Specifications include, but are not limited to: The goals of TPEC are to 1) improve equitable access to a continuum of ECD services in patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and similar settings, and 2) improve the capacity of pediatric practices and workforce to deliver high-quality ECD services that address the holistic needs of children and families. Core program objectives to be accomplished during the period of performance include: Increase the number of ECD experts trained, equipped, and placed in pediatric settings serving Medicaid/CHIP-eligible or uninsured P–5 populations. HRSA defines ECD experts according to core competencies in early childhood and includes a range of providers, including social workers, family partners, community health workers, etc; Increase the number of pediatric practices offering a continuum of ECD services that includes comprehensive early developmental health promotion/prevention, screening and surveillance, care coordination and linkage, and intervention; Improve ECD knowledge and competencies among pediatric primary care staff; and Identify and advance solutions to specific barriers to sustained and holistic ECD service delivery in primary care, such as policy and financing barriers, ECD workforce needs, care coordination, and service gaps. Should Massachusetts be funded, the overall purpose of the proposed project will be to increase equitable access of young children and their families to high quality, culturally competent early childhood services in integrated pediatric primary care in Massachusetts and demonstrate long term sustainability through MassHealth’s ground-breaking 1115 Demonstration Waiver. MDPH plans to: Support the placement of early childhood experts in pediatric integrated care teams though grants to practice transformation partner sites to support infrastructure and staff time to participate in ECD capacity-building. The focus of this NOI is to identify partners sites for initial transformation grants. Provide capacity-building for selected Pediatric Practices through a) practice-level coaching and b) an Early Childhood Integration Learning Collaborative that builds capacity in race equity, early childhood development and mental health, family engagement and leadership, and team-based care. Identify key barriers to equitable early childhood development service delivery in pediatric primary care and a plan to resolve the barriers. Partner with MassHealth and other key stakeholders to learn how the primary care value-based payment/sub-capitation can sustain pediatric integrated primary care teams –particularly the family support roles – to deliver a continuum of ECD services. Through this competitive NOI, MDPH will identify approximately 8 practices that are ready to enhance existing integrated care teams with ECD expertise, building on existing models in the state that are national evidence-based models (e.g., Healthy Steps ) or state practice-based evidence models (e.g., TEAM UP , MA LAUNCH/MYCHILD ) or other evidence-informed models based on information provided by the applicant. Selected practices will identify staff members of the integrated team that will focus on the under 5 population, which may include new or existing team members. The team will participate in the 18-month Early Childhood Integration Learning Collaborative beginning January 2023 to June 2024. Each practice will receive a grant of approximately $37,500 over eighteen months to offset infrastructure costs and staff time in support of the goals of the project. Practices will participate in: Practice-level training and coaching provided by the model chosen by the practice. Training and coaching include establishing workflows, maximizing billing, EMR integration, and teaming, as needed depending on prior expertise and training. Learning Collaborative activities will include the following: Training of primary care staff who are part of integrated team in early childhood development and mental health, as needed depending on prior expertise and training. If interested, team members can access support to receive Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) endorsement. Specialized training, coaching and reflective supervision/practice will be available to family support staff with lived experience, as needed depending on prior expertise and training, to support their full integration into the team. Cross-practice learning opportunities to build capacity in race equity, family engagement and leadership, early childhood development and mental health, and team-based care. Participate in CQI activities within the practice to test and implement early childhood service delivery and utilize MDPH’s Racial Equity Data Roadmap to ensure that pediatric practices are addressing inequities. Coaching and technical assistance will be provided to ensure family voice is authentically integrated in practice-level transformation, as needed depending on prior expertise and training. Learning Community activities will be virtual, and it is anticipated that engagement will require approximately 4 to 5 hours per month, depending on a practice’s prior expertise and training. Inform refining of evaluation activities which will focus on the demonstrating sustainable practice transformation and family engagement with high quality early childhood development and mental health services delivered by a pediatric integrated team in the context of value-based payment. The purpose of this NOI is to identify partners in the federal grant application and demonstrate the ability to promptly implement activities in the grant application. A positive response to the NOI does not guarantee funding. If the MDPH application is approved by HRSA, no funds will be distributed until contracts are negotiated and signed. Each grantee will need to submit a final budget and work plan to MDPH for approval before receiving a contract. In order to be considered as an implementation partner for the TPEC grant, please submit a response to this NOI.
