The car seat clinic took place in the circle drive-up, where two of our BIBs staff, who are certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, helped families learn how to properly install the infant car seat. Because of the language barrier, many Burmese families have a difficult time finding resources, especially when it comes to securing the proper safety restraints for their children.

Also because of the language barrier, the clinics were held by group sessions, so Swhe could translate the instructions to several families at one time. In the first session, we were able to educate, instruct, and give away 12 infant car seats to needy families. And, four seats were given out during the second session.

We even had a family stop by on their way into the health center and ask how they could go about receiving a car seat for their newborn because they did not have the money to purchase one. The staff was able to educate the family on the proper installation and gave them a car seat to take home.

Watching the delight on the families’ faces as they received a much needed resource…and….knowing that their soon-to-be newborn would be properly restrained was priceless!!

These infant car seats were made possible by a grant from the Criminal Justice Institute.

The behavioral health department is invested in our community kiddos!  The therapists in each facility provide services for children as well as adults.  We are very fortunate to have Dr. Jim Jones, child psychologist, at PACC and the department is in the process of hiring another child psychologist.  I am thrilled to announce that we have also developed play therapy rooms at three of our centers to specifically meet the needs of our smallest patients.

The behavioral health department also includes a pediatric psychiatrist and a pediatric psychiatric nurse practitioner.  All staff work closely with the pediatricians in the centers to meet the needs of the child and family as a whole.

In addition to these resources, the behavioral health folks have the pleasure of consulting with the social workers in the centers as well as with BIBS and Healthy Families to get a full picture of the family’s needs and strengths.  Our BIBS and Healthy Families staff work tirelessly to improve the lives of these families and in turn, improve communities.

As you can see, HealthNet truly provides a network of care that reaches each corner of a child’s life.   It’s exciting, fun, and rewarding to see our littlest patients grow and flourish.

I often hear from my adult patients that they first came to HealthNet as pediatric patients.  They feel that HealthNet is home and are excited to continue from their pediatric care to adult primary care to OB care and then begin bringing their children to our clinic.  After meeting a patient for the first time, I often ask if they remember how to get back to the lobby after an appointment.  More often than not, I get the response,

“I’ve been coming here for 20 years.  I know this building like the back of my hand!”

It’s encouraging when patients are so satisfied with their service at HealthNet they are happy to introduce their children and grandchildren into our caring community!

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Do you #GiveACareAbout Kids?? Check out our page on the blog by clicking here.
Have any questions about our BIBs/Healthy Families Program? Comment below. Or tweet us – @GiveACareIndy.

The Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families’ mantra should be We Care About Kids. Over 1500 kids, both born and unborn,  hold a place in the hearts of the more than 50 home visitors and support staff in these two programs over the course of a year.  Our passion and purpose is to ensure that children are born healthy and are raised in nurturing and safe environments.  Personally, I cannot think of a more important job than the job of the home visitors who beat the streets of neighborhoods that many of us would not venture into.  Our home visitors use proven strategies and interventions for parents or parents-to-be to develop relationships with children that will form the basis of all of their future relationships and interactions.  With their loving hearts and caring hands, the home visitors support individuals and families and teach about falling in love with their children.  Many of the individuals and families that we serve have experienced childhood trauma, which impacts their ability to care for their children as parents.

The following story is just one of the success stories that illustrate how building a relationship with both BIBs and Healthy Families participants, who are HealthNet patients, can change an adult’s life. The result of a child feeling love and protection from a healthy relationship with the parent helps the child become a caring human being capable enough to handle life.

Nancy enrolled in the program and initially was not completely open about her past. She was very quiet and timid.  Over the course of a few visits, Nancy opened up to her home visitor, disclosing a significant history of depression, anxiety, abuse, and rape.  Her home visitor arranged for Nancy to see a HealthNet Behavioral Health therapist, and she and her home visitor worked together on ways to help her cope with her stressors.  Nancy did see a therapist and is now attending weekly sessions.  She regularly uses the stress relief techniques that the home visitor taught her and is working on eating healthier and exercising.  Nancy enjoys the praise she gets from her home visitor and reports that one of the few things she looks forward to each week is her home visit.  While Nancy’s story is ongoing, her progress and willingness to share her history and emotions demonstrate growth and maturity that is supported by services provided by BIBs and Healthy Families.

