The document discusses the Healthy Families America (HFA) home visiting program in Mille Lacs County. HFA is a nationally recognized program that works with at-risk families on issues like trauma, partner violence, and substance abuse. The program follows 12 elements including voluntary home visits before and after birth, identifying high-need families, and linking families to services. In Mille Lacs County, the program currently serves 32 families, including 9 teens, and aims to strengthen parenting skills, child development, and family relationships. The advisory board's roles include providing input to support program goals and referring families to the program.

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Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board

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The Program
Healthy Families America (HFA) is a nationally recognized
evidence-based home visiting program model designed to work
with overburdened families who are at-risk for adverse
childhood experiences. The model is equipped to work with
families who may have a history of:
• Trauma
• Intimate partner violence
• Mental health and/or substance abuse issues
(Prevent Child Abuse, 2014)
Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board

3. + Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board
The Model
With three decades of research, the model is proven to be
effective with families. Twelve critical elements were developed:
• Services are voluntary and initiated prenatally or at birth and go to
age 3
• Standardized assessment tool identifies families most in need
• The program is culturally competent; supports parents, parent-child
interactions, and child development; links families to medical
providers and/or additional services and extensively trains home
visiting nurses
(Prevent Child Abuse,
2001)

4. + Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board
Change the 1st Five Years and
You Change Everything
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbSp88PBe9E

5. + Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board
Program Goals
Build and sustain community partnerships to systematically
engage overburdened families in home visiting services
prenatally or at birth.
Cultivate and strengthen nurturing parent-child relationships.
Promote healthy childhood growth and development.
Enhance family functioning by reducing risk and building
protective factors.
(Prevent Child Abuse, 2014)

6. + Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board
Family Outcomes
Home visiting promotes optimal long-term mental and physical
health of parents and their children.
• Reduced child maltreatment
• Increased utilization of prenatal care and decreased pre-term, low
weight babies
• Improved parent-child interaction and school readiness
• Decreased dependency on welfare, or TANF (Temporary Assistance
to Needy Families) and other social services
• Increased access to primary care medical services
• Increased immunization rates
(Prevent Child Abuse, 2014)

7. + Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board
Mille Lacs County Statistics
Currently Enrolled: 32 families
9 are teens
Teen Pregnancy Rates: 2011 – 52.6% for MLC
29.9% for MN
Child Neglect and Abuse: 2010 – 5.1 rate per 1,000 for MLC
3.5 rate per 1,000 for MN
HFA Nurses: (2) full-time home visiting nurses
(1) full-time trained nurse but seeing TANF families
Accreditation: site visit is July 20th and 21st
(MN Department of Health, 2011 and MN Kids Count Data Center, 2010)

8. + Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board
Your Role
To share your opinion, perspective, and recommendations to
foster the growth and goals of the Health Families America
program and quarterly meetings.
To refer at-risk families to Laura Roberts, PHN at Mille Lacs
County’s Healthy Families America Home Visiting Program.

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Thank You
for your participation!

10. + Mille Lacs County Healthy Families America
Advisory Board
References
Minnesota Department of Health Center for Health Statistics. (2011). Mille lacs county teen pregnancy
rate per 1,000 females 15-19. St. Paul, MN.
Minnesota Kids Count Data Center. (2012). Mille lacs county fact sheet.
Prevent Child Abuse America. (2001). Critical elements rationale. Retrieved from
www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org/.../critical_elements_rationale.pdf
Prevent Child Abuse America (2014). Healthy families america overview. Retrieved from
http://www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org/about_us/