Help Me Grow Alabama Planning & Implementation Status Help Me Grow Alabama is currently being implemented in Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker counties, and partnering with Alabama Project LAUNCH for implementation in Tuscaloosa County as part of a plan for statewide expansion. Our Help Me Grow System Affiliate since 2011 Program Manager Katie Naman HMG Alabama Coordinator 866-711-4025 [email protected] Centralized Call Center: Help Me Grow Central Alabama utilizes United Way’s Organizing Entity/ 2-1-1 call center as a centralized telephone access point along with the Parenting Assistance Line (PAL) based in Tuscaloosa. There is a care Lead Agency coordinator at each site to utilize the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, link Alabama Partnership for Children, families with needed resources, and follow up when a connection is made. United Way of Central AL/ Child Health Care Provider Outreach: Help Me Grow Alabama works with Success By 6 Reach Out and Read-Alabama to contact pediatricians with a united message about early childhood development, and collaborates with the Alabama Website Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics on Quality Improvement/Maintenance of Certification. www.smartstartalabama.org Community Outreach: We have engaged Early Intervention, Alabama’s Pre-K and Home Visiting programs, Children’s Policy Councils and others in outreach HMG Call Center through community Books, Balls, and Blocks events and presentations at local Central Alabama: 211 and regional conferences, public awareness through agency newsletters and websites. State and local Young Child Wellness Councils have been created and Western Alabama: 866-962-3030 are connecting families to existing resources. Data Collection: Through the development of the AL Access Guide to Early Childhood Resources, and state and local environmental scan, the HMG leadership team was able to identify existing systems, requirements, and processes for connecting families with resources. For more efficient client tracking, follow up, and data collection, we have acquired HMG Utah’s comprehensive database system and procedures. Implementation of Help Me Grow Regional: Help Me Grow AL is in 6 counties out of 67 counties in the state. In 2015, we plan for expansion to cover all areas of the state through 7 regions. Funding Sources Funding was awarded from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham in partnership with AL Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, the AL Department of Public Health, and SAMHSA’s Project LAUNCH grant with AL Departments of Public Health and Mental Health. Private funders include PNC Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Publix Supermarkets Charities, and Alabama Power Foundation. Funding is being developed through the expansion of the MIECHV Home Visiting Expansion grant to provide HMG services to all home visiting programs in the state.