The
Public Health Nurses (PHNs) with the Health Care Program for Children
in Foster Care (HCPCFC) assist in the case coordination of children
in out of home placement/foster care. The PHNs collaborate with the
child's social worker/probation officer to plan and coordinate health
services. In addition, the PHNs serve as health consultants to social
workers, probation officers, biological parents, and substitute care
providers (foster parents and/or relative caregivers).
The
PHNs utilize the CWS/CMS (Child Welfare Services/Case Management System)
to document all available health information and create a document known
as the Health and Education Passport (HEP). The HEP is updated as new
information is obtained and is designed to provide the foster parents
and/or relative caregivers with a chronological health history of the
child’s growth and development.
The
PHNs also provide training to social workers, probation officers, court
staff and judges on important health and medical topics that pertain
to children in foster care. The ultimate goal of ongoing training and
research of current health topics is to ensure that collaborative practice
with other service providers will continue to meet the health care needs
of children in out of home placement.
Public
Health Nurses are located at various DPSS sites throughout Riverside
County and work closely with social workers to obtain health information,
document follow-up care and obtain specialized health services for children
as needed.
In
addition to PHNs assigned to DPSS sites, we have PHNs assigned to the
following areas:
 |
Probation: One PHN is
assigned to the probation department. The PHN monitors the health
status of children in group homes and attends case management meetings
twice weekly. The PHN documents and updates information regarding
the health status and health care needs in the HEP for the children
being followed by the probation department. The PHN is located in
the Riverside Probation Office. |
|
 |
Court: PHN's are
assigned to the juvenile court to obtain medical information from
the biological parents and/or substitute care providers during the
detention hearings. Once the children are placed in foster homes,
relative placement or group homes the PHN initiates a HEP based on
the information from the court interview. The HEP is sent to the substitute
care provider to take with them to the children's medical and dental
appointments |
|
Our
goal is to have a Health and Education Passport for every child in foster
care and out of home placement.
CHILD
PROTECTIVE SERVICES
24-HOUR HOTLINE
1-800-442-4918
To
view medical information on various topics, please visit our
Court
Flash Newsletters
