The Iowa Department of Public Health would like Iowans to complete a survey by May 20 to support its application for federal fiscal year 2023 Title V grant funding.

Department staff will use the feedback from the survey both to apply for the funding and plan activities, the introduction to the survey said.

Title V grants from the Health Resources & Services Administration were established through the 1935 Social Security Act. The grants help assure mothers and children, especially those with low incomes or limited availability of care, have access to health care services. Grant funding supports families who need obstetric, pediatric or special health care services.

The grant program requires Iowa to gain public input regarding the priorities, needs and proposed program activities, the department said Monday. The department based its priorities for the five-year grant period on the 2021 Title V Needs Assessment.

Iowans can comment on the grant and the state’s activities related to it or they can report what children’s and families’ needs. Even if Iowans do not have comments or questions about the grant, the department would like them to complete the survey, stating they have no comments, so staff can identify how many people received notification of the survey. Comments are summarized so individuals who contribute them are not identified, the department said.

The department has published the draft, proposed plans state and national performance measures plans for federal fiscal year 2023.

This year, Iowa selected National Performance Measures regarding the following topics:

• Infant breastfeeding.
• Infant sleep safety..
• Pediatric developmental screening with parent-completed screening tools.
• Past-year preventative visits for adolescents.
• Children having a medical home.
• Children receiving services for transitioning to adult health care.
• Dental visits.
• Smoking during pregnancy and percentage of children who live in household where someone smokes.

Iowa’s selected State Performance Measures are the following:

• Pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births.
• Toddlers with blood lead tests in the past year.
• Early childhood education programs that receive child care nurse consultant services.
• Past-year mental health of adolescents.
• Early childhood use of fluoride varnish.
• Title V contractors with plans to identify and address health equity in populations.
• Caregivers of children and youth with special health care needs satisfaction with Title V support services.

“Although we appreciate the significant increase in both federal funding and public dialogue around mental health challenges over the past year that have come out of the pandemic, there is much more that needs to be done,” NAMI Iowa Executive Director Peggy Huppert told The Center Square in an emailed statement Monday. “We know the evidence-based practices that work to help people get better. We just need to be doing them often enough and in enough places to make a difference.”

Iowans can complete the survey here.

This article was originally posted on Iowa Department of Public Health requests public’s help with Title V survey