Developmental Screening Initiative
 

The Department of Health, Child Guidance Service has entered into a partnership to promote access to developmental/behavioral screening for young children. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) receives federal grant funding from SAMHSA to transform the infrastructure of the mental health system in Oklahoma. With two years remaining on the five-year grant, ODMHSAS has directed funds to promote developmental screening in primary care settings. The Child Guidance Service has entered into an agreement with ODMHSAS to be a partner in this initiative. Other key partners include the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) and The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) Child Study Center.

Through this initiative, validated developmental screening tools have been purchased by ODMHSAS to be distributed to primary care practices through staff provided at OSDH. The OHCA has facilitated notification to Sooner Care primary care providers on the availability of these tools. OSDH Child Guidance staff serve as local referral resources at county health departments for physicians in the following counties: Bryan, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Comanche, Garfield, Kay, LeFlore, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Payne, Pittsburg, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Tulsa, and Texas.

The OUHSC Child Study Center have been very instrumental in the design, development, and continued evaluation of the implementation process of the developmental screening initiative. This initiative supports the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2006 Policy Recommendation that children receive periodic developmental screening during well child visits. Screening children in the primary care setting has been found to increase the likelihood of earlier identification of delays and linkages to local resources.

Child Guidance Service
Oklahoma State Dept. of Health
1000 NE 10th Street
Oklahoma City, Ok.  73117-1299
(405) 271-4477