SLO County Health Access Update
Connecting Children Ages 0-5 to Health Care
November, 2019
Public Health Home Visiting Team Now Accepting Referrals! 
At-risk families in SLO County have been receiving home visits and personalized support from the Public Health Department's field nursing and home visiting programs.
 
New state and federal funding means the home visiting team has recently expanded to serve more families and is now accepting referrals from community agencies, schools, and health care providers. Families and expectant mothers can also refer themselves for home visiting services. 
 
Home visitors provide in-home assessments and work with families based on their specific needs, with a special focus on making sure children are healthy physically, developmentally and emotionally. For example, nurses help families address:
·        Mental health concerns
·        Medical complications or needs
·        Intimate partner violence
·        Child abuse or neglect
·        Exposure to tobacco, alcohol or other substances
·        Family and relationship dysfunction
·        Parenting and developmental guidance
·        Guidance on maintaining a healthy pregnancy
·        Food, transportation and other basic needs
·        Education and job development resources
·        Connections with other local resources
·        ... and much more.
 
Home visiting is free, voluntary, supportive, and nonjudgmental, and immigration status is not asked.
 
To refer families or expectant mothers for home visiting, or to learn about home visiting services for your family, call 805-788-2068 or visit   www.slocounty.ca.gov/nurse-home-visiting.
 
New SLO County ACEs Connection Community 
What Are ACEs?
Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood. ACEs include experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect; witnessing violence in the home; and losing a family member. Children who experience ACEs do not always experience poor outcomes later in life; however the risks are exponentially greater.  

Adverse Childhood Experiences have been linked to risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, low life potential, and early death. Family support programs throughout San Luis Obispo County work to reduce both the occurrence of ACEs and their harmful effects by developing community resilience, building protective factors in families, proving concrete supports during times of need, and educating service providers.
Learn more about ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) on our new website page: SLOHealthAccess.org/aces.html

Join the SLO County ACEs Connection Community
Join the movement to prevent ACEs, heal trauma, and build resilience by subscribing to  San Luis Obispo ACEs Connection.
This community-in-practice online network promotes child and family well-being by sharing resources, classes and trainings; increasing ACEs awareness; and strengthening SLO County community connections. 

Family-serving professionals, parents and educators are welcome to join. The community is ideal for staying current on trauma-informed practices and resilience-building practices. All community subscribers can share news, research, and events by posting directly to the site. You'll receive alerts in your inbox when others post, as well.
 
Site: www.acesconnection.com/g/san-luis-obispo-county-ca-aces-connection
Covered CA Open Enrollment and Health Insurance Facts for Immigrants 
It's Open Enrollment time for Covered California. Open enrollment for new members began on Oct. 15, 2019 and continues until Jan 31, 2020. To receive coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2020, clients must select a plan by Dec. 15, 2019. If they select a plan after Dec. 15, their coverage will begin on Feb 1, 2020.

Anyone needing health insurance can visit www.coveredca.com to enroll, or contact a local certified insurance agent or certified enrollment partner: www.coveredca.com/resources.

Individuals with qualifying life events can enroll at any time of the year, and Medi-Cal enrollment is open year-round through www.coveredca.com or through www.mybenefitscalwin.org/.

For information on non-citizen eligibility for Covered California, see: www.coveredca.com/documents-to-confirm-eligibility/proof-of-immigration-status-or-lawful-presence/.  
 
Fact Sheet: Access to Health Insurance for Immigrants and Their Families
According to Protecting Immigrant Families, the Open Enrollment period presents a great opportunity to make sure that immigrants and their families understand what recent news may mean for them as they seek health coverage.  
 
A new resource highlights 10 key facts about health coverage access within the current climate of fear and confusion. The document also links to several helpful resources for immigrant families and enrollment assisters. Click here for the fact sheet. Also, check out the SLO Health Access website for additional resources for immigrant families: slohealthaccess.org/immigration--health.html
 
Health Access Information at SLOHealthAccess.org
A First 5 SLO County Funded Program
SLOHealthAccess.org has a wealth of information to help you help families, with local resources related to:
   * Special Needs     
   * Behavioral Health
   * Immigration: safety and service access  
   * Dental
   * Prescriptions
   * Medi-Cal & Covered CA
   * Transportation
   * Parental Substance Use, and 
   * R esources to help parents advocate for services

General needs and system navigation:
Send families in need of help to their local Family Resource Center : 
 

Can't find an answer? 
Let us know and we will find you  the  informati on  you are looking for.  For general questions about health ac cess and health care refo rm,  contact:
Becca Carsel, Health Access Project Director,  
at (805) 674-0776 or [email protected] .phone
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