Institute for Disability Studies Focuses on Youth Transition in November
Tue, 11/08/2011 - 11:29am | By: Van Arnold
The transition to adult health care can be a challenging and stressful time for youth with special health care needs.
The Institute for Disability Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi is striving to make the transition a smooth one through a pair of important awareness projects during the month of November. The Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center (F2F) and the Mississippi Integrated Community Health Systems (MICS) projects are designed to promote a positive and rewarding transition to adult health care services for youth with special needs.
“Youth with special health care needs and disabilities need encouragement, training and education during the transition to adult services,” said Dr. Jerry Alliston, transition specialist for the MICS project. “Resources are available to assist youth, their families and their primary pediatric providers during this important transition. It really needs to be a team approach to assist in making the transition and successful and fulfilling experience.”
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau has identified transition as one of the six key measures of better health care for children with special health care needs. The indicator specifically states: “Youth with special health care needs should receive the services necessary to make transitions to all aspects of adult life, including adult health care, work and independence.”
Transition awareness events coordinated for November include a Transition Story Request for the development of a Mississippi Success Story Booklet; focus and promotion of two online newsletters; a free parent training Webinar on Nov. 9 titled: “Transition Health Care – Free and Inexpensive Resources and the promotion of free audio and Webinar training. Other events will target the sharing of information with parents, youth, young adults, pediatricians and other primary care providers.
To learn more about these activities and resources on transition visit the F2F Web site at: http://www.usm.edu/idsf2fc/index.php or the MICS Web site at: http://www.usm.edu/ids/mics/index.php. Additional information can be obtained by calling the Hattiesburg office of the Institute for Disability Studies at 601.266.5163 or toll free at 1.888.671.0051.