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Children's Special Health Services
Children’s Special Health Services (CSHS) works to ensure that Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) in Louisiana have access to services that are designed to minimize their disabilities and maximize their ability to live as independently as possible.
Children and youth who have special health care needs either have or are at increased risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions. They require services beyond what other children require. According to parent reporting via the National Survey of Children's Health, around 1 in 4 children in Louisiana have special health care needs. CSHS strives to support all children and youth with special health care needs and their families through direct service clinics, provider support, and community outreach.
Who do we serve?
In our direct service clinics, CSHS serves Louisiana residents under the age of 21 who are diagnosed or suspected to have certain chronic physical illnesses or serious disabilities. These illnesses and disabilities are likely to cause impairments that could significantly limit major life activities. Outside of the direct service clinics, CSHS connects caregivers and families to relevant resources, collaborates with health and social service providers to improve service provision and care coordination, and works to build up systems of support for children and youth with special healthcare needs. These services are designed to minimize their disabilities and maximize their ability to enjoy independent and self-sufficient lives.
We provide the following services to children and youth, their families and caregivers, and providers across the state of Louisiana:
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Direct healthcare services: Children’s Special Healthcare Services - Clinical Services provides specialty medical care and assistance for children and youth with special healthcare needs.
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Care Coordination: We help parents and providers ensure a child gets all the services they need.
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Youth Health Transition: We provide guidance and resources for parents and providers to help children change from a pediatric to an adult model of care as they age.
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Developmental Screening: We provide resources and training to help providers integrate developmental screening guidelines into their practice.
Funding
CSHS is funded by the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant. The MCH Block Grant is a grant from the U.S. government that supports programs for women, children, and children and youth with special healthcare needs and their families. The Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health’s Bureau of Family Health (BFH) oversees Louisiana’s MCH Block Grant.
Learn More
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Contact
To learn more about our staff and view our contact information, please visit our Central Office Staff page. View contact information for our CSHS clinics here.