Boston, Nov. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) is honored to share that its pediatric group care model CenteringParenting®, has been recognized by The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) as an innovative pediatric intervention in its latest study. "Fostering Social and Emotional Health: Common Threads to Transform Everyday Practice and System" , released as part of the Pediatrics Supporting Parents (PSP) initiative, shares learnings from a qualitative program analysis on common practices used by pediatric primary care clinics implementing a variety of evidence-supported programs to promote social and emotional development of young children and the parent-child relationship. CenteringParenting is studied and reviewed as one of the 13 interventions that helped inform the findings of the study.
“CenteringParenting transforms the way pediatric primary care is delivered, by empowering patients with agency, strengthening patient-provider relationships and building communities of support,” says Angie Truesdale, CEO of CHI. “It is encouraging to see the growing evidence base on our pediatric group care model point to the positive impact Centering can have on improving health outcomes in early childhood, supporting healthy parent-child interactions and increasing parental behaviors that lead to positive life outcomes for children.”
Highlighted as an intervention that changes the way families experience care, the report features the CenteringParenting model of group well-child visits, for its unique ability to help create opportunities for families to connect with other families. The format of the model allows for families to build deep social connections with one another and the care team, learn from shared experiences about child development, parenting and self-care thereby contributing to nurture parents’ competence and confidence.
The report aims to study current and possible practices within pediatric primary care settings that promote positive outcomes around social and emotional development, the parent-child relationship and parents' mental health. After a review of nearly 70 programs and 13 site visits around the country, CSSP identified 14 common practices and the systemic barriers that prevent their widespread implementation. The common practices detailed in the report represent three categories of actions pediatric primary care providers can take - nurture parents’ competence and confidence; connect families to additional supports to promote healthy social and emotional development and address stressors; and develop the care team and clinic infrastructure.
“We are proud of our partnership with Einstein Medical Center and pleased that CSSP has showcased the impact of CenteringParenting in this report,” said Marena Burnett, Senior Director of Engagement and Innovation at CHI. “Centering is the only intervention that offers continuity of relational healthcare from pregnancy through the critical early childhood period of growth and development (P-2+) with a focus on parent activation and empowerment.”
The report also provides recommendations for stakeholders to work together to advance enhanced pediatric primary care that supports parents and promotes the social and emotional development of young children. The current report builds on earlier 2016 research by NICHQ, Ariadne Labs and the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust titled “Promoting Young Children's (Ages 0-3) Socioemotional Development in Primary Care.” which names CenteringParenting as one of the “optimal, scalable approaches for promoting health socioemotional development and improving the caregiver-child bond via well child care.”
In addition, CSSP and Manatt Health are studying how Medicaid can help finance effective strategies to support this development of young children and initial results from the work appear in Fostering Social and Emotional Health through Pediatric Primary Care: A blueprint for Leveraging Medicaid and CHIP to Finance Change.
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About CenteringParenting
CenteringParenting, a two-generation intervention, is CHI’s pediatric group care model that offers family centered care to parents, caregivers and children who meet with their healthcare team for nine well-child visits over the first two years. Participants are actively engaged in their child’s assessment at every visit: tracking growth, development, immunizations and oral health. Health assessments, immunizations and developmental screenings follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Bright Futures™ nationally recognized guidelines. Active participation makes parents more aware of the results and what these health indicators and milestones mean to their child’s health, growth and development.
The longer group visit format allows the healthcare team to better observe the parent-child interactions, model behaviors and developmentally appropriate activities and for the group to explore the topics that matter most. In addition to traditional health and safety topics, groups explore a variety of important socio-emotional concepts including attachment, serve & return interactions, stress management, mindfulness, relationships, family planning, community resources and positive parenting. Peer support and the relationships that develop through shared experiences reinforce parental efficacy and provides a foundation from which parents can better navigate the challenges of raising healthy families. Further, the format enables the group to address health disparities, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, social determinants of health and other critical social needs.
About CHI
CHI is a national non-profit organization, based in Boston, MA, with a mission to improve health and transform the way care is delivered. With over two decades of experience as the go-to resource for group healthcare, CHI has pioneered and sustained the Centering model of group care currently offered across 600 healthcare practice sites. The evidence-based Centering model combines health assessment, interactive learning and community building to help support positive health behaviors and drive better health outcomes. CenteringPregnancy® and CenteringParenting® provide the highest quality of care to families from pregnancy through age two of the child. The CenteringHealthcare® model of care is being extended to many different health conditions including groups for asthma, diabetes, opioid recovery, cancer survivors, chronic pain and other patient populations. Visit www.centeringhealthcare.org for more information.