Total Dollars Awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (8/1/01 to 7/31/04): $ 430,000

Grantee: Eastside Neighborhood Center, Inc., Pierre, SD

Co-funders:

• Department of Education (Office of School Health)
• St. Mary’s Foundation
• Presentation College
• Pierre/Ft. Pierre United Way
• Cheyenne River Public Schools
• Growing Up Together / Even Start Project
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• South Dakota Community Foundation
• Bpro Inc. Professional Software Programming

Primary Objective: To deliver primary care and mental health services to underserved children in Central South Dakota. Linking special needs children and at-risk adolescents to healthcare and preventive mental health services will:

• reduce teen pregnancy
• reduce alcohol and drug abuse (including tobacco addiction)
• provide case management to children and families with asthma, diabetes and developmental disabilities

Accomplishments:

• Increased access to services
• Expanded to serve 5000 persons
• 28,000+ visits (children / families)
• Expansion of medical personnel to serve the designated population
• Acceptance / contracting with local school district to provide school-based health services.
• State capitol – serve as a model of care.
• Full time availability of mental health provider.

Challenges:

• Tribal political barriers
• Recruitment / Retention
• adherence to treatment recommendations
• Reimbursement strategies (this project to population set the precedent for Medicaid payment of school-based health services

Lessons Learned: Lack of coordination and collaboration between federally funded programs on the reservations is a barrier to providing needed services to those who require them. Each reservation community poses different political challenges. Acknowledging the uniqueness without compromising healthcare best practices and access to care is an on-going challenge. Given the demand and need for services in these areas, maintaining a high level of collaboration is key to the success of improving health in these areas.

Sustainablilty: Effective April 1, 2003, the Center was awarded HRSA 330 Bureau of Primary Care Healthy Schools/Healthy Community funding. This will assist in the continuation of these much needed services to the remote areas of Central South Dakota.

Graduates 2003