Great Plains Healthy Start has been serving families of the Great Plains Region since 1992. As one of the original 15 Healthy Start programs in the nation funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Northern Plains Healthy Start is proud to continue this tradition of supporting American Indian families to ensure every child gets the chance they deserve to have a "healthy start" in life.
Today, there are 87 Healthy Start programs across the country sharing two common goals: “Improve women’s health before, during, and after pregnancy” and “Help families care for their infants through their first 2 years so they are healthy and ready to learn.”
Northern Plains Healthy Start is a community-based program utilizing paraprofessional Community Health Workers to deliver a variety of services to women and childbearing age, their partners, and children from birth to 24 months. The services that we provide are free and the only eligibility requirements are that you reside in one of seven Healthy Start communities in North and South Dakota.
Our Services
Case Management
Healthy Start’s case managers provide a variety of services to help individuals design a case-specific to their needs. Together, our clients and their case managers will determine how often they meet. Some services case managers offer include: assessment to determine an individual’s needs and identify potential barriers to a healthy pregnancy, help to meet those needs and reduce the barriers, support to complete paperwork and apply for services, advocacy in providing services, help to find resources, job search counseling, help with budgeting, and encouragement to help our clients reach their goals.
Health & Life Skills Education
Our Community Health Workers are trained to provide our clients with the latest information on prenatal and postpartum care, family planning, child development, and infant and toddler care. They also help clients with basic life skills such as organization, cooking, meal planning, budgeting, and more.
Screening and Referral
Our Community Health Workers can help clients identify problems with depression, addiction, relationship problems, completing educational goals, smoking cession, and more. Referrals to professionals are provided to help our clients and their children thrive.
Home Visiting
Our Community Health Workers provide home visiting services to bring first-class Health and Life Skills education right into our clients’ homes, using the Family Spirit curriculum. Culturally appropriate education modules make learning easy interesting, and fun.
Enabling Services
Healthy Start provides transportation for clients to prenatal, postpartum, and well-child appointments, as well as accompaniment services for those who may be nervous about visiting a doctor.
Staff
-
Andrea McCauley (Crow Creek Sioux Tribe) - Program Manager
-
Monta Little Soldier (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) - Administrative Assistant
-
Joe Tyon (Oglala Sioux Tribe) - Fatherhood Program Coordinator
-
Miranda Muehl (Oglala Sioux Tribe) - CHA, Rapid City
-
Becky Diehm - CHA, Crow Creek
-
Marlo Free (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) - CHA, Standing Rock
-
Tina LaFountain (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) - CHA, Turtle Mountain
-
Selena Olvera (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate) - CHA, Sisseton
