NOTES FOR PRESENTERS: This presentation is designed to help people who implement shared plans of care to explain the practice to other professionals. You can use the presentation as is, or customize it to suit your needs. There are some suggested talking points in the “Notes” on each slide. There’s no need to read each slide out to your audience. Just put it up and talk about it. For more information and materials, check the SPOC web page: www.occyshn.org (Programs and Projects). Delete this slide!

for Children and Youth with Special Health Needs Shared Care Planning for Children and Youth with Special Health Needs

Shared Care Planning What is shared care planning? Who participates? Who needs shared care planning? What happens in a meeting? How does it help children? What’s in it for you? Introductions, etc. Here are common questions about shared care planning. I will cover all of these today, and answer any other questions you might have.

Shared care planning is a process that brings people together to coordinate care for a child or youth with special health needs. Professionals and family members who care for or serve that child can participate, including: Family members Health care providers Care coordinators School teachers, counselors, or therapists Mental health providers Insurers Each shared care planning meeting is unique to a particular child or youth. Not every shared care planning meeting needs to include every person involved in the child’s care. But the more different perspectives there are at the table, the more people learn about the child and about each other’s work. The plan is “shared” because it is developed and implemented in collaboration.

Who needs shared care planning? Shared care planning may be needed when children and families get care and services from multiple sources. Children with chronic, complicated health conditions. Children who are affected by a combination of health and other factors (like social, financial, or cultural forces). Youth and young adults moving towards adult health care and more independence. Shared care planning is a great way to serve those kids you worry about. The ones who seem to be struggling. Bringing family and professionals together at one table gives everyone a place to inform one another and to problem-solve together. Examples of issues that could be addressed: The child’s family is having trouble getting equipment or services covered by insurance. The child’s teacher doesn’t know much about her health condition. The child is doing poorly in school, and there are concerns about his emotional or mental health. The child’s family faces transportation or child care barriers to making appointments. The child’s specialty care doctors and primary care doctor aren’t communicating effectively.

What does shared care planning look like in practice? Families and professionals come to a shared care planning meeting (in real time). They talk together about family strengths and resources, and about challenges the child might be facing. Goals are identified. A written plan is developed to support the goals. The plan includes actions with timelines, and a way to check progress and update the plan. The written care plan that comes of the shared care planning process is a team effort. It’s created together, with a spirit of mutual accountability. The plan revolves around a specific goal or two identified by the family. It doesn’t try to solve all the world’s problems. The process is appropriate for the family’s language, culture, and priorities for their child. People from different aspects of the child’s care and treatment come up with creative solutions together.

How does shared care planning help children with special health needs and their families? Efficient Creative Collaborative Coordinated Empowering Practical Free for families Shared care planning helps identify issues and coordinate care. When different care and service providers aren’t coordinated, families can be frustrated in their efforts to get their children’s needs met. Families don’t always know what care and services are available, or how to access them. Professionals don’t always know what other professionals are doing for the same child. Families are empowered when they can tell their story once, and collaborate successfully with their child’s care and service providers. Families leave the meeting with a concrete plan, and everyone commits to following through on that plan, or revising it if needed.

TELL A STORY. Tell a shared care planning success story (if you can do so without revealing any protected health information, or compromising anyone’s privacy). A story told from your own experience can go a long way towards demonstrating how shared care planning actually works. Stories tend to be more entertaining and also more effective than lectures.

What’s in it for you? The shared care planning process: Builds professional bridges. Addresses the needs of kids you worry about. Strengthens local systems of care. Gives you a clearer picture of the children and families you serve. Shared care planning is a good way to bring more resources to children and families, especially the ones that seem to have unmet needs. Bringing health, education, and community service professionals together helps people identify and address gaps in the system. They may also find more efficient ways to work together across disciplines. Shared care planning offers a platform for professionals to collaborate with families. It can offer new insight into a particular child or family, which is constructive. Professionals who problem-solve together learn from one another. They learn about others’ areas of expertise, and they learn what other programs and agencies are doing in their community. This kind of multidisciplinary work aligns with a broad national push toward cross-sector collaboration in health care systems. 

For more information about how to refer or participate: Your local contact information. Offer handouts about shared care planning. Both of these are available on the SPOC website: Shared Plans of Care: An Overview for Professionals Shared Plans of Care: Information for Families (posted in five languages)