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In 2006, in conjunction with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) launched a multi-year initiative at select Community Health Center (CHC) sites to screen both pregnant and non-pregnant women for alcohol use disorders and to screen children for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
In 2010, NOFAS and lead partner Children’s Research Triangle in Chicago, Illinois, and continuing the project to improve the prevention, identification, and support of individuals with FASD.
Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Virginia, Maine, and Maryland are all participating in the initiative and NOFAS is recruiting CHCs in other states. NOFAS is collaborating with participating CHCs to conduct the following activities at each site:
- A NOFAS-led training for CHC staff on FASD and alcohol and pregnancy, alcohol use disorders screening methodology and instruments, FAS screening methodology and checklist, referral strategies and resources, and reimbursement for alcohol screening;
- Implementation of patient screening and referral;
- Collection of data including the number of non-pregnant and pregnant women screened for alcohol use disorders, the number of women screening positive for alcohol use disorders, the number of children screened for FASD, and the number of children screening positive for FASD.
- Dissemination of FASD and alcohol and pregnancy awareness materials and information.
NOFAS is providing technical assistance to each CHC on all aspects of the project. There are no direct costs for participating sites, and all training, materials and technical assistance is provided by NOFAS free of charge. Additionally, CMEs and CEs for clinical staff are available for participation in the training and incentives will be provided for the reporting of data. NOFAS will also consult with CHC administrative staff on two new codes added this year to the level II Health Care Service Procedures Coding System (HCSPCS) used by Medicaid, Medicare and other third-party payors: one code for drug and alcohol screening and the other for brief intervention and counseling.
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