Mission: Dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans

Making progress toward Strategic Goal 3: Help Idahoans become as healthy and self-sufficient as possible

The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) is engaging in groundbreaking strategic work to develop new ways to help Idahoans live their best lives. One of these new lines of effort, led by the Division of Public Health, involves partnering with communities to improve social and environmental factors called social determinants of health .

Social determinants of health are factors that have a profound impact on a healthy quality of life. As much as 80 percent of what makes us healthy is determined by social and environmental factors such as access to affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, nutritious foods, livable incomes, and quality educational opportunities. Without access to these living conditions and community resources, Idahoans face worsening trends in life expectancy, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, suicide, illicit drug use, youth violence, social isolation, and mental health issues. These issues are intrinsically linked to the underlying social and economic conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.

In Idaho in 2021:

• 44 percent of children enrolled in public schools were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
• 45 percent of renters and 17 percent of homeowners, or 153,000 households, were considered cost burdened or severely cost burdened.
• 11.2 percent of Idahoans lived in poverty.
• As housing becomes less affordable, homelessness among Idaho schoolchildren has increased.
• 12.8 percent of Idahoans were without health insurance.

By tracking social determinants of health measures, and the disparities they create, we can better understand the factors contributing to significant health challenges Idahoans face in specific communities. Work focusing on improving the social determinants of health is part of the Get Healthy Idaho plan, which has a goal of building healthy and resilient communities. The vision of Get Healthy Idaho is a future where healthy people live and thrive in safe, healthy, and resilient communities with a focus on supporting place-based initiatives that positively impact the social determinants of health.

Giving communities a platform for their voices

This work is described in the department’s Strategic Plan, in Strategic Objective 3.2. This work is focused on investing in communities. Rather than relying on the established practices of providing single-year funding for pre-determined initiatives, DHW is taking a new approach. We are supporting health collaboratives in communities by asking what they need. Then we are helping them with resources such as project staffing and funding. This enables the community to examine the root causes of the challenges they face and lead community-level strategies that will foster the best possible conditions for everyone.

Katie Lamansky, health program manager of DHW’s Get Healthy Idaho initiative, said this approach has “allowed our community collaborative to build that trust, to know that we're not just here to assess, we're not just here to hopefully get what we need from the community to satisfy grant deliverables or grant objectives. We're really here to build that community power and trust and help it be sustaining over the long term.”

She added, “It's really important to make sure that we give the communities the platform and the voice to be able to say what their needs are; and for us to be able to step back – to have that humility, to step back and think, ‘How can I support them without giving them what I think they need?’”

Drawing on a community’s existing strengths and knowledge will empower people as leaders and create the buy-in necessary to sustain impactful change.

First two Get Healthy Idaho communities funded by DHW

In late 2020, the Division of Public Health  selected the first Get Healthy Idaho funded community – the Western Idaho Community Health Collaborative (WICHC), in partnership with Elmore County Health Coalition (ECHC). The most vulnerable members of Elmore County face persistent mental and behavioral health challenges, along with chronic disease outcomes and risk factors, including diabetes and food insecurity.

Before receiving funding, community health assessment findings from the county revealed residents are concerned with increased stress and isolation and are struggling with poverty, inadequate housing, and low educational attainment.

Over the course of 2021, WICHC in partnership with the Elmore County Health Coalition (ECHC) has strengthened their community collaborative, conducted a qualitative health assessment, and developed an action plan aimed at addressing the root causes of poor health outcomes identified by community members and health data. The action plan, which will be implemented over the next three years, includes four objectives:

• Connect and expand community health worker programs
• Complete community health emergency medical services (CHEMS) pilot to address chronic disease and behavioral health
• Establish a regional mobility consortium
• Develop a strategic open space and trails plan

The four-year initiative will bring intentional community-led investments to Elmore County to create conditions that allow for optimal health and resiliency. And following in the path forged by this community, work has recently begun with Idaho’s second funded community - United Way of Southeastern Idaho - Bannock County.

These collaborative initiatives are designed to transform the way DHW promotes health by giving communities a platform to voice their own challenges and opportunities for positive change.

You can continue to keep up to date on the work in future Strategic Plan communications, and in the DHW Strategic Plan on our website.

Learn more:

On Dec. 15, 2021, Kate Lamansky participated in a national podcast about the Get Healthy Idaho work and the funded health equity zone communities in Idaho. To learn more about community-led health equity projects, including DHW’s initiatives, you can listen to the podcast from The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (or read the podcast transcript).

I hope you all have a safe and healthy weekend.

The work of our child welfare staff is often unseen. They work with families experiencing some of the most difficult times of their lives, and the work they do is not often visible to others because child welfare cases are confidential to protect the privacy of the families involved.

Staff across the board in the program, whether it’s a front desk receptionist, a child welfare social worker, a client service technician, a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, or the many other staff who work in the program, all have a real direct impact on children and families in our communities on a daily basis.

