CHAPTER 27 - PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES INFANT HOME VISITATIONSERVICES
35-27-101. Definitions.
(a) As used in this act:
(i) "Department" means the Wyoming department ofhealth;
(ii) "TANF" means the federal temporary assistance toneedy families program authorized by Pub. L. 104-193;
(iii) "Program" means the public health nursing infanthome visitation subprogram created by this act;
(iv) "This act" means W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104.
35-27-102. Public health nursing infant home visitation subprogramcreated; eligibility.
(a) There is created the public health nursing infant homevisitation subprogram.
(b) Pregnant women, or families with infants, are eligible forservices of the program if:
(i) The delivery of the newborn or the prenatal care is paidfor, or is eligible to be paid for, under the Wyoming Medical Assistance andServices Act or the woman is eligible for services under the women's, infants'and children's supplemental food program;
(ii) The mother is confined to a county jail, the Wyomingwomen's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or is onprobation or parole as a result of a conviction of a criminal offense;
(iii) The mother has a mental illness or substance abuse problemand is an inpatient at the Wyoming state hospital, a psychiatric hospital or aninpatient treatment facility, or is referred for services by a community mentalhealth center; or
(iv) The mother is a victim of domestic abuse.
(c) The services provided under the program shall ordinarily beavailable only until the infant has attained twenty-four (24) months of age,but may be extended by the public health nurse to an older age in cases ofspecial need.
(d) The program shall:
(i) To the extent practical and needed, provide prenatalcontacts and follow-up contacts with each eligible pregnant woman. If anotheragency or program is actually performing adequate prenatal contacts, theprogram created under this act shall defer to that agency or program, ordevelop an agreement on a county by county or region by region basis as towhich program will provide the contacts to avoid duplication;
(ii) To the extent needed where there were prenatal contacts,and to the extent practical where adequate contact was not made with theeligible mother prior to delivery, as soon as practical after the mother andinfant return to their home, conduct a welcome home visit for the infant in thefamily home. During the welcome home visit, the public health nurse may, asappropriate:
(A) Provide information in written, audio or video format onthe care and nurturing of infants;
(B) Provide information on recommended immunizations;
(C) Provide available supplies and equipment useful in thecaring for infants. The public health nurses may accept donations of suchsupplies and equipment; and
(D) Assess the infant and the infant's circumstances inaccordance with departmental instructions and protocols and, as needed, planfollow-up visits and services and refer the mother to other community orgovernmental resources, programs and providers.
(e) The department shall:
(i) Establish home visitation subprograms within availableresources and shall initially use the following implementation priorities incase of shortage of resources:
(A) First time pregnant women under the age of twenty (20)years who are eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance andServices Act or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program;
(B) Any pregnant woman or family in need of the services of theprogram who is referred by an attending physician;
(C) First time births to women who, regardless of age, areeligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Actor the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program;
(D) Premature births;
(E) Victims of domestic abuse;
(F) Pregnant women or mothers with a mental illness orsubstance abuse problem;
(G) Pregnant women or mothers confined to a county jail, theWyoming women's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or onprobation or parole as a result of a conviction for a criminal offense; and
(H) Subsequent pregnancies and births where the woman or familyis eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and ServicesAct or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program.
(ii) Modify the priority list required under paragraph (i) ofthis subsection as needed;
(iii) Develop or specify protocols for public health nurses touse in the program;
(iv) Provide training for the nurses conducting the visits; and
(v) Where a county or municipal health department or healthdistrict exists, contract with the governing body of that department ordistrict:
(A) For the provision of the program's services; or
(B) To provide the public health nurses to conduct the program.
(f) The department may subcontract with providers of researchbased, nonnurse models for home visiting services, as appropriate and indicatedby client assessment, to secure the most effective services available for theeligible populations.
(g) The public health nurses responsible for each county shalljointly for that county develop a list of programs, resources and providers towhom referrals may be made and the types of referrals that may be made to eachentity. The lists shall be reviewed at least annually with the county healthofficer, the manager of the department of family services field office servingthe county, the preschool developmental disability program serving the countyand the county or municipal human services agency or coordinator, if any.
(h) Any physician providing prenatal care or delivering a babywhere the care or delivery is eligible for reimbursement under the WyomingMedical Assistance and Services Act may, unless contraindicated, refer theexpectant mother or the infant to the public health nurse serving the countyfor placement in the program. Physicians may refer other pregnant women,infants or families to the program as medically needed. The referrals shallbegin once the program is operational within the county.
35-27-103. Program evaluation and statistical information.
