Referrals

Our Process

1) Referral

  • A referral should be made as soon as the family is made aware of the their baby's clefting condition. This may be before or shortly after birth.
  • Individuals already diagnosed with a clefting condition or an incompetent speech mechanism may be referred at any time.
  • Referrals can be made by parents, medical and/or non-medical professionals, schools or other community agencies.

Referrals can be made to the Institute by calling our office at (814) 314-0048 or visiting us at 4950 West 23 Street, Erie, PA in the Achievement Center building.

2) Initial Visit

  • During the initial visit, each child and their immediate family is seen by every discipline of the team in order to examine the child and establish baseline information. Education regarding the role of each professional and their level of involvement during the various stages of treatment is also provided.
  • Clincial staffing is held at the end of each clinic, and team members make recommendations regarding care and follow up for each child. The family then receives a letter detailing the team's recommendations for care, community referrals and clinic follow up.

3) Follow Up

  • The Clinical Director is responsible for assisting families in the process of scheduling appointments for additional services, making community referrals, coordinating services, obtaining records from other service providers and following through with additional clinic visits.