They spend their days going to homes and schools to make sure children are safe.

They make our offices welcoming environments where children in foster care can visit with their families.

They help parents get needed services.

They support foster families in getting licensed and after they’re licensed.

They drive children to counseling appointments.

They prepare records so children can have their adoptions finalized. 

They complete thousands of big and little tasks each day, all to keep children safe and families strong. They come to work each day dedicated to that mission, as difficult as it can be.

Right now, they need your help with achieving that mission. Like many workplaces, our Child Welfare program is challenged with a high number of open positions. If you are interested in working with a motivated, engaged team doing meaningful work to support vulnerable children and families in Idaho, see our job openings at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/about-dhw/dhw-careers.

You can make an immediate difference in the lives of Idahoans.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

NOTE: Welcome to the new and improved DHW Voice blog! Previous blog posts are still available at https://dhwblog.com/.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho has conducted research to help us respond to the concerns of Idahoans when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as help us understand what information should be valuable to Idahoans when it comes to the COVID-19 and the available vaccines.

Recently, the state conducted a survey with 500 Idahoans who have been vaccinated or who are still considering getting vaccinated.

Some highlights of the survey include:

• When it comes to why Idahoans choose to get vaccinated, the No. 1 reason was to protect themselves and others. Other reasons noted were for traveling in and out of the country or because it was required (e.g. job).
• Some Idahoans are still considering getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Many were waiting because they said they had already had COVID-19, or they hadn’t found the time (inconvenient), or they were still in the “wait and see” mode, hoping for more research and testing.
• Idahoans understand that if you are vaccinated, or even if you get a breakthrough case, you are very unlikely to become seriously ill or die compared to someone who is unvaccinated.
• Idahoans believe the COVID-19 vaccine is working better than expected or as expected at preventing infection.
• Many still believe it is important to take precautions, like physical distancing or wearing masks, even with the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine.

• When it comes to why their eligible children have not gotten vaccinated, some of reasons mentioned by parents were: they were waiting for more research and testing or their children had already had COVID-19.

According to the research, Idahoans believe the vaccine is safe and effective. The research also showed:

• 42 percent know someone who has had a breakthrough case
• 31 percent know someone who has died from COVID-19
• 52 percent are likely to get a booster dose, while 27 percent have already gotten their booster dose – nearly 8 in 10 vaccinated Idahoans

• 69 percent believe the vaccine is safe for children
• 87 percent were aware that the vaccine has been approved for children 5 to 11

When it comes to vaccine requirements at large businesses, organizations, or public events:

• 28 percent supported vaccinations for everyone, with exceptions for medical and religious reasons only
• 40 percent supported a choice between proof of vaccination or regular COVID-19 testing
• 29 percent supported no requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccination

At DHW, we will continue to share accurate and up-to-date information related to the COVID-19 vaccine so Idahoans can make informed decisions when it comes to their health and the health of their families.

If you are not vaccinated, I encourage you to choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine remains the safest, surest way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious illness and hospitalization.

I hope you have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season! My next blog will be on Jan. 7, 2022.

How long do the antibodies protect you from COVID-19?

Nobody knows if there is a certain level of antibody, or certain types of antibodies (such as neutralizing antibodies) that can predict protection, although antibody levels are used in clinical trials as a way to estimate protection from the vaccines. Antibody levels indicate some immune response to the vaccine. Some studies suggest that at least for the same variant, protection after infection may last for months, but it’s not certain. Some people who get COVID-19 do get it again even after developing antibodies, so protection is not guaranteed.

That’s why we encourage all Idahoans to consider getting vaccinated and boosted. It’s the best protection we have against serious illness and death.

Do we know how many people have had COVID-19 more than once?

Some cases of COVID-19 reinfection have been reported, but they continue to be rare. Based on what we know from similar viruses, some reinfections are expected. Unfortunately, it appears that reinfection is more common in areas where Omicron has appeared, so having had a previous infection with another variant may not be as protective against this new variant.

Viruses are constantly changing, including the virus that causes COVID-19. These changes occur over time and can lead to new variants that may have new characteristics. Vaccines continue to reduce a person’s risk of getting the virus that causes COVID-19 and are highly effective against severe illness.

Results from this study found that among those who had COVID-19, getting vaccinated after COVID-19 infection greatly lowered the chance of getting it again. “Among Kentucky residents infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, vaccination status of those reinfected during May–June 2021 was compared with that of residents who were not reinfected. In this case-control study, being unvaccinated was associated with 2.34 times the odds of reinfection compared with being fully vaccinated.”

How soon you can get the vaccine after you have been diagnosed with COVID-19?

People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for coming out of isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. This guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 before getting their second dose of vaccine.

