Touchpoints: Palm Beach

A Good Idea

Description

Touchpoints is an interdisciplinary relational model of healthcare primarily used with parents and young children. The underlying premise of this approach is to support the parent-child relationship during the health encounter by enhancing parents' efforts to optimize their child's physical and psychological development and by building strong family-child relationships from before birth through the earliest years, laying the foundation for children's healthy development. This program is locally funded by Children Services Council of Palm Beach County.

Goal / Mission

To strengthen families of young children and the systems of care that surround them so that all children will be successful early learners and have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their cultural, socioeconomic, physical, psychological, emotional health, or environmental challenges.

Results / Accomplishments

Touchpoints is a nationally recognized approach to working with families. In a study of nurse practitioners, those who used this approach in practice found they are able to connect quickly to the parents' most urgent concerns for their child. A pediatric nurse practitioner program that used this program as an underlying framework allowed students a holistic view of families by focusing the curriculum more directly on development and relationships. Students were able to build a relationship with parents and join them in the care of their child. This produces an atmosphere in the health encounter of mutual respect and trust. Parents left the encounter feeling satisfied their concern for their child has been heard and questions have been seriously discussed; students left feeling competent and valued by their patients.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Children Services Council Palm Beach County
Primary Contact
Jackie Muniz
Children Services Council
2300 High Ridge Road
Boynton Beach FL 33426
561-740-7000
Jackie.muniz@cscpbc.org
http://www.cscpbc.org/
Topics
Health / Children's Health
Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education
Community / Social Environment
Organization(s)
Children Services Council Palm Beach County
Source
Brazelton Touchpoints
Date of implementation
Mar 2005
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Palm Beach County, FL
For more details
Target Audience
Children, Families
Submitted By
Children Services Council Palm Beach County