Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services

Susan Buckley, Branch Director
Barbara Howe, Deputy Branch Director
Donald I. Baird, MD, Health Officer

Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program

The Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program is a health promotion and disease prevention program serving infants, children and teens. We refer families to health care providers if they do not have established medical homes and to Medi-cal or Healthy Families if they do not have insurance. We work with health care providers to promote quality well child care and provide follow up of children diagnosed with problems during their CHDP exam. The exams are comprehensive providing a complete history and physical that can identify hearing, vision, physical, dental, developmental and mental health problems.

CHDP serves all children age 0 - 21 with Medi-Cal and 0 - 18 who are income eligible.

The program promotes health and wellness by:

Referral to obtain appropriate health insurance
Referral to Healthcare Providers
Follow up of children with problems identified and assistance with obtaining care from other specialists or agencies
Provide resources and quality assurance for CHDP Providers
Provides follow up of children in foster care to ensure their health care needs are identified and treated

For information on CHDP, please call 707-445-6210.

Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care (HCPCFC)

The Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care (HCPCFC) is a public health nursing program located in county child welfare service agencies and probation departments to provide public health nurse (PHN) expertise in meeting the medical, dental, mental and developmental needs of children and youth in foster care. The local Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program is administratively responsible for the HCPCFC. This includes the management of the required interdepartmental Memorandum of Understanding with the local child welfare service agency, probation and health departments.

The goals and objectives of the HCPCFC are common to the health, welfare, and probation departments and are implemented through close collaboration and cooperation among this multi-disciplinary, interdepartmental team. The program has established a process through which PHNs consult and collaborate with the foster care team to promote access to comprehensive preventive health and specialty services.

Through the HCPCFC, public health nurses under the supervision of a supervising public health nurse (SPHN) provide the following services in consultation and collaboration with social workers and probation officers.

medical and health care case planning;
help foster caregivers to obtain timely comprehensive health assessments and dental examinations,
expedite referrals for medical, dental, mental health and developmental services;
coordinate health services for children in out-of-county and out-of-state placements;
provide medical education through the interpretation of medical reports and training for foster team members on the special health care needs of children and youth in foster care; and they
participate in the creation and updating of the Health and Education Passport for every child as required by law.

The CHDP program, under the direction of the Children's Medical Services Branch, works with community programs and agencies to identify the major obstacles children in foster care face in gaining access to coordinated, multidimensional services.