Family Planning Services

Purpose:

To provide Family Planning guidelines to Community Services Office (CSO) staff for providing educational, medical and social services to all Washington Apple Health eligible men and women, helping them become self-sufficient and avoid unintended pregnancy by planning and spacing the birth of their children.

WAC 182-532-100 - FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES

Guidelines

CSO workers are not expected to be Family Planning medical experts. CSO staff provide individuals with needs assessment and information about family planning services.

Individuals can access the WithinReach website for additional information about family planning services, such as pregnancy testing and birth control.

Family Planning Program Objectives

  1. Reduce unintended pregnancies using state and local partnerships.
  2. Provide all eligible and potentially eligible men and women with information about, and linkage to, available family planning services per WAC 182-532-100.
  3. Reduce publicly funded maternity costs from unintended pregnancies.
  4. Educate men and women about:
    • Available family planning health services,
    • The variety of birth control methods to help plan, if or when, to have another child,
    • The cost of raising children,
    • Barriers that unintended pregnancies create in becoming self-sufficient, and
    • The best use of TANF and Washington Apple Health resources.

Family Planning Services

  1. Services are provided at local Family Planning clinics or other medical provider agencies.
  2. Services may be covered under
    1. Washington Apple Health, or
    2. The Take Charge Family Planning program.
    3. Information about services is offered by any CSO or Customer Service Center staff, with social service case workers as the lead experts in motivating and educating men and women to access services. The social service case worker may help ensure the individual is linked to a Family Planning Provider via WithinReach.

Upfront Screening

  1. The CSO case managers and Customer Service Center staff play a critical role in providing individuals with information and links to Family Planning services.
  2. All men and women are to be provided information about available services, where to access services or a referral to the social service case worker upon request to discuss the benefits of Family Planning Services.
  3. All TANF clients must receive a minimum set of information about Family Planning services as listed at https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/chapter-1-engaging-parents-workfirst/13-front-screening-and-referrals

Worker Responsibilities 

What Happens After the Client is Referred to a Social Worker to discuss Family Planning?

  1. Inform all referred men and women of available benefits and services under the Family Planning program.
  2. Inform them they have family planning resources available under Washington Apple Health coverage.
  3. Ensure that Family Planning information, pamphlets, brochures, and local provider lists are provided to the individual.
  4. Refer the individuals to the WithinReach website for information on birth control and family planning services.

Best Practices 

  1. Conduct an assessment of the client’s needs and barriers to self-sufficiency with regard to family planning. Arrange for other services as needed (such as shelter, clothing, food, mental health, etc.).
  2. Collaborate with local Family Planning agencies to provide educational sessions on Family Planning Program services.
  3. Engage in outreach activities in the community to reach eligible or potentially eligible clients and provide program awareness.
  4. Establish relationships with other community agencies to create effective cross agency referrals to Family Planning services. Some examples include Division of Children and Family Services, Chemical Dependency Treatment Centers, Schools, Colleges, and Job Training Programs.
  5. Conduct client follow-up to discuss:
    1. If the client is using method of choice, and
    2. How family planning methods are working.

The social service case worker and case manager need to complete documentation of referrals, actions, and results in eJAS.