(a) It shall be the goal of the program in each county toprovide appropriate nursing contact to all eligible women. The departmentshall annually report by October 1 to the joint labor, health and socialservices interim committee the number of known eligible births, the numberreceiving appropriate contacts, the number of women needing follow-up servicesand the number who did not receive follow-up services broken down by cause asfollows:
(i) The number who refused service;
(ii) The number who did not receive follow-up services due tolack of resources;
(iii) The number who did not receive services for other reasons,which reasons may be specified to the extent useful.
(b) If the report required under subsection (a) of this sectionshows that appropriate contacts were not made for ninety-five percent (95%) ofthe eligible births, or less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the womenneeding follow-up services received them, the department shall provide awritten explanation of the reasons why the goals and objectives of the programunder this section were not met.
(c) The department shall collect statistics to the extentpractical to permit evaluation of the success of the program in achieving thereduction:
(i) In abuse of the infants;
(ii) Of subsequent out of wedlock pregnancies by the visitedmothers;
(iii) In problems resulting from substance abuse;
(iv) In number of arrests among mothers under the program;
(v) In the use of tobacco products by mothers under theprogram;
(vi) In violent and anti-social behavior by infants under theprogram once they reach adolescence and young adulthood, as measured by arrestsand convictions.
35-27-104. Program funding.
Thedepartment shall report to the legislature any reduction in federal temporaryassistance to needy families (TANF) program funds which results in the need foradditional state funds to administer W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104. Theprovisions of W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104 shall not be effective onehundred eighty (180) days after the adjournment of the legislative session nextfollowing the submission of the report, unless the legislature appropriates theadditional funds required.
CHAPTER 27 - PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES INFANT HOME VISITATIONSERVICES
35-27-101. Definitions.
(a) As used in this act:
(i) "Department" means the Wyoming department ofhealth;
(ii) "TANF" means the federal temporary assistance toneedy families program authorized by Pub. L. 104-193;
(iii) "Program" means the public health nursing infanthome visitation subprogram created by this act;
(iv) "This act" means W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104.
35-27-102. Public health nursing infant home visitation subprogramcreated; eligibility.
(a) There is created the public health nursing infant homevisitation subprogram.
(b) Pregnant women, or families with infants, are eligible forservices of the program if:
(i) The delivery of the newborn or the prenatal care is paidfor, or is eligible to be paid for, under the Wyoming Medical Assistance andServices Act or the woman is eligible for services under the women's, infants'and children's supplemental food program;
(ii) The mother is confined to a county jail, the Wyomingwomen's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or is onprobation or parole as a result of a conviction of a criminal offense;
(iii) The mother has a mental illness or substance abuse problemand is an inpatient at the Wyoming state hospital, a psychiatric hospital or aninpatient treatment facility, or is referred for services by a community mentalhealth center; or
(iv) The mother is a victim of domestic abuse.
(c) The services provided under the program shall ordinarily beavailable only until the infant has attained twenty-four (24) months of age,but may be extended by the public health nurse to an older age in cases ofspecial need.
(d) The program shall:
(i) To the extent practical and needed, provide prenatalcontacts and follow-up contacts with each eligible pregnant woman. If anotheragency or program is actually performing adequate prenatal contacts, theprogram created under this act shall defer to that agency or program, ordevelop an agreement on a county by county or region by region basis as towhich program will provide the contacts to avoid duplication;
(ii) To the extent needed where there were prenatal contacts,and to the extent practical where adequate contact was not made with theeligible mother prior to delivery, as soon as practical after the mother andinfant return to their home, conduct a welcome home visit for the infant in thefamily home. During the welcome home visit, the public health nurse may, asappropriate:
(A) Provide information in written, audio or video format onthe care and nurturing of infants;
(B) Provide information on recommended immunizations;
(C) Provide available supplies and equipment useful in thecaring for infants. The public health nurses may accept donations of suchsupplies and equipment; and
(D) Assess the infant and the infant's circumstances inaccordance with departmental instructions and protocols and, as needed, planfollow-up visits and services and refer the mother to other community orgovernmental resources, programs and providers.
(e) The department shall:
(i) Establish home visitation subprograms within availableresources and shall initially use the following implementation priorities incase of shortage of resources:
(A) First time pregnant women under the age of twenty (20)years who are eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance andServices Act or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program;
(B) Any pregnant woman or family in need of the services of theprogram who is referred by an attending physician;
(C) First time births to women who, regardless of age, areeligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Actor the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program;
(D) Premature births;
(E) Victims of domestic abuse;
(F) Pregnant women or mothers with a mental illness orsubstance abuse problem;
(G) Pregnant women or mothers confined to a county jail, theWyoming women's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or onprobation or parole as a result of a conviction for a criminal offense; and
(H) Subsequent pregnancies and births where the woman or familyis eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and ServicesAct or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program.