Children are our future; we must take care of them with maximum effort. -Naomi Campbell

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To learn more about our #GiveACareAbout Kids theme, click here.
Have any questions about our BIBs/Healthy Families program? Comment below or tweet us – @GiveACareIndy.

“Our” HealthNet is right! They have become such a big part of our lives, our families, and our community. HealthNet is growing and changing (for the better) in the most conventional ways but keeping with the same timeless values.

To me it’s like, I’m the adult watching a kid grow and mature right before my eyes.

That’s probably because HealthNet has been a part of my life since I was a kid. Whoa, that makes me sound really OLD! It’s like the funny old man voice…”well back in my day.” But seriously, my mom brought me to Barrington Pediatrics. Later on, I hung around to get to know the OB team through both of my pregnancies, then right back to Pediatrics where DR. DICKERSON SAVED MY SON’S LIFE!  And what do ya know, now I work for HealthNet, and my 2 month old grandson is a Barrington patient too. How ya like them apples?!

It’s truly AWESOME!

HealthNet is growing and nurturing the people of Indy while developing lasting and quality relationships. IT’S TRUE! I’ve asked around. I’ve been told by others that HealthNet is:

• Innovative

• Helpful

• Caring

Our HealthNet is full of different personalities, stories and services, and I think this is what makes life so intriguing!  Hopefully we keep growing and serving all of those who need it in the Indianapolis community.

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Editor’s note: This month’s theme is “Our HealthNet”!  Our bloggers have taken on this topic and are talking about how it takes a community for us to provide quality health care and support services.  Click here to find out more about our topic this month.

Part 2.

Part 3.

You can learn more about our Better Indy Babies & Healthy Families Programs here, or you can stay up to date by signing up for our monthly eNewsletter to get updates on events and ongoings!

Sammie learned about Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families when she was 14 years old and expecting her first child. She was scared, overwhelmed and knew she had a lot to learn.

She loved meeting with her Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families home visitors. Through their ongoing visits, they helped Sammie learn how to take better care of herself and her baby during her pregnancy. After her daughter Isabelle was born, they taught Sammie how to care for a newborn, and how to play developmental games with her daughter as she grew. They helped her understand about temper tantrums and when to be concerned – and what to do – when her child is sick. They also helped Sammie set personal goals, get back in school and look for jobs.

Sammie will graduate from high school this year. She also attends cosmetology school and has a full-time job. Isabelle is now 3 years old, and is growing and thriving. Thanks to a little mentoring from the Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families team, Sammie has been able to give Isabelle a great start in life.

Put your money toward a good cause this Saturday so that more moms like Sammie and little ones like Isabelle can get the boost they need to succeed in life. Stop by any of the six local Once Upon A Child stores and check out the great sale! (Even if you don’t have kids, it’s a chance to stock up on baby shower gifts or treats for nieces and nephews!) Pass the word to your friends!

Need directions? Find the store nearest you.

Can’t make it?  You can still make an impact…
VISIT blog.indyhealthnet.org/DONATE
TO CONTRIBUTE!

• smoking during pregnancy
• infant having two or more siblings
• Medicaid enrollee
• unmarried
• infant low-birth weight
• less than high school education
• teen mother
• short spacing (under 15 months) between pregnancy
• poor pre-natal care
• adverse outcomes in prior pregnancy

Most of these factors are situations that occur BEFORE the child is born and even before pregnancy.

“Children younger than three years of age are the most likely of all children to become involved with Child Welfare Services, and they have the highest rate of victimization and maltreatment among all age groups.”

A child’s “mental health” refers to emotional well-being and positive social development from birth through age 5.  Services for at-risk households are crucial to prevent these young children from being neglected and abused. Promoting early childhood “mental health” through in-home visitation and parenting programs is a key element in preventing abuse and neglect.

This report was mainly done to research the possibilities of taking care of these children after they enter Child Welfare Services.  However, there are organizations out there that provide support for families, mothers, and siblings of newborns. Having the knowledge of where to find support services and resources is crucial to decreasing stress, breaking family history cycles, and increasing preventative measures to further reduce the risk of abuse and neglect.

Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families America are two resources provided by HealthNet throughout the Indianapolis community.  The staff here provide knowledge and support to families and parents who are pregnant or have children from age birth to 3.  You can help these two resources be of greater service to families in need.  Learn more about what tools are out there or donate directly by clicking here.

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Shop at Once Upon a Child?  Want to help the Better Indy Babies program?  Click on our ONCE UPON  A HEALTHY BABY tab to learn about our event on Saturday, January 28th!

As parents, we sometimes are so busy taking care of our children that we lose track of some of the details of their lives.

Take 5 minutes and test yourself with this 16-question quiz recommended by our Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families staff. It will help you to see if you are having enough conversations, spending enough time, and showing enough interest to share in your child’s life each day. A parent needs to know his or her child better than anyone else in the world!

1. If your child could paint his room any color, what would it be?
2. What does your child want to be when he or she grows up?
3. Who is your child’s best friend?
4. Does your child think he or she is too big or small for his age?
5. What does your child think others think about him?
6. What does your child like best about school? Why?
7. What does your child dislike about school? Why?
8. Who outside your family has influenced your child the most?
9. Who is your child’s hero?
10. How does your child feel about you?
11. What would your child change about his family?
12. Does your child think you are fair?
13. If your child had $5 today, what would he or she buy?
14. What is your child’s favorite toy?
15. What would your child change about you?
16. If asked, “What do you do well?” what would your child say?

Find a time to sit down with your child, check your answers and see how well you did!

Helping Vulnerable Kids and
Families Succeed

ALL parents need reminders from time to time on how to be the best mom or dad they can be for their kids. HealthNet’s Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families teams work with at-risk Indy parents during the critical early years of their children’s lives. They help increase parent knowledge of early childhood development, improve parenting practices, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect and increase children’s school readiness.  Kudos to these programs for making Indy a healthier place for children!

What did you learn about your child today?
Join the discussion on our Facebook page. Or learn more about BIBs and our Once Upon a Healthy Baby event by subscribing to our blog and/or eNewsletter to receive alerts about the program and other ongoings!

This week we ventured over to collect dozens and dozens of NEW toys, stuffed animals, books and MUCH MORE! They had even collected donations and had a bake sale to raise additional funds for our families being served by HealthNet’s Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families programs. They raised over $700 that will go into an emergency fund so our case workers can provide food, clothing, heating assistance, and even those last minute Christmas items for a child who otherwise would not be getting anything.

When I contacted them over at BIBs/HF…here was their response….

“Wow, that is great!!!  We have been scraping the barrel
to try to get things at the last minute for families.
This is such great news!” -Denise Kaspar

“We have so many patients that were turned away from United Christmas Service and all the other resources have met their deadline. So donations like these are some family’s last resort. I already have 15 referrals for today and many, many phone calls.  I am going to load the cart up in my truck and I will be over very soon. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!  I just love the magic of Christmas” – Benita Mullins

MANY, MANY THANKS to the staff at Regenstrief Institute – you truly made a difference in the life of a child this holiday season!!

There is still time to help!!

You can learn why a Holiday Helpings Drive is vital to furthering the HealthNet mission or what is on our Holiday Wish List!  With warm weather lingering, the cold is still to come.  All of our BIBs & Healthy Families participants along with the homeless individuals served by our Homeless Initiative Program will need help beyond just the holiday season.  You can contact us about running your own drive by calling – 317-781-4918, every little bit helps!

“Giving a Care” and “Opening Doors” represent the mindset of HealthNet as an organization and our outreach programs in particular. In this video, Benita and Toscha talk about the impact of donation on our clients and patients. Becoming a support person for HealthNet, especially for our Better Indy Babies, Healthy Families, and Homeless Initiative Programs, shows that you give a care about the Indianapolis community and the residents who need one person to help open a door for them.

You can access our Holiday Wish List at – http://blog.indyhealthnet.org/HOLIDAYWISHLIST.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGjNFrn5fD8?hd=1]

Benita and Toscha take us through their favorite memories of when a donor came through for HealthNet clients in need during the holiday season.
Clients show responsibility with gifts, gratitude in receiving, and overwhelming joy when the stress of the season is relieved!