Child, Youth & Family Community Health Services

The Child, Youth and Family Community Health program of the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) is made up of a multidisciplinary team whose focus is on disease prevention and health promotion. VIHA’s primary goal is the improved health and wellness of VIHA residents. To reach this goal, VIHA helps support residents by working with community partners to protect and promote health and prevent injury and illness.

The Child, Youth and Family Community Health program provides speech, hearing, nutrition, dental and nursing services to individuals, families and communities. These programs are available free of charge throughout Vancouver Island. The following is a brief outline of services offered by the Child, Youth and Family Community Health program in Southern Vancouver Island.

Community Nutrition Program
Community nutritionists are registered dietitians who work toward the goal of creating healthy communities where all people have access to healthy food, accurate nutrition information, and services. Community nutritionists work in partnership with other health professionals, schools and other community partners. They provide expert nutrition advice, develop programs and resources for community groups and educators, provide workshops for professionals, and arrange appropriate referrals for people needing one-to-one counseling.

Dental Services
The Dental Program offers a range of services to support good oral health. Services vary depending on the community but can include education and skill building for groups and individuals, resources for professionals working with children, youth and their families, oral health counseling and preventive services for clients referred by public health nurses, and screening of kindergarten children for tooth decay. The Dental Program has created teaching kits which are available for loan to schools, preschools and parenting groups. Child, Youth and Family Community Health also offers dental hygienist services to adults and children with developmental disabilities.

Hearing Services
The Hearing Program offers services to children from birth to 19 years of age, people with developmental disabilities and adults who receive social assistance from the B.C. government. The Hearing Program has a variety of programs to support healthy hearing. Audiologists test hearing for babies and children, work together with schools and preschools to offer direct student support, and answer general questions on hearing and hearing services. The Hearing Program also offers hearing screening for all newborns and all children in kindergarten.

Nursing Support Services
The Nursing Support Services (NSS) Program assists parents and caregivers to help children from birth to 19 years of age with special health care needs to lead active, healthy lives in their communities. Service is provided in homes, childcare facilities, preschools and schools. Children who require specialized health care such as gastrostomy tube feeding, catheterization, administration of oxygen, blood glucose monitoring and tracheostomy care can be referred to NSS.

Public Health Nursing Services
Public Health Nursing offers services to women, children and families to support healthy growth and development. Public health nurses prevent disease and promote health by offering Child Health Clinics where infants and children are immunized against a variety of life threatening illnesses. Public health nurses also offer immunizations against Hepatitis B, Meningococcal C, Varicella, and Human Papillomavirus diseases to Grade 6 students and Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Human Papillomavirus diseases to Grade 9 students in their schools.

Pre and postnatal education is also offered by public health nurses. Nurses contact all parents of new babies to provide education on infant care and feeding, growth and development, and postpartum depression. Many health units offer breastfeeding support clinics along with drop-in parenting programs such as Baby Talk and Toddler Talk. Nurses work closely with local community facilities to provide prenatal programs and classes.

Building on many years of partnership, Public Health staff continues to work with elementary schools and parents to provide kindergarten vision screening and follow-up. Earlier identification of vision concerns can result in better treatment outcomes for children. The Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport now also supports a Three-Year-Old Vision Screening Program at B.C.’s health units. Contact your local health unit to make arrangements for this vision screening at your preschools, daycares or local health unit.

Public Health Nursing also provides influenza clinics during influenza season. This past year, H1N1 and seasonal influenza immunizations were offered with assistance from staff of all programs in Child, Youth and Family Community Health, along with re-deployed staff from other areas of VIHA.

Speech-Language Services
Speech-Language services are available for children before they reach kindergarten age. Assessment for speech and language problems, treatment for children with speech and/or language delay or disorders and courses for parents about early language stimulation are offered. Children diagnosed with multiple disabilities and/or developmental delay may be referred to Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health for other therapy services, including speech therapy.

Vancouver Island residents are well supported by VIHA’s Child, Youth and Family Community Health program. Services in Central and Northern Vancouver Island may vary slightly from those in this article; please call your local health unit for local information. Contact information can be found on page 46 or online at www.viha.ca/children.

Contributors include Cynthia Powell (Senior Speech-Language Pathologist), Niki Timar (Senior Audiologist), Janelle Hatch (Registered Dietitian), Dorthy Rosenberg (Senior Dental Hygienist), Lorna Garrison (Nursing Support Services), and Hilary Planden (Clinical Coordinator, Public Health Nursing).