35-27-102. Public health nursing infant home visitation subprogram created; eligibility.

(a) There is created the public health nursing infant home visitation subprogram.

(b) Pregnant women, or families with infants, are eligible for services of the program if:

(i) The delivery of the newborn or the prenatal care is paid for, or is eligible to be paid for, under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services 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 Wyoming women's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or is on probation or parole as a result of a conviction of a criminal offense;

(iii) The mother has a mental illness or substance abuse problem and is an inpatient at the Wyoming state hospital, a psychiatric hospital or an inpatient treatment facility, or is referred for services by a community mental health center; or

(iv) The mother is a victim of domestic abuse.

(c) The services provided under the program shall ordinarily be available 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 of special need.

(d) The program shall:

(i) To the extent practical and needed, provide prenatal contacts and follow-up contacts with each eligible pregnant woman. If another agency or program is actually performing adequate prenatal contacts, the program created under this act shall defer to that agency or program, or develop an agreement on a county by county or region by region basis as to which 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 the eligible mother prior to delivery, as soon as practical after the mother and infant return to their home, conduct a welcome home visit for the infant in the family home. During the welcome home visit, the public health nurse may, as appropriate:

(A) Provide information in written, audio or video format on the care and nurturing of infants;

(B) Provide information on recommended immunizations;

(C) Provide available supplies and equipment useful in the caring for infants. The public health nurses may accept donations of such supplies and equipment; and

(D) Assess the infant and the infant's circumstances in accordance with departmental instructions and protocols and, as needed, plan follow-up visits and services and refer the mother to other community or governmental resources, programs and providers.

(e) The department shall:

(i) Establish home visitation subprograms within available resources and shall initially use the following implementation priorities in case 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 and Services Act or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program;

(B) Any pregnant woman or family in need of the services of the program who is referred by an attending physician;

(C) First time births to women who, regardless of age, are eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Act or 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 or substance abuse problem;

(G) Pregnant women or mothers confined to a county jail, the Wyoming women's center or any other correctional facility in the state, or on probation or parole as a result of a conviction for a criminal offense; and

(H) Subsequent pregnancies and births where the woman or family is eligible for assistance under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Act or the women's, infants' and children's supplemental food program.

(ii) Modify the priority list required under paragraph (i) of this subsection as needed;

(iii) Develop or specify protocols for public health nurses to use in the program;

(iv) Provide training for the nurses conducting the visits; and

(v) Where a county or municipal health department or health district exists, contract with the governing body of that department or district:

(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 research based, nonnurse models for home visiting services, as appropriate and indicated by client assessment, to secure the most effective services available for the eligible populations.

(g) The public health nurses responsible for each county shall jointly for that county develop a list of programs, resources and providers to whom referrals may be made and the types of referrals that may be made to each entity. The lists shall be reviewed at least annually with the county health officer, the manager of the department of family services field office serving the county, the preschool developmental disability program serving the county and the county or municipal human services agency or coordinator, if any.

(h) Any physician providing prenatal care or delivering a baby where the care or delivery is eligible for reimbursement under the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Act may, unless contraindicated, refer the expectant mother or the infant to the public health nurse serving the county for placement in the program. Physicians may refer other pregnant women, infants or families to the program as medically needed. The referrals shall begin once the program is operational within the county.