Illinois Department Of
Public Health Completes
Maternal-Child Health Assessment
Analysis Indicates Need For
Expanded Mental Health Services
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[September 23, 2015]
SPRINGFIELD - Every five years the
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) conducts a needs assessment
of its federally-funded maternal-child health block grant (Title V)
programs to inform our priorities moving forward. IDPH studies ways to
strengthen existing health services, address unmet health needs, and
remove barriers to care.
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Findings from the latest needs assessment, such as a decline in
teen births and a rise in teen suicide attempts, serve as the
cornerstone for the development of the state’s maternal-child health
priorities for the next five years.
“As we find improvements in some areas of our maternal-child health
program, such as the steady decline of teen pregnancy rates over the
last two decades, we are simultaneously finding other areas, to
which our attention should shift,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah,
M.D., J.D. “Mental health support for pregnant women and new mothers
is one area highlighted in the needs assessment. IDPH will work with
our maternal-child health stakeholders to focus more attention on
support for mental health services.”
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Sep/19/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png) The assessment involves
soliciting input from a variety of stakeholders and focus groups, as
well as analyzing data and third-party evaluation of programs. The
assessment resulted in 10 priorities upon which IDPH will focus:
- Supporting expanded access to and integration of mental
health services.
- Making preventive and primary care more accessible,
available, and of higher quality.
- Eliminating disparities in maternal-child health outcomes.
- Partnering with consumers, families and communities in
decision-making.
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- Strengthening the capacity for data collection, linkage,
analysis, and dissemination.
- Supporting healthy pregnancies and improving birth
outcomes.
- Supporting expanded access to and integration of early
childhood services.
- Integration of services within patient-centered medical
homes for all children.
- Empowering adolescents to adopt healthy behaviors.
- Assuring appropriate transition planning and services
for adolescents and young adults.
As part of this process, IDPH created the Title V 2015
Needs Assessment Databook, an 80-page document highlighting
a wide array of maternal-child health indicators presented
by region, race/ethnicity, and other demographics, such as
age. This Databook can be found on the IDPH website at
http://www.dph.illinois.gov/sites/
default/files/publications/publicationsowhil-
title-v-2015-databook.pdf.
[Illinois Department of Public
Health]
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