Healthcare Transition

Healthcare transition planning helps youth with special healthcare needs identify the knowledge and skills they need to manage their chronic health condition. The planning process also educates and supports youth to become as independent as possible.

NH resources

NH resources for the transition to adult healthcare

A Family Toolkit: Pediatric-to-Adult Health Care Transition (PDF, 26 pages, 2021) is from Got Transition, and used as a valuable resource in New Hampshire. It was designed for youth with and without special healthcare needs and their parents/caregivers. It has different timelines and things to think about.
Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs at NH Department of Health and Human Services.
New Hampshire Family Voices (NHFV) provides free, confidential services to families and professionals caring for children with chronic conditions and/or disabilities.
- Their Healthcare Transition page has a bunch of downloadable tools and resources, including a four-card set on managing appointments, medications, health insurance and health information.
- If a youth is eligible, it’s important to have the correct waiver and type of Medicaid to continue services as an adult.
The TRAQ (Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire) (PDF, 1 page, 2021) helps youth, their parents and their providers measure youth readiness for adult healthcare. More about the TRAQ. This is a national resource used frequently in New Hampshire. The four areas are:
- - managing medications
  - appointment keeping
  - tracking health issues
  - talking with providers
Healthcare Transition Matters Podcast Series, created by NH Family Voices, answers your questions about healthcare transition. Podcasts are all under 10 minutes long.
YEAH (Youth for Education Advocacy and Healthcare) Advisory Council of NH provides tools to teens and young adults with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Ready Set Go! Healthcare Checklist (PDF, 18 pages, 2014) developed by New Hampshire Family Voices.
Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare is a 43-minute recording of a Spring 2023 presentation by Sylvia Pelletier from NH Family Voices. Sylvia covered how to identify healthcare needs in transition planning and to infuse them into the high school exiting process. The actual presentation starts about three minutes into the video. Pediatric to Adult Healthcare PPT slides (PDF)
NHCarePath connects you to information, assistance, and care throughout New Hampshire, from caregiver resources and services for disability, independent living, and aging, to counseling and financial planning tools. NHCarePath also connects you to statewide partners that provide services and supports, including Area Agencies offering developmental services, Community Mental Health Centers Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and ServiceLink.
Maneuvering the Maze (PDF, 144 pages, 2022) from New Hampshire Family Voices is a resource guide for families and professionals to find resources throughout the state from birth to adulthood.

National and other states resources

National and other states resources for the transition to adult healthcare

Got Transition is a federally funded website that helps young adults with disabilities and their families, as well as clinicians, as they transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. The website’s tools and resources provide a roadmap with an eye toward better health outcomes and family and patient satisfaction. Among the many resources are:
- For healthcare clinicians: Do you want to learn more about health care transition? (PDF, 1 page, 2021)
- For youth and families: Do you want to learn about transitioning to adult health care? (PDF, 1 page, 2021)
- Six Core Elements of Healthcare Transition is an evidence-informed, structured healthcare transition process. It has free, customizable tools and implementation guides.
Transition Timeline for Children and Adolescents with Special Healthcare Needs (PDF, 2 pages, 2016) from Shriner’s Hospitals and University of Washington. Starts at birth.
Adolescent Health Transition Project was funded by the Washington State Department of Health through 2012. While some links no longer work it is still chock full of good information and tools.