Young House adds additional services

BURLINGTON ? Jack Escorcia, executive director of Young House Family Services, announced that the agency has been awarded a contract from Magellan Behavioral Health Care of Iowa to become a Pediatric Integrated Health (P-IH) provider for Henry, Des Moines, Lee and Louisa Counties.

The P-IH program provides care coordination and family support services to children with mental health challenges and their families. This program serves children who are Medicaid members and have severe emotional disorder (SED) which impacts their lives in school, in the community or at home.

According to Escorcia, ?Young House Family Services is excited to be a part of this important new service being offered in southeast Iowa to children and their families. This service helps to ensure a comprehensive approach to meeting the total behavioral health care needs of the children. By developing whole-health approaches for care you will see improved outcomes for the children, their families and the community.?

The P-IH is not a building or place of residence. It is a service approach to care which provides families with a team of professionals who work together to meet the needs of children. Members of the team will include a registered nurse, a family peer support specialist and a care coordinator who will help children and families develop strategies to find local resources to assist them in reaching their optimal potential.

Escorcia went on to say, ?As health care dollars and resources decrease, the system has to find a better way to integrate treatment of both physical and behavioral health care needs. Research has shown that an integrated approach to health care which incorporates collaboration between care providers and promotes prevention increases members? health and well being.?

Young House Family Services will begin enrolling children into the program on July 1, and will begin providing services on Oct. 1. For more information about P-HI, contact Heather Brueck, program director at 319-752-4000 ext. 141.