| Title: |
'Field of Dreams: Building, Believing and Achieving for Infants and Children with Hearing Loss' |
| Track: |
1-EHDI Program Enhancement
|
| Audience: |
Primary Audience:
Secondary Audience:
Tertiary Audeince:
|
| Keyword(s): |
private sector, cooperation, funding resources |
| Learning Objectives: |
1. Identify EHDI needs and/or gaps in services in their state.
2. Creatively collaborate to fill those gaps in services.
|
Abstract: |
The current economic downturn has left many states unable to provide best practice services for children with hearing loss. In Oklahoma, our answer to budget cuts has been intense focus on cooperation and collaboration to meet the needs of our children. Contracts, equipment agreements, information sharing and communication all play a significant role in the continuation of 1-3-6 goals in Oklahoma. Our state health department has been faced with unprecedented budget shortfalls, as has our early intervention program. Oklahoma’s solution to these hurdles has been to incorporate the private sector as a team member by allowing the private practitioner access to state owned facilities and equipment in order to continue services for children. Access for families in rural areas is especially important in Oklahoma, and by continuing services by utilizing private sector employees in rural health departments we are able to continue the good work of our state’s EHDI program. The private sector has long been part of Oklahoma’s early intervention program as contract providers. However many cuts are being made to those contracts, therefore it falls to the private practitioner to work collaboratively with EI team members to insure each child has access to services in a timely manner. Funding resources for families for hearing aids are also being affected statewide, and the creation of a statewide hearing aid assistance program has proven to be a welcome and much needed resource for Oklahoma families. The Children’s Hearing Aid Project (CHAP) is being launched to provide assistance for families making amplification purchases for their children. Oklahoma’s “Field of Dreams” for children with hearing loss is vast and ever-changing. Continued and improved partnership between public and private entities will insure that Oklahoma’s children with hearing loss will achieve all that they dream possible. |
| Handouts: |
Handout is not Available
|
|
