 PEOPLE. IN ADDITION, CLIENTS RECEIVE ORAL HEALTH CARE EDUCATION, BASIC DENTAL SUPPLIES, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN FLUORIDE VARNISH CLINICS AT WIC SITES. THE PATHWAYS TO WELLNESS PROGRAM SCREENS PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WIC CLIENTS FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AT CLINIC VISITS IN 11 COUNTIES AND REFERS THOSE NEEDING FURTHER ASSESSMENT TO A SOCIAL WORKER FOR IDENTIFICATION OF NEXT STEPS AND LINKAGE TO CARE. ONCE A CLIENT ENTERS THE PROGRAM, A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER IDENTIFIES NEEDS AROUND EDUCATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, LEGAL ISSUES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MUCH MORE. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ENSURE WOMEN IN WIC WHO HAVE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE LINKED TO A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES THAT WILL SUPPORT RETENTION IN TREATMENT AND A HEALTHY FAMILY ENVIRONMENT. LAST PROGRAM YEAR, STAFF SCREENED 4,151 CLIENTS FOR A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND 68 WERE REFERRED FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH - FHCCP OVERSEES A DIVERSE HEALTH CARE NETWORK THAT ENSURES ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE TO UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED LOW-INCOME WOMEN, MEN AND ADOLESCENTS. SERVICES INCLUDE GYNECOLOGICAL MEDICAL EXAMS; BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING AND EDUCATION, DIABETES SCREENING, ANEMIA SCREENING, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING; SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES INFECTION TESTING AND TREATMENT; CONTRACEPTIVE EDUCATION, COUNSELING, AND CONTRACEPTION SUPPLIES; HIV SCREENING AND PREVENTION EDUCATION; PRECONCEPTION COUNSELING, PREGNANCY PLANNING, REPRODUCTIVE LIFE PLANNING, PREGNANCY TESTING, AND INFERTILITY SERVICES. PATIENTS WHOSE INCOME IS BELOW 100% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL (FPL) RECEIVE SERVICES AT NO COST; PATIENTS WHOSE INCOME FALLS BETWEEN 101%-250% OF THE FPL RECEIVE DISCOUNTED SERVICES. IN THE CALENDAR YEAR 2023, 29,650 PATIENTS RECEIVED FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES IN THE FHCCP HEALTH CARE NETWORK.

WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD AND NUTRITION PROGRAM (WIC) - WIC PROVIDES NUTRITION EDUCATION, BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT, HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICE REFERRALS, AND HEALTHY FOODS TO WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN UP TO AGE 5. OUR TAPESTRY OF HEALTH SERVICE SITES ALONG WITH OUR SUBCONTRACTOR, LEBANON FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES, PROVIDE SERVICES TO OVER 13,000 CLIENTS EACH MONTH. CLIENTS MUST MEET INCOME GUIDELINES, 185 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL AND BASED ON HOUSEHOLD SIZE. CLIENTS MUST ALSO HAVE A MEDICAL OR NUTRITIONAL RISK, WHICH IS DETERMINED BY A NUTRITIONIST. ELIGIBLE CLIENTS RECEIVE INDIVIDUALIZED COUNSELING AND HEALTHCARE REFERRALS THAT PROMOTE OPTIMAL HEALTH DURING CRITICAL YEARS OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. OTHER SERVICES INCLUDE THE FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM (FMNP) CLIENTS CAN PURCHASE FRESH LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE FROM A FARMER AND BREASTFEEDING PEER COUNSELING PROGRAM WHERE COUNSELORS OFFER PEER-TO-PEER BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION AND SUPPORT TO PREGNANT AND POST-PARTUM WIC CLIENTS.