Spring 1999 ~ Newsletter
Insurance Issues and Cystic Fibrosis
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CRS Serves The Children Of Alabama
by Joanna Abens, RN BS
Children's Rehabilitation Services (CRS), a division of the Department of Rehabilitation Services, serves children with special health care needs. CRS provides a vast array of specialty medical services through a network of community partnerships throughout the state of Alabama. CRS provides six programs:
* information and referral* clinical evaluation* clinical medical* patient / family education* care coordination* parent connection
These programs are offered through 15 community - based offices throughout the state and the new Children's Hospital clinic office in Birmingham.Services are available to any resident with special health care needs under the age of 21, while consumers with hemophilia are eligible for services beyond the age of 21. Families can receive services regardless of their income. Financial participation is on a sliding scale based on each case. Treatment options are varied ranging from physical, occupational, and speech therapies to dental and surgical services. CRS has created a system of care for children with special health care needs that is comprehensive, coordinated, and community - based, family centered and culturally sensitive. Also, since CRS is located in the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, children are eligible at age 16 for referral to Vocational Rehabilitation Services. VRS is an employment and job training program for adolescents and adults with disabilities. Counseling and guidance, job skills training, technology assessments and job placement services are available. The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services seeks to enable Alabama's children and adults with disabilities to achieve their maximum potential. If you have additional questions, please contact Joanna Abens at (205)939-5900 or at 1-(800)-285-9318.