People who have had a COVID-19 exposure should not get vaccinated until their quarantine period has ended to avoid possibly exposing healthcare workers and others during the vaccination visit. This recommendation also applies to people with a known COVID-19 exposure who have received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine but not their second.

Anyone who receives monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 should wait for 90 days before getting vaccinated.

Dr. Christine Hahn is Idaho’s state epidemiologist and the Division of Public Health’s medical director. She is board certified in infectious disease and works in the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho’s tuberculosis clinic twice monthly. She also serves on CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and since late February 2020, has been focusing almost solely on responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

Stay up to date with the latest and most accurate information on COVID-19:

• Idaho’s Coronavirus website: see a timeline, the most current data on cases, vaccine, and more.
• CDC COVID-19 website
• Idaho Rebounds website
• One.Idaho.gov

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for daily updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Making progress toward Strategic Goal 2: Protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults ‎

As part of the department’s mission to strengthen the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans, we strive to consider what this means for all Idahoans, including those with developmental disabilities (DD).

A specific focus we have is how to best serve people with developmental disabilities who are experiencing a crisis, often due to complex needs that can include mental health or medical needs. When these individuals are in crisis, it is essential that they receive services that are person-centered, trauma-informed, and delivered in the least restrictive environment possible. We believe we can improve the Idaho crisis system that serves Idaho’s adults with DD.

The Developmental Disabilities Crisis System Improvement Project is well under way to establish a long-term system of care by July 1, 2022, for people with developmental disabilities who exhibit severe behaviors. 

We are making important changes to care for those individuals who must be treated outside of the community so their safety and the community’s safety can be maintained. These changes include the creation of a new assessment, observation, and stabilization center and step-down housing on the existing Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC) campus.

While the project includes new buildings and services on the existing SWITC campus, the new system of care will be much broader in scope. It is also designed to help maintain individuals in their communities. The project includes:

• The development of new teams who specialize in mental health and DD
• Enhanced coordination of care for adults in crisis
• Capacity building of providers who serve people with complex needs

The project team includes DHW staff from the Divisions of Family and Community Services, Behavioral Health, Medicaid, and Licensing and Certification. The team works closely with an advisory board made up of representatives from the provider community, law enforcement, Idaho Legislature, courts, advocates, and families.

This work is described in the department’s strategic plan, in Strategic Objective 2.3. The team has implemented a communications plan with staff and key stakeholders to support the initial implementation. Over the next few months, the team will begin the launch of new treatment model design elements and will present a budget request to the Legislature to fund the new treatment model.

Full implementation of the new model of care is expected in 2024, and more work on this project will be shared in our annual strategic plan updates and other communication channels. We are honored to share our work with you as we move forward in our strategic goals. You can follow our work and read more about our strategic plan on our website.

I hope you all have a safe and healthy weekend.

Idaho has a critical need for foster families so children have a safe and nurturing place to live and go to school while their parents get the help they need to provide a safe place at home. But becoming a foster parent is a big decision, and many people have lots of questions. Here are some of the most common ones.

More information on how to become a foster parent is available on the department’s website or interested people can call 2-1-1 and a foster care representative will contact them.

What does a foster parent do?

When a child cannot live safely at home, temporary foster care is needed. Foster parents are responsible for providing a safe and nurturing living environment while working with the child’s social worker and parents so the family can be safely reunited.

Who can become a foster parent?

Foster parents are as varied as the children needing homes. Successful foster parents are everyday people from all races, religions, incomes, and educational backgrounds. They can be single, married, or divorced, but they must be at least 21 years old.

How long does the licensing process take?

It is our goal to help potential foster parents finish the licensing process in 90-120 days. The length of time it takes to finish the assessment and licensing process depends on how quickly the application, personal and medical references, and background checks are received, and when the potential foster parents are able to complete PRIDE pre-service training.

Once someone has been approved for foster care, the time it takes to receive a child depends on many factors that may include the age, gender, race, or health of the child you are willing to accept and the number and type of children in need of placement.

The department typically works with the child’s family toward reunion for 12 months. If reunion of the child with their birth family is not able to occur in that time, the court may terminate parental rights, which means the child is available for adoption. The department looks for relatives for a more permanent placement in that 12 months, with the goal to identify and select a permanent family after a child has been in foster care for six months. 

Are there fees for the application, home study, or criminal history background check?

There are no fees for the application or home study process for prospective parents who are becoming licensed and approved to provide foster care for children placed by Child and Family Services.

There is a fee for processing background checks through the criminal history unit. However, these fees are waived for prospective foster parents who are becoming licensed and approved to provide foster care for children placed by Child and Family Services. 

Can foster families adopt?

Yes, they can. However, adoption is rarely the goal at the time a child is placed with a foster family. Children continue to be involved with their parents and extended family while they are in foster homes, and most children are eventually returned to their birth parents. Others are placed with relatives. The department prioritizes preserving connections and placing children with extended family.

