Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition Inc

Healthy families is a voluntary home visitation program offered to parents assessed as being at risk. Home visitors teach child development through curricula, goal setting and modeling interactive activities based on "teachable moments." positive parent/child interaction helps caregivers manage stress and lowers the incidence of child maltreatment. This is a voluntary program and is funded through a contract between the coalition and the ounce of prevention fund of florida.

The prevention education and community advancement (peace) program is designed to enhance the healthy start system of care by streamlining initiatives that involve a primary focus on education and outreach. Peace will increase local capacity to address the mental, physical, and emotional needs of pregnant mothers, partners, and families through direct education (community and professional) and outreach (direct services). Indian river county healthy start coalition identified prioritized initiatives through community assessment and fimr. Peace education programs for community members (e.g. Mothers, families) and professionals (e.g. Obs, pediatricians, mental health professionals) include perinatal mental health, perinatal bereavement, and empowerment and well-being of the other parent, and birth and postpartum support (i.e. Doula). Peace brings a train-the-trainer doula course to certify five doula trainers across the treasure coast to ensure a robust local training program that supports the community doula model. The enhanced support provided by peace also engages partners and personal and professional support persons of pregnant mothers through prevention initiatives designed to maximize protective factors, minimize adverse perinatal outcomes, and normalize the perinatal mental health experiences for mothers, partners, and families. Finally, peace funding supports an additional maternity navigator position to support comprehensive outreach and ongoing coordination of care.