Hillside Launches Care Management Services for Medicaid-Eligible Children
Hillside Family of Agencies has launched a new program designed to provide essential coordination of health services for children who need it most. Hillside Care Management for Children, part of the New York State Children’s Health Homes initiative, delivers personalized coordination of all services an eligible child might need—including behavioral health, medical, social services and more—to ensure that all those modalities work together seamlessly, for greater quality of care and improved individual results.
In the program, a Hillside Care Manager serves as a liaison between the child/family and the network of clinical professionals who provide a variety of needed services. Hillside’s program emphasizes family-driven care: Care Managers are trained to work closely with parents and family members to understand the total needs of the participating child, and to align the child’s services with their ultimate health goals.
Hillside provides these Care Management services in the 31 New York State counties in which Hillside Family of Agencies operates. The program is free of charge for Medicaid-eligible youth whose conditions meet state-mandated criteria including chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and diabetes, and diagnoses of chronic trauma and/or severe emotional disturbance. (Hillside staff can assist interested families in determining eligibility.) No prior relationship with Hillside is needed to receive these services.
“For parents and families of children with complex needs, it can be overwhelming to juggle so many variables, appointments and reports while still understanding the big picture of their child’s care. This is especially true with families with limited financial means,” says Jennifer Cathy, Executive Director of Community-Based Services for Hillside’s Monroe Region, serving the greater Rochester area. “Our Care Managers are a part of the family’s care team—they offer clarity, support and advocacy, and become their first phone call when questions arise.”
Hillside launched this service for adults in 2013, and has been a leading advocate for the establishment of Children’s Health Home Care Management in New York State. In addition to their benefits to individuals and families, these programs are designed to improve community health and reduce escalations of care and the costs associated with that care. Hillside is a founding member of Children’s Health Home of Upstate New York, which contracts with Hillside and other care management agencies to provide these services.