Partners and Collaborative Activities

We collaborate with different partners to support children with special health care needs and their families find available services and resources.

Providers 

 Health Care Partners

• LHJ CYSHCN Coordinators (PDF) – We partner with local CYSHCN Coordinators to advocate for families. The coordinators help connect families to the resources and care services they need and support the development of systems of care for CYSHCN in their local communities.
• CYSHCN Nutrition Network – Nutrition services for CYSHCN and their families. Find a specially trained registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) or a community feeding team.
• Neurodevelopmental Centers of Excellence (NDCs) – NDCs provide occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and other supportive services. They partner with local coordinators and other care providers. Learn more about the services that NDCs provide.
• Maxillofacial Review Boards (MRFBs) – DOH contracts with regional MRFBs to coordinate care for infants and children born with cleft lip and cleft palate. Learn about the MRFB services and find their contact information. 
• Type 1 Diabetes Workgroup (PDF) – The Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) workgroup was created in 2022 to provide more support to families of children with T1D. It includes 55 passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, from parent voices to endocrinologists.

Hospital Partners

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center

• Services for children with cleft lip, palate, or both, or other complex craniofacial conditions through a contract supporting Maxillofacial Teams and Review Board.
• Developmental evaluations and treatments for children birth to 3 years with developmental delays through a contract with their Neurodevelopmental center.

Providence Center for Cleft Lip and Palate – Services for children with cleft lip and/or palate or other complex craniofacial conditions in the East Region through a contract supporting Maxillofacial Teams and Review Board.

Seattle Children’s Hospital – Supporting Adolescents and Families Experiencing Suicidality (SAFES) (seattlechildrens.org) program a partnership between Seattle Children’s hospital and Frontier Behavioral Health in Spokane. SAFES:  

• provides in-person and telehealth crisis support services to adolescents experiencing non-emergency suicidal crises. 
• intends to increase use of the Partnership Access Line (PAL). PAL supports primary care providers with questions about mental health care such as diagnostic clarification, treatment planning, and more.

Find more information within the SAFES flyer (PDF) (seattlechildrens.org).

Family Support Organizations 

Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment (PAVE) – Support, training, information, and resources for individuals, youth, and families impacted by disabilities.

PAVE programs include:

• Family to Family Health Information Center can help find resources to fund health care needs.
• Lifespan Respite WA funds short breaks for caregivers.
• Parent Training and Information (PTI) supports students with disabilities.
• Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP) supports military families.
• Find out more about all PAVE programs.

Parent to Parent (P2P) programs – Emotional support and information to families of children with disabilities. 

Washington State Fathers Network – Activities and events for fathers and male caregivers.

Washington State Leadership Initiative Newsletter – Activities, events, webinars, conferences, training, volunteer and job opportunities, and resources for families of CYSHCN.

Informing Families – Information and resources to help people with developmental disabilities live a full life.

Early Support for Infants & Toddlers (ESIT) – Early intervention services for children birth to 3 with developmental delays or disabilities.

Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) – Services and programs including personal care and respite.

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) – School district services.

Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) – Information about and conflict resolution with school districts.

The Arc – Advocates for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Local chapters provide information to families.

Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) – Plans for and with people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Developmental Disabilities Ombuds – Collects and investigates complaints brought by those who use developmental disabilities services.

Guide By Your Side – Support for families with children who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing without a bias towards communication mode.

Open Doors for Multicultural Families – Culturally and linguistically relevant information, services, and programming to culturally and linguistically diverse families of persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Washington Autism Alliance – Access to healthcare, education and services for people with autism spectrum disorders and related intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Help Me Grow Washington Hotline 1 (800) 322-2588 - Do you have questions about your child’s health or developmental needs? Call the WithinReach Help Me Grow Washington Hotline to speak to a family navigator and find answers!

Local Agency Coordinators and Support Staff

We partner with local CYSHCN Coordinators to advocate for families. The coordinators help connect families to the resources and care services they need and support the development of systems of care for CYSHCN in their local communities. Find your local coordinator (PDF).

Workforce Development

We contract with the following programs within the Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington:

• Medical Home Partnerships for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
• Children with Special Health Care Needs Nutrition Network and Feeding Teams

DOH Partners

• Newborn Screening – tests all infants born in Washington for different rare but treatable disorders using a dried blood spot specimen.  
• Screening and Genetics – resources and information to improve the health of people with, or at risk of, genetic condition.
• Early Hearing Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention (EHDDI)
• Developmental Screening (Strong Start) – information and resources about developmental screening children birth through age 5.
• Women Infants and Children (WIC) – healthy food and more resources for pregnant people, new and breastfeeding moms, and children under 5.
• Teens and Young Adult Health
• Raising Healthy Infants, Children and Teens: Information and Resources for Families and Professionals
• Information and Risks About Lead