Kids in Care Settings (KICS) Clinic Kempe’s newest initiative started in April 2023. The KICS Clinic is a Children’s Hospital Colorado specialty primary care clinic in affiliation with the Kempe Center, which is for children and teens who are in out-of-home placement. Data shows that these children often don’t receive care on a timely basis and their needs may be complex in nature. Our care model is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and focuses on both biological families as well as foster and kinship families. The Clinic also works with community partners and are committed to health equity. The Clinic’s highly awaited services include integrated mental and behavioral health, physical health, dental care, care coordination, community health navigation, social work, and behavioral health navigation. Preliminary results are proving this clinic will significantly help this vulnerable population. Public Policy Activities A primary focus of The Kempe Foundation’s public policy and advocacy efforts goes toward maintaining and expanding funding for child abuse and neglect prevention programs that we know work for children and families. We testified in support of several bills, including a bill focused on the prevention of youth homelessness for kids in foster care that highlighted two Kempe programs, Fostering Healthy Futures and Multi- Systemic Therapy, which show evidence in reducing homelessness for these children as well as promoting other meaningful benefits addressing the mental and behavioral health needs of children in care settings. This included expansion of state funding for prevention programs targeted at youth homelessness. We also supported legislation aimed at removing barriers for kinship placements, continuing to advocate for better mental health care for youth, and protecting the rights of Colorado’s tribe members in child welfare interactions. The following are 9 bills that Kempe supported, which passed in the 2023 Colorado state legislative session. PUBLIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HB23-1003 School Mental Health Assessment HB23-1269 Extended Stay and Boarding Patients
CHILD WELFARE HB 23-1024 Relative and Kin Placement of a Child HB23-1043 Emergency and Continued Placement with Relative or Kin HB23-1142 Information of Person Reporting Child Abuse SB23-082 Colorado Fostering Success Voucher Program SB23-211 Federal Indian Child Welfare Act Of 1978 OTHER/SYSTEM CHANGE HB23-1108 Victim and Survivor Training for Judicial Personnel SB23-002 Medicaid Reimbursement for Community Health Services The Kempe Foundation is pleased to be a member of the CBCC, and we look forward to learning more about other CBCC members and their activities and impacts in the community. We would welcome the opportunity to share more about the Kempe Center and the incredible professionals who work tirelessly for the improvement in well being for children throughout Colorado.
Dr. Antonia Chiesa and Kimberly. (Photo: Kempe)
PMB Kruljac, Fields & Young. (Photo: Kempe)
31 The Acumen
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