(ii) Modify the priority list required under paragraph (i) ofthis subsection as needed;
(iii) Develop or specify protocols for public health nurses touse in the program;
(iv) Provide training for the nurses conducting the visits; and
(v) Where a county or municipal health department or healthdistrict exists, contract with the governing body of that department ordistrict:
(A) For the provision of the program's services; or
(B) To provide the public health nurses to conduct the program.
(f) The department may subcontract with providers of researchbased, nonnurse models for home visiting services, as appropriate and indicatedby client assessment, to secure the most effective services available for theeligible populations.
(g) The public health nurses responsible for each county shalljointly for that county develop a list of programs, resources and providers towhom referrals may be made and the types of referrals that may be made to eachentity. The lists shall be reviewed at least annually with the county healthofficer, the manager of the department of family services field office servingthe county, the preschool developmental disability program serving the countyand the county or municipal human services agency or coordinator, if any.
(h) Any physician providing prenatal care or delivering a babywhere the care or delivery is eligible for reimbursement under the WyomingMedical Assistance and Services Act may, unless contraindicated, refer theexpectant mother or the infant to the public health nurse serving the countyfor placement in the program. Physicians may refer other pregnant women,infants or families to the program as medically needed. The referrals shallbegin once the program is operational within the county.
35-27-103. Program evaluation and statistical information.
(a) It shall be the goal of the program in each county toprovide appropriate nursing contact to all eligible women. The departmentshall annually report by October 1 to the joint labor, health and socialservices interim committee the number of known eligible births, the numberreceiving appropriate contacts, the number of women needing follow-up servicesand the number who did not receive follow-up services broken down by cause asfollows:
(i) The number who refused service;
(ii) The number who did not receive follow-up services due tolack of resources;
(iii) The number who did not receive services for other reasons,which reasons may be specified to the extent useful.
(b) If the report required under subsection (a) of this sectionshows that appropriate contacts were not made for ninety-five percent (95%) ofthe eligible births, or less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the womenneeding follow-up services received them, the department shall provide awritten explanation of the reasons why the goals and objectives of the programunder this section were not met.
(c) The department shall collect statistics to the extentpractical to permit evaluation of the success of the program in achieving thereduction:
(i) In abuse of the infants;
(ii) Of subsequent out of wedlock pregnancies by the visitedmothers;
(iii) In problems resulting from substance abuse;
(iv) In number of arrests among mothers under the program;
(v) In the use of tobacco products by mothers under theprogram;
(vi) In violent and anti-social behavior by infants under theprogram once they reach adolescence and young adulthood, as measured by arrestsand convictions.
35-27-104. Program funding.
Thedepartment shall report to the legislature any reduction in federal temporaryassistance to needy families (TANF) program funds which results in the need foradditional state funds to administer W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104. Theprovisions of W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104 shall not be effective onehundred eighty (180) days after the adjournment of the legislative session nextfollowing the submission of the report, unless the legislature appropriates theadditional funds required.
CHAPTER 27 - PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES INFANT HOME VISITATIONSERVICES
35-27-101. Definitions.
(a) As used in this act:
(i) "Department" means the Wyoming department ofhealth;
(ii) "TANF" means the federal temporary assistance toneedy families program authorized by Pub. L. 104-193;
(iii) "Program" means the public health nursing infanthome visitation subprogram created by this act;
(iv) "This act" means W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104.
35-27-102. Public health nursing infant home visitation subprogramcreated; eligibility.
(a) There is created the public health nursing infant homevisitation subprogram.
(b) Pregnant women, or families with infants, are eligible forservices of the program if:
(i) The delivery of the newborn or the prenatal care is paidfor, or is eligible to be paid for, under the Wyoming Medical Assistance andServices Act or the woman is eligible for services under the women's, infants'and children's supplemental food program;
(ii) The mother is confined to a county jail, the Wyomingwomen's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or is onprobation or parole as a result of a conviction of a criminal offense;
(iii) The mother has a mental illness or substance abuse problemand is an inpatient at the Wyoming state hospital, a psychiatric hospital or aninpatient treatment facility, or is referred for services by a community mentalhealth center; or
(iv) The mother is a victim of domestic abuse.
(c) The services provided under the program shall ordinarily beavailable only until the infant has attained twenty-four (24) months of age,but may be extended by the public health nurse to an older age in cases ofspecial need.
