CKSN UPDATE for September 15, 2004 ABC for Health, Inc.

WHERE WILL YOU BE ON OCTOBER 14????

Please join ABC for Health in Celebrating its 10th Anniversary at
Memorial Union on Thursday evening October 14, from 5:30 until 10 pm
at the Great Hall of the Memorial Union in Madison. The evening
features music by The Kissers, complimentary hors d'oeuvers and
beverages, and a silent auction. Tickets are $60 per person, with
$40 of that tax deductible. Please contact Maureen Fitzgerald for
more information: maureenf@safetyweb.org

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Case Tip: Always Ask About Charity Care Programs
2. Family's Guide to Child Welfare System Available
3. School Based Mental Health Services
4. Care in the Community Conference
6. HealthWatch Updates and Contacts
7. Suggestions for the Update? Contact Us!
8. ABC for Health Silent Auction Preview
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1. CASE TIP: ALWAYS ASK ABOUT CHARITY CARE PROGRAMS

If you or a family member received medical services not covered by
insurance or other programs, you may qualify for charity care from
the medical provider. If you find yourself in this situation, here
are some things you can do:

1) Call the provider's billing office, explain your situation,
and request a charity care application. A provider may only assist
with charity care if you directly ask about whether they have such a
program.
2) Keep in mind that charity care guidelines and qualifications
for eligibility differ from provider to provider.
3) Whether you are given a partial discount or no discount at
all, request to set up a payment plan for any outstanding balances.
4) Be proactive. Do not delay in contacting the billing
office. If contact is not made in a timely fashion, your bill could
be sent to a collections agency.

Most hospitals, clinics, and other health care providers offer some
type of assistance for patients in difficult economic situations. As
a result, it is worth the effort to request and fill out a charity
care application.

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2. FAMILY GUIDE TO CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM AVAILABLE

This Child Welfare League resource answers many of the questions
families face when they become involved with the child welfare
system.
http://www.cwla.org/childwelfare/familyguide.htm

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3. SCHOOL BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

School-based mental health services vary -- many include prevention
activities for healthy school environments, selective interventions
with students whose circumstances place them at higher risk for
emotional or behavioral health problems, and diagnosis and treatment
of individual students with specific health needs. Learn more from
the newly updated Center for Health and Health Care in Schools
website.
http://www.healthinschools.org/sbhcs/biblio_mental.asp

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4. CARE IN THE COMMUNITY CONFERENCE

Care in the Community: Community Empowered Care will be held on
Friday September 24, 2004 at the Country Inn Hotel & Conference
Center in Waukesha WI. Sponsored by the Special Needs Family
Center/SE Region Children with Special Health Care Needs Program and
Children's Hospital of WI. This conference has been developed
for
parents and family members, home care providers, public health
nurses, school nurses and other professionals who work with children
with special health care needs. Contact hours are available, 6.3
nursing credits and 6.0 social work credits. For more information or
a brochure, please call 414-266-2209.

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5. BOOKS FOR SIBLINGS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS

I'm the Big Sister Now by Michelle Emmert (CP)
My Brother Matthew by Mary Thompson (general disabilities)
Ruby Mae has Something to Say by David Small (explains the concept
of adaptive equipment )
Otto Learns About His Medicine by Matthew Galvin, MD (best I've seen
for ADHD in 12 years)
The Special Raccoon by Kim Carlisle (very involved CP)
Rolling Along with Goldilocks by Cindy Meyers familiar tale with a
special needs twist
We'll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen (Down
Syndrome)
Ian's Walk by Laurie Lears (autism)

Thanks to Abbie Smith, LCSW, from Oregon Health and Sciences
University for posting this list with John Reiss at the Institute
for Child Health Policy (www.ichp.edu).

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6. HEALTH WATCH UPDATES AND CONTACTS

If you are interested in joining your regional HealthWatch
committee, or want more information about their work, please contact
the following people:

Southern Region: Barbara Katz, ABC for Health, Inc., 608.261.6939
ext 207, barbk@safetyweb.org

Southeastern Region: Brad Holman, Children's Hospital of
Wisconsin, 414.266.3189, bholman@chw.org

Northern Region: Deb Blackstone, Family Resource Connection,
715.365.8030, dblacks@shsmh.org

Northeastern Region: Steve Gerczak, St. Vincent Hospital,
920.433.8154, sgerczak@stvgb.org

Western Region: Rose Marsh, Chippewa County Dept of Public Health,
1-800-400-3678, rmarsh@co.chippewa.wi.us

The next meeting of the Western Region Health Watch group will be on
September 21 from 10:45 am until 12:30 pm. The focus will be on
Children's Mental Health strategies.
Please RSVP to Rose Marsh at the contact information listed above.

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7. SUGGESTIONS OR TIPS FOR THE UPDATE? CONTACT US!

We need your help to develop content and tips for our CKSN Update.
Please let us know about your ideas or success stories. Email your
suggestions to barbk@safetyweb.org

The CKSN Update is a bi-weekly electronic newsletter of the Covering
Kids with Special Needs project that ABC for Health, Inc. is
implementing with its partners, the Title V Children with Special
Needs Regional Centers and Family Voices ? Wisconsin. If you
would like to submit news and information in future CKSN Updates,
please send it to the attention of Barbara Katz. All submissions
should be limited to 150 words.
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8. ABC for HEALTH SILENT AUCTION PREVIEW

SHHHH! Our October 14 includes a silent auction. If you have an
item or service to contribute to our tempting array of silent
auction items, please contact maureenf@safetyweb.org If you would
like to preview some of the highlighted items, please visit our
website at: www.abcforhealth.org



ABC for Health is a Wisconsin-based, nonprofit public interest law
firm dedicated to linking children and families, particularly those
with special health care needs, to health care benefits and
services. ABC for Health's mission is to provide information,
advocacy tools, legal services and expert support needed to obtain,
maintain and finance health care coverage and services.


Barbara Katz, moderator
Parent Consultant
ABC for Health, Inc.
608.261.6939 ext. 207
barbk@safetyweb.org