Public Health Nursing
CaCoon (CAre COordinatiON):
A public health nurse service. Supporting the Emerging Independence of Families and their Children with Special Health Needs
A cooperative effort between families and health care providers
Raising a child with special health needs can be challenging and rewarding. It also can be confusing and exhausting - for the whole family.
A child and family may need the services of many different professionals and agencies. They may have to travel away from home for specialized health care. Sometimes they may just need to talk to someone who has been in their shoes and understand what they are going through.
Care coordination can help!
What is Community-Based Care Coordination?
CaCoon is a public health care coordination provided by public health nurses with specialized training. This program provides local support in your community to assist families with resources, information and coordination of services.
- Helping parents find resources, and
- Helping coordinate services
- Information
All services are planned around the desires and concerns of the total family.
Who Can Use Community-Based Care Coordination?
Families with children and young adults, from birth through age 20, who have complex conditions, which result in special medical, educational, vocational and social needs can benefit from this service.
How Can the CaCoon Program Help?
Through Community-Based Care Coordination, you can receive help from a local public health nurse, who can:
- Answer questions about a child's health needs and special care
- Help find special services as close to a child's home as possible
- Help prevent problems that could be related to a child's health condition
- Support families in times of stress and crisis
- Work with primary care physician to coordinate health care and specialty services
- Help families identify specialty financial services for which their child may qualify
The goal is to help the family learn new skills to become as independent as possible in caring for their child.
Where Do I Get Help?
If you would like information or resources about specialized health services and want to know more about care coordination services, call your local health department by using the county search options below, or contact us at the Oregon Center for Children and Youth with Special Health Needs office at:
- 503-494-4219
- 1-877-307-7070 (Toll-Free) - ext 44219
