Children's Special Health Needs

Children from birth up to age 21 are eligible to receive direct health care services from one of the 9 CSHS health unit clinics.

Parent Liaisons are parents of children with a special health care needs. They are individuals who know firsthand both the joys and sometimes unique challenges families face raising a child with a special health care need.  As a compassionate advocate for familes, they can assist family members seeking care for their child at a CSHS clinic by helping them navigate the sometimes complex system of health care, health care financing, community resources, educational processes and the like that every family must learn to receive the most comprehensive care for their child.

The Parent Liaison knows a great deal about the IEP and the processes involved. Your regional Parent Liaison can assist you, as well as connect you with the Families Helping Families (FHF) Project Prompt.  Rest assured, these services are offerred free of charge.

Summer can be a difficult transition time for families, especially for families who receive needed services through school and who also benefit from the structured time the school days offer. A family's best resource is their local Families Helping Families regional office or their CSHS parent liaison.

A family is not required to speak with the CSHS parent liaison. Families have the right to talk with any member of the CSHS staff which includes the parent liaison.  Parent liaisons are an important part of the CSHS team who know firsthand the joys and challenges of raising a child with a special health care need, and they are the voice for family advocacy.  Each parent liaison is an important resource for our CSHS families and aid in ensuring services are family friendly.

Your best resource is your local Families Helping Families.

Call the Disability Information Access Line: DIAL--1-800-922-3425

Clinics are scheduled when the specialist is available to see patients.  This is why clinics are scheduled one day or two days each month.  The specialist your child sees at CSHS may travel far distances to care for patients in your region.  But this isn't his/her only job, this doctor also sees patients in his/her region.  It is for this reason that CSHS clinics are held on specific days and times to work around the doctor's busy schedule.

CSHS contracts with doctors in your region and other regions across the state.  If there are no specialists in your region who can perform the needed surgery, then the contracted CSHS surgeon who is able to do the surgery will be your child's surgeon.  And because your child is part of the CSHS network, he/she will receive the needed medical services, but at times may need to travel a bit further to get them.  For questions regarding travel or transportation assistance, your regional Families Helping Families office or your CSHS parent liaison can help.

The services provided at each CSHS clinic involve meeting many members of your child's health care team.  At each clinic your child sees the doctor, the nurse, the social worker, the parent liaison, and if needed a nutritionist, and/or medical technologist.  Because CSHS provides many services that help families meet all their needs, it is important that each child/youth scheduled attends his/her appointment to make sure services are provided in a timely manner.  For each visit we suggest you bring items with you, such as toys, that your child enjoys playing with.