RI-LAUNCH

Mission

Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health (RI-LAUNCH) is a federally funded initiative focused on both systems building and service provision. RI-LAUNCH places mental health clinicians in primary care practices and child care centers to address the needs of children birth to 8 years old, and their families, that have been identified through a comprehensive, standardized, screen as needing additional services. RI-LAUNCH uses a comprehensive approach to health, including good nutrition and physical health. Using a combination of several standardized tools, children receive a wellness screen in community-based settings to assess overall health. If a screen indicates services are needed, the children receive follow-up care through RI-LAUNCH, or other appropriate follow-up programs. RI-LAUNCH also works with the Successful Start Steering Committee to identify and solve barriers within the system of early childhood services.

2010 Accomplishments and Milestones

• Provided Mental Health Consultation to two Medical Homes serving 40,000 patient visits/year combined.
• Implemented mental health consultation with transition to kindergarten in two Child Care Centers serving 350 children combined.
• Made enhancements to KIDSNET to capture developmental and other types of screening to better coordinate care and reduce duplication.