(d) The program shall:
(i) To the extent practical and needed, provide prenatalcontacts and follow-up contacts with each eligible pregnant woman. If anotheragency or program is actually performing adequate prenatal contacts, theprogram created under this act shall defer to that agency or program, ordevelop an agreement on a county by county or region by region basis as towhich program will provide the contacts to avoid duplication;
(ii) To the extent needed where there were prenatal contacts,and to the extent practical where adequate contact was not made with theeligible mother prior to delivery, as soon as practical after the mother andinfant return to their home, conduct a welcome home visit for the infant in thefamily home. During the welcome home visit, the public health nurse may, asappropriate:
(A) Provide information in written, audio or video format onthe care and nurturing of infants;
(B) Provide information on recommended immunizations;
(C) Provide available supplies and equipment useful in thecaring for infants. The public health nurses may accept donations of suchsupplies and equipment; and
(D) Assess the infant and the infant's circumstances inaccordance with departmental instructions and protocols and, as needed, planfollow-up visits and services and refer the mother to other community orgovernmental resources, programs and providers.
(e) The department shall:
(i) Establish home visitation subprograms within availableresources and shall initially use the following implementation priorities incase of shortage of resources:
(A) First time pregnant women under the age of twenty (20)years who are eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance andServices Act or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program;
(B) Any pregnant woman or family in need of the services of theprogram who is referred by an attending physician;
(C) First time births to women who, regardless of age, areeligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Actor the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program;
(D) Premature births;
(E) Victims of domestic abuse;
(F) Pregnant women or mothers with a mental illness orsubstance abuse problem;
(G) Pregnant women or mothers confined to a county jail, theWyoming women's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or onprobation or parole as a result of a conviction for a criminal offense; and
(H) Subsequent pregnancies and births where the woman or familyis eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and ServicesAct or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program.
(ii) Modify the priority list required under paragraph (i) ofthis subsection as needed;
(iii) Develop or specify protocols for public health nurses touse in the program;
(iv) Provide training for the nurses conducting the visits; and
(v) Where a county or municipal health department or healthdistrict exists, contract with the governing body of that department ordistrict:
(A) For the provision of the program's services; or
(B) To provide the public health nurses to conduct the program.
(f) The department may subcontract with providers of researchbased, nonnurse models for home visiting services, as appropriate and indicatedby client assessment, to secure the most effective services available for theeligible populations.
(g) The public health nurses responsible for each county shalljointly for that county develop a list of programs, resources and providers towhom referrals may be made and the types of referrals that may be made to eachentity. The lists shall be reviewed at least annually with the county healthofficer, the manager of the department of family services field office servingthe county, the preschool developmental disability program serving the countyand the county or municipal human services agency or coordinator, if any.
(h) Any physician providing prenatal care or delivering a babywhere the care or delivery is eligible for reimbursement under the WyomingMedical Assistance and Services Act may, unless contraindicated, refer theexpectant mother or the infant to the public health nurse serving the countyfor placement in the program. Physicians may refer other pregnant women,infants or families to the program as medically needed. The referrals shallbegin once the program is operational within the county.
35-27-103. Program evaluation and statistical information.
(a) It shall be the goal of the program in each county toprovide appropriate nursing contact to all eligible women. The departmentshall annually report by October 1 to the joint labor, health and socialservices interim committee the number of known eligible births, the numberreceiving appropriate contacts, the number of women needing follow-up servicesand the number who did not receive follow-up services broken down by cause asfollows:
(i) The number who refused service;
(ii) The number who did not receive follow-up services due tolack of resources;
(iii) The number who did not receive services for other reasons,which reasons may be specified to the extent useful.
(b) If the report required under subsection (a) of this sectionshows that appropriate contacts were not made for ninety-five percent (95%) ofthe eligible births, or less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the womenneeding follow-up services received them, the department shall provide awritten explanation of the reasons why the goals and objectives of the programunder this section were not met.
(c) The department shall collect statistics to the extentpractical to permit evaluation of the success of the program in achieving thereduction:
(i) In abuse of the infants;
(ii) Of subsequent out of wedlock pregnancies by the visitedmothers;
(iii) In problems resulting from substance abuse;
(iv) In number of arrests among mothers under the program;
(v) In the use of tobacco products by mothers under theprogram;
(vi) In violent and anti-social behavior by infants under theprogram once they reach adolescence and young adulthood, as measured by arrestsand convictions.
35-27-104. Program funding.
Thedepartment shall report to the legislature any reduction in federal temporaryassistance to needy families (TANF) program funds which results in the need foradditional state funds to administer W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104. Theprovisions of W.S. 35-27-101 through 35-27-104 shall not be effective onehundred eighty (180) days after the adjournment of the legislative session nextfollowing the submission of the report, unless the legislature appropriates theadditional funds required.
