5-Minute MCH: Module 1.1

Knowledge Areas

MCH leaders will demonstrate a working knowledge of:

• MCH populations and the history and current structure of the key MCH programs serving these populations, including state Title V programs.
• The core values and strategic objectives with a special focus on prevention, individuals and populations, life course, including key transitions and intergenerational influences on health, cultural competence, family-professional partnerships, organizational/interagency partnerships, community-based systems of services, health equity and elimination of health disparities, and evidence-based practice.
• The services available through major MCH programs and their limitations and gaps.
• Key policies that affect MCH populations.
• The underlying principles of public health and population data collection and analysis and the strengths, limitations, and utility of such data.
• The role of federal, state, and local government in ensuring equitable healthcare for women. Children, youth, families, and children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN).
• The synergistic relationship between programs focusing on particular populations or communities and those focusing on individual health service delivery.

Skills

Foundational. At a foundational level, MCH leaders will:

1. Describe MCH populations and provide examples of MCH programs, including Title V programs.
2. Describe the utility of a systems approach in understanding the interaction of individuals, groups, organizations, and communities in health outcomes.
3. Use data to identify issues related to the health status of a particular MCH population group and use these to develop or evaluate policy.
4. Describe health disparities within MCH populations and offer strategies to address them.
5. Evaluate critically evidence-based programs and policies for translation of research to practice.
6. Understand the value of partnering with family- and community-led organizations to identify ways to engage families and community members in efforts to improve programs, policies, and practices.

Advanced. Building on the foundational skills, MCH leaders will:

7. Demonstrate the use of a systems approach to explain the interactions among individuals,
   groups, organizations and communities.
8. Assess the effectiveness of an existing program for specific MCH population groups.

Want to learn more? Read about this competency in depth on the MCH Leadership Competencies website.

Click for Discussion Form

If you can't see/access the form above, please email your comments to [email protected].

Tell us how you have used/integrated this competency into your daily work.

• "Working towards early screening and timely/high quality assessment and diagnosis in our state for families with children and youth with Autism."
• "I address health disparities, and use data to inform program decisions."
• "Keeping an open-mind (special circumstances, learned behaviors and habits) of the population I work with 
  Building rapport with participants. Being an ACTIVE LISTENER."
• "I work in HIV and the impact of HIV on the family system is great. i am hoping to learn more about the MCHN framework for applications in my HIV work."
• "I read the below statement in America's Health Care Safety Net PowerPoint Presentation: 
  
  'Horizontal integration may also prove useful as a means to help the safety net perform more efficiently. Horizontal integration refers to the coordination of service delivery across a level of care such as primary care. The lack of coordination and inconsistent communication among different safety net primary care sites in a community may contribute to inefficient practice variation and redundant care. In many communities there may be a mismatch between the demand for services at various clinic sites and the relative capacity for these clinics to offer timely care. Information technology has the same potential to coordinate services and enhance efficiency that is proving to be useful in vertically integrated safety net systems, but there are additional barriers to horizontal integration in many communities when safety net primary care organizations have different governance structures, value systems, and sources of funds for uncompensated care.'
  
  Working with County Health Department Dental Programs, we can use horizontal integration to help the safety net dental providers perform more efficiently across the board. We are working to improve electronic data collection and communication between our safety net providers."
• "Program development and QA, Supervision of public health nurses, grant writing, community health needs assessments, informing community partners about public health issues (past and present)and trends."
• "I have never heard of MCH before and am very interested in continuing to grow in my knowledge. I have begun to realize how organizations are connected to correlate their efforts in order to best serve the women, children, and family populations seeking their services."

Ask questions about this competency - begin a dialogue.

• "What are all the services available through MCH programs?"
• "How have other state dental programs addressed safety net providers utilizing horizontal integration? Please provide specific examples."
• "What are the main strengths and limitations of MCH? How is MCH being most effective?"