On Friday, April 20, 2018, the AB 340 Workgroup, otherwise known as the Trauma Screenings Advisory Group, met for the first time to discuss the legislative charge to update, amend, or develop, if appropriate, tools and protocols for screening children for trauma as defined, within the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit in Medi-Cal. Both Children Now and Center for Youth Wellness were appointed members of the Trauma Screenings Advisory Workgroup, and we were pleased that there was a very robust discussion with a lot of expertise from a range of representatives from throughout the state. The presentations at this first meeting focused on the Department of Health Care Services’ framework for EPSDT and the use of The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool in San Bernardino County. There were many good discussion issues that were raised about the purpose, settings, evidence, feasibility and sustainability of trauma screening and assessment tools. Other trauma screening tools will likely be presented on and discussed by Workgroup members at the next meeting, which is in the process of being scheduled.
Public comment is part of these meetings, so it would be great to hear from other stakeholders during that time. You can access the materials from the meeting and find more information about the next meeting here.
Comments (0)