Providing connections to community resources and case management.
Navigation Services
Health Net of West Michigan assists adults and families living in Kent County to connect to community resources and navigate healthcare systems to address social determinants of health (SDoH). We aim to build a community where everyone has equitable access to the resources and information needed to reach their health goals through client-centered case management services.
How We Help
- Connection to community resources
- Explore healthcare coverage options
- Find a doctor or clinic
- Navigate health, behavioral health, and social service systems
Eligibility Requirements
If you have questions regarding eligibility for services, please call 616-726-8204.
CHAP Outcomes
The CHAP demonstration project began in Kent County in July 2008 to improve health outcomes of children on Medicaid while making better use of existing resources and decreasing costs. The program now serves adults and children.
What are the key accomplishments from the CHAP pilot?
An independent evaluation of the CHAP demonstration phase, conducted by SRA International, was released in August 2012. It found that CHAP addresses all aspects of the “three part aim”: better health outcomes, better healthcare, and reduction in the total cost of care.
- At the practice level, emergency department visits declined 5% to 15% over the course of the project, compared to the baseline year.
- Among CHAP clients (those receiving at least one CHAP support service) age 1 to 5, emergency department (ED) visits declined 43%; among CHAP clients age 1 to 17, ED visits declined by 35%.
- When looking at benefits over a two-year period, the social benefits of CHAP exceeded the costs by 53%—a return of $1.53 for every $1 invested.
For additional information about our work, please read:
Participating practices significantly improved the quality and consistency of asthma care by:
23%
in the number of children receiving CHAP asthma services who had an asthma action plan.
54%
in the number of children who improved their scores on an asthma-control test to acceptable levels.
50%
in exposure to tobacco smoke in their home environment among children receiving CHAP asthma services.
78%
in the average number of school days missed due to asthma by children receiving CHAP services.
MI-CHAP Outcomes
In February 2015, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund (MHEF) awarded a two-year grant to the Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW) to implement the Michigan Children’s Health Access Program (MI-CHAP). The program is based on the results of the 2008 CHAP demonstration project in Kent County. CHAP has continued to grow and evolve throughout Kent County and is currently housed at Health Net of West Michigan.
Key accomplishments from the two-year, MI-CHAP implementation:
- Improved access to care for children
- Development of the statewide V-CHAP 2-1-1 system
- Development of clinical-community linkages
- Support for patient-centered medical homes
- Improved health and use of healthcare services for families
- Learning opportunities for CHAP and other stakeholders
- Increased awareness of the CHAP model
- Focused discussions on sustainability
- Securing Medicaid matching funds
- Collaboration with managed care organizations
- Data tracking and sharing
To learn more about the MI-CHAP model implemented in eight counties in Michigan, please read: the
The results of the January 2018 evaluation of MI-CHAP in Kent County supported the demonstration project in 2008-2012, including the overall decrease of acute, inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
| 12 Months Prior | 12 Months After | |
|---|---|---|
| Instances of acute, inpatient hospitalizations | 194 | 78 |
| Emergency department visits | 2,006 | 1,686 |
Provider Resources
What is the process for obtaining services or making a referral?
Clients can engage in our services by calling Health Net at 616-726-8204, or being referred by a primary care practice, human service agency, or a partnering community organization. Clients can seek services from Health Net multiple times and for a variety of reasons. All clients will be asked to participate in a survey about social determinants of health to help identify their needs and to verify that they live in Kent County. Clients will be connected to a case manager who will work alongside them to decide what goals they would like to achieve and work to connect them to resources.