Families who have experienced fostering are a great resource for children who are not able to return home safely or be placed with a relative. In more than half of foster cases that end in adoption, relatives or non-relative foster parents adopt the child.

Cameron Gilliland is the administrator for the Division of Family and Community Services in the Department of Health and Welfare.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

Every year, we create and distribute our Facts, Figures, & Trends, where you can find robust and detailed information about the work of the department’s eight divisions. The book highlights how our employees live our mission daily: to strengthen the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans.

Facts, Figures, & Trends covers state fiscal year (SFY) 2022, which is from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.

Because of the pandemic, those we serve have become more familiar with the Division of Public Health and how public officials work to support and inform the community and our community partners. However, the department also has seven other divisions that are focused on serving Idahoans or supporting those who serve Idahoans.

In additional to Public Health, the department’s divisions are Medicaid, Family and Community Services, Behavioral Health, Welfare (Self Reliance), Licensing and Certification, Management Services, and Information and Technology Services. Our employees have expertise in accounting, data analytics, healthcare administration, research, epidemiology, toxicology, social work, mental health, nursing, network administration, customer service, communications, program management, and much more. The skills and knowledge of our staff is vast and varied, but all of our employees have one thing in common, their desire to serve the people of Idaho.

I have been working at the department for almost three years, and I am still amazed at the commitment of our employees to the people of Idaho. They are sincere in their devotion to those they serve.

If you are interested in learning more about the work our employees and department, I would encourage you to take some time to read Facts, Figures, & Trends.

An unfortunate milestone in the pandemic

A few days ago, we hit a very distressing milestone in the pandemic – more than 4,000 Idahoans have now died from COVID-19, including more than 1,000 in long-term care facilities.

Our battle against this disease is not over. If you haven’t received a vaccine, I encourage you to consider doing so. If you are eligible for a COVID-19 booster, I encourage you to consider getting a booster dose. Even with the new variant, the vaccine and booster dose are the best, most consistent way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious illness and death.

Use vaccines.gov to find a location near you, then call or visit their website to make an appointment. 

I hope you all have a safe and healthy weekend.

Obesity is a common and serious disease that puts people at risk for many other serious diseases and increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

• 
  A study of COVID-19 cases shows that hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, need for ventilators, and deaths are higher with a higher body mass index (BMI).
• A higher risk for having to be admitted to the hospital or death was really apparent in those younger than age 65. 
• More than 900,000 adult COVID-19 hospitalizations happened in the United States between the beginning of the pandemic and Nov. 18, 2020. Models estimate that 271,800 (30.2 percent) of these hospitalizations were attributed to obesity.

Why focus on obesity when there are other serious chronic health issues that also can make it more likely someone will get seriously ill with COVID-19?

Adults with enough extra weight to be considered obese are more likely to also have additional health issues that make it more likely they will wind up in the hospital or worse if they get sick with COVID-19.

Extra weight puts extra strain on our bodies, and it’s important for people to know that so they can make well-informed decisions about how to continue to protect themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having obesity may triple the risk of hospitalization due to a COVID-19 infection.

What are some of the reasons having obesity could cause someone to get sicker from COVID-19?

• Obesity is linked to a lower immune response to bacteria and viruses.
• Obesity lowers lung capacity and can make it more difficult to put someone who needs it on a ventilator.
• Obesity is related to other health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, that often have worse outcomes from COVID-19.

What about children? Does this apply to them, too?

Yes, sadly. Children who have obesity may suffer worse outcomes from COVID-19. In a study of COVID-19 cases in patients ages 18 years and younger, having obesity was associated with a 3.07 times higher risk of being admitted to a hospital and a 1.42 times higher risk of severe illness (intensive care unit admission, ventilator use, or death) when hospitalized.

Losing weight is incredibly difficult. What can be done about this now?

Change and long-term weight loss take time, but there are things people can do now. They can help protect themselves and their families during this pandemic by:

• Getting vaccinated and following other protective pandemic measures
• Eating a healthy diet
• Being consistently active
• Getting enough sleep
• Coping with stress in healthy ways, and avoiding tobacco and drinking too much alcohol.

Dr. Christine Hahn is Idaho’s state epidemiologist and the Division of Public Health’s medical director. She is board certified in infectious disease and works in the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho’s tuberculosis clinic twice monthly. She also serves on CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and since late February 2020, has been focusing almost solely on responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

Learn more:

• About obesity and COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/obesity-and-covid-19.html
• About how to maintain a healthy weight: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html

Stay up to date with the latest and most accurate information on COVID-19:

• Idaho’s Coronavirus website: see a timeline, the most current data on cases, vaccine, and more.
• Idaho Rebounds website
• One.Idaho.gov
• CDC COVID-19 website

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for daily updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.