Navigate Life Texas
Online Resource for Parents of Children With Special Health-Care Needs, Texas Health and Human Services CommissionAccolades
Communicator Awards of Distinction
Websites | Family/Parenting
Websites | Health
Services
- Website Creation
- In-Depth Interviews
- Focus Groups
- Program Evaluation
- Content Creation
- Social Media Outreach
TopicS
- Children with Special Healthcare Needs
- Health-care Access
- General Services Awareness
audience
- Parents
- Spanish Speakers
- Service Provider Organizations
- Healthcare Providers
The Challenge
Parents of children with special health-care needs have unique struggles when it comes to caring for their children. It can be difficult for these parents to find helpful resources, connect with other parents, and understand complex systems like schools and insurance. Texas Health and Human Services Commission wanted to find a way to make these families aware of available services and relevant information so they can flourish.
The Research
SUMA conducted focus groups and interviews in English and Spanish in rural and urban settings with over 100 parents of children with special health-care needs to understand their struggles, their needs, and how the state can better communicate about the services available to assist them. This research led to the creation of Navigate Life Texas (NLT), an award-winning website for parents of children with special health-care needs. NLT is an online resource, written predominantly by parents of children with special health-care needs and other experts, and spans topics ranging from early childhood to the transition to adulthood, from health insurance to the education system, and from diagnoses to friendships and beyond. After its creation, SUMA continued to produce and edit website content, and market the site statewide.
The Results
NLT helps families access critical information and has received significant praise from parents, community organizations, healthcare providers, and state legislators.
During the field testing and provider demo processes, almost all parents and providers described the website as helpful, informative, and necessary.
Awards
NLT won two Communicator Awards in 2016: the Award of Distinction for Websites – Family/Parenting and the Award of Distinction for Websites – Health.
Additional Projects