Omaha, Nebraska	Barb Jackson Developmental Tip Program 985450 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5450 (402) 559-7368
Description of effective Public Awareness and Child Find activities implemented in rural areas of your service region.
The program is designed to do a state follow-up of all babies in the NICU for seven different hospitals.  They hope this will increase the effectiveness of identifying children earlier.  They are looking at both low-risk and high-risk babies.  They have just started enrolling babies as of March of 2000 and did the first follow-up of the babies the fall of 2000.  They plan to do follow-ups at 6 months corrected age, 16 months corrected age, 2 years, and 3 years.
Collaboration with other agencies in implementing public awareness or child find activities.
Initially an interagency task force was developed to figure out how the model would work.
Process used to plan and implement public awareness and child find activities.
The interagency task force originally got together quarterly.  Now they correspond frequently but it is more informal and they only meet formally on a semi-annual basis.
How does information regarding your services reach the most rural areas?
We specifically targeted two hospitals that are in rural communities.  We are trying to develop traveling clinics.  Some strategies we have used are presenting in person, training at clinics, personal phone calls, and communication by sending materials.
Resources received from Local Agencies

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Columbus, Nebraska	Jenni Moje Office Manager P.O. Box 1594 Columbus, Nebraska (402) 563-9627
Description of effective Public Awareness and Child Find activities implemented in rural areas of your service region.
This past year we distributed early intervention posters in English and Spanish to businesses and agencies throughout the 7 counties we provide services.  We put posters everywhere, we hit all kinds of businesses, churches, Post Offices, Job Service, restaurants, Doctor's offices, and libraries.  Anywhere you could hang a poster we put one.  We are trying to reach the Hispanic population (in the past we've had a hard time reaching them) by making posters English on the front and Spanish on the back.  We distributed them in area packing plants.  The posters have been most effective. We also have referral pads, brochures, and rolodex cards available. Another activity we have is giving out newborn packets in which parents receive a brochure and a flip chart.
Collaboration with other agencies in implementing public awareness or child find activities.
All the agencies are good about collaborating.  They are willing to hang up posters and disseminate other information. There is also a Planning Region Team that includes representatives from agencies throughout the seven areas we provide services.
Process used to plan and implement public awareness and child find activities.
The Planning Region Team meets monthly, and more often if necessary.
How does information regarding your services reach the most rural areas?
Information reaches rural areas mostly with personal presentations with local physicians in the seven counties we provide services, by word of mouth, and by parent word of mouth.  For example, in one area we had never received any referrals, then we finally got a referral and within a couple of weeks we had 3 or 4 more referrals, just because the mom starting talking to her friends and they talked to their friends.
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Panhandle Region, Nebraska	Denise Wright Services Coordinator Supervisor Educational Service Unit #13 (308) 635-3427
Description of effective Public Awareness and Child Find activities implemented in rural areas of your service region.
We do a screening at an immunization clinic and have a lot of home health nurses that go out into the rural communities.  They have done in-service training for the home health nurses so that they are aware of the early intervention services. Every newborn gets two home visits. We have purchased space on an electronic billboard and have put up billboard ads throughout communities in Spanish and English.  We produce all of our materials in Spanish and English. Most effective for our large geographic area is that we approach it as a team from three different areas.
Collaboration with other agencies in implementing public awareness or child find activities.
There is a interagency coordinating council, in which they all work together on child find and collaborating with numerous agencies.
Process used to plan and implement public awareness and child find activities.
Meet 4 times a month and one of those meeting deals with Public Awareness. Once a month the whole group comes together.
How does information regarding your services reach the most rural areas?
The medical communities do a lot of community outreach. Also word of mouth by parents has lead to more referrals this last year.
Resources received from Local Agencies

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