TY - JOUR
KW - Child
KW - Child Abuse/psychology/rehabilitation
KW - Child, Preschool
KW - Comprehensive Health Care/organization & administration
KW - Continuity of Patient Care/organization & administration
KW - Developmental Disabilities/prevention & control
KW - Female
KW - Foster Home Care
KW - Humans
KW - Infant
KW - Interinstitutional Relations
KW - Male
KW - Mass Screening/organization & administration
KW - Mental Disorders/prevention & control
KW - New South Wales
KW - Program Development
KW - Referral and Consultation/organization & administration
AU - M. F. Chambers
AU - A. M. Saunders
AU - B. D. New
AU - C. L. Williams
AU - A. Stachurska
A1 - 
AB - Children in out-of-home care (OOHC) present with high levels of physical, developmental and emotional and behavioural difficulties, yet often fail to receive appropriate services. This article describes a joint health and welfare service specifically developed to provide comprehensive physical, developmental and mental health assessments to a cohort of children entering long-term care in one region of Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Paediatric, allied health, dental and psychosocial assessments were co-ordinated from a single referral from the child's welfare case manager. Follow-up appointments were held 6-12 months later to assess the outcomes of recommendations. Physical, mental health and developmental difficulties in the children are reported, the implications for service requirements are presented and process blocks described. There is a need for a specific co-ordinating service to overcome the inherent fragmentation of this group (related both to transience and change in the welfare sector, and levels of comorbidity and chronicity in health presentations). Health and Welfare services must operate together, with an awareness of the processes and resource constraints in each sector, if they are to deliver sustainable and reliable health care to this vulnerable group.
BT - Clinical child psychology and psychiatry
C5 - General Literature
CP - 4
CY - England
DO - 10.1177/1359104510375932
IS - 4
JF - Clinical child psychology and psychiatry
N2 - Children in out-of-home care (OOHC) present with high levels of physical, developmental and emotional and behavioural difficulties, yet often fail to receive appropriate services. This article describes a joint health and welfare service specifically developed to provide comprehensive physical, developmental and mental health assessments to a cohort of children entering long-term care in one region of Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Paediatric, allied health, dental and psychosocial assessments were co-ordinated from a single referral from the child's welfare case manager. Follow-up appointments were held 6-12 months later to assess the outcomes of recommendations. Physical, mental health and developmental difficulties in the children are reported, the implications for service requirements are presented and process blocks described. There is a need for a specific co-ordinating service to overcome the inherent fragmentation of this group (related both to transience and change in the welfare sector, and levels of comorbidity and chronicity in health presentations). Health and Welfare services must operate together, with an awareness of the processes and resource constraints in each sector, if they are to deliver sustainable and reliable health care to this vulnerable group.
PP - England
PY - 2010
SN - 1461-7021; 1359-1045
SP - 511
EP - 527
EP - 
T1 - Assessment of children coming into care: processes, pitfalls and partnerships
T2 - Clinical child psychology and psychiatry
TI - Assessment of children coming into care: processes, pitfalls and partnerships
U1 - General Literature
U2 - 20923900
U3 - 10.1177/1359104510375932
VL - 15
VO - 1461-7021; 1359-1045
Y1 - 2010
ER -