Illuminate colorado / family connects colorado - after the birth of an infant(s), the postnatal or postpartum period is a critical time, with the risk of death highest for both mother and infant…

Illuminate colorado / family connects colorado - after the birth of an infant(s), the postnatal or postpartum period is a critical time, with the risk of death highest for both mother and infant during this six-week window. During the postpartum time when infants' needs are greatest, the new mother also is most at-risk for postpartum depression and must overcome the physical, social, and psychological changes that occur after childbirth. A recent community assessment conducted by illuminate colorado in january 2023, underscored a real and urgent need to identify the needs of all postpartum families and families with newborns and connect them to appropriate services. Family connects is inherently designed to meet this need by increasing identification of family needs, providing parenting education and support, and making connections to appropriate services. To address this need, illuminate colorado is proposing to enhanced implementation of the family connects model by working in both the social and community context domain and the health care quality and access domain to impact the following leading health indicators (lhis): reduce the rate of infant deaths - mich-02 reduce maternal deaths - mich-04 ultimately, the proposed project goal is to reduce maternal and infant deaths by ensuring more colorado postpartum families have cultural and linguistic access to the universal family connects model, ensuring linkages related to the drivers of maternal and infant mortality occur during family connects visits, and reducing existing racial/ethnic and language disparities in postpartum sdoh-related indicators. By focusing on this goal, the project will contribute to the growing body of evidence related to how family connects can address disparities in maternal and infant mortality., as reflected in the accompanying logic model, the three objectives are crafted to contribute to this broader project goal of preventing maternal and infant mortality. Objective 1: by september 2028, increase access and utilization of family connects in colorado by using family ambassadors that reflect populations currently underrepresented in service utilization (including but not limited to people who identify as black, spanish-speaking, indigenous/native american). Objective 2: by september 2028, reduce infant deaths and maternal deaths by ensuring screening, education, and indicated referrals related to the drivers of maternal and infant mortality take place as part of family connects implementation. Objective 3: by september 2028 and by working in both the social/community context domain and the health care quality and access domain, reduce existing racial/ethnic and language disparities in postpartum indicators.