Improving Care Coordination, Case Management, and Linkages to Service for Young Children: Opportunities for States

States can play an important role in improving care coordination and case management and strengthening linkages between primary care providers and other child and family service providers to promote and support the healthy development of young children.  States can use primary care practice-based strategies, service provider linkage strategies, and systems change and cross-system strategies. 
 

This report uses a framework that illustrates the intersection between these three strategies and the various roles states can play to facilitate and support improved linkages: 1) maximizing the use of personnel; 2) undertaking quality improvement initiatives; 3) supporting data, information and technology; and 4) supporting individualized care plans and cross systems planning.  It provides key questions for reviewing state policies and financing strategies that support cross-system linkages and care coordination/case management.  Areas for action within each of the state’s fiscal and administrative support roles are provided.