74 THE CHOOSE PROGRAM: INTEGRATED OUTREACH TO COORDINATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Abstract

Eight years of outreach experience for a community children's categorical lead screening program have documented unmet health and social needs in Columbus, Ohio. These needs prevail despite the existence of available public health services including: WIC, Food Stamps, C & Y Clinics, and a variety of other community health services. Outreach workers have observed that many people either are unaware of available local resources or of their own or their family member's needs for such services, or have been frustrated by their own inability to understand the mechanisms required for enrollment for and utilization of services. The CHOOSE (Comprehensive Health Outreach Organized Service Effort) Program has been devised to implement organized preventive health measures, to monitor effectiveness of such programs, and to provide active coordinating and follow through mechanisms. Experienced outreach workers, in step vans, will contact individuals door to door. They will administer a brief questionnaire to determine level of prior health care and involvement with any health delivery system. Workers in the van will screen for adequacy of prior immunizations, nutritional and dental status, and developmental, iron, and lead status. Children with problems will be referred to the nearest facility. Ongoing contact with the facility personnel and the referred child's family will monitor effectiveness and provide consistent follow through. Demonstration of effectiveness of such a comprehensive integrated outreach concept may have significant application for other cities throughout the United States.