News

For children with complex medical needs, home is more than a place - it is where love, healing, and belonging begin. Yet across Pennsylvania, hundred of children live in hospitals or pediatric care facilities, not because their families cannot care for them, but because the right supports, coordination, or funding are missing.

Thanks to extraordinary philanthropic investment, Achieva is working to change that reality. 

Through a $1 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and a $1 million Blue Cross Blue Shield grant from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Achieva has launched a transformative initiative designed to help children with complex medical needs return home - and stay there. These grants are funding direct family supports while also strengthening Achieva's infastructure, including the implementation of a new case management system that improves program administration, ensures regulatory compliance, and supports the delivery of high-quality, person-centered care.

"Donations like these allow us to build what hasn't existed before," Kolleen Johnson, Senior Vice President, Achieva Supports. "They're not just funding services - they're funding possibility."

At the heart of this initiative is a deeply held belief: children belong with their families. While pediatric care facilities play an important role, long-term institutionalization can occur simply because families lack access to coordinated care, trained providers, or the financial resources needed to manage complex medical needs at home. 

Achieva's approach begins by listening. Staff meet with families, providers, and community partners to understand what each child truly needs to thrive at home. From there, supports are built around those needs - often by coordinating multiple funding sources and partners to create solutions that don't currently exist. 

"This is about assisting with complex care by identifying gaps and then building what's missing," Kolleen explained. 

For many families, the barriers are practical and painfully specific. One child was medically ready to return home after living in a pediatric care facility for years. His family was prepared, and his care plan was clear - but there was no funding available for specialized training required to support his transition home. Through funding partnerships - Achieva can now help provide timely resoures to cover costs that often fall through the cracks: specialized training, air filtration systems, home modifications, retrofitted wheelchairs, and durable medical equipment that make a home safe and accessible.

"As we roll this out, we'll continue building the resoures families need," Kolleen said. "This is a long-term commitment."

The program is led by Autum Scott, whose experience and compassion shape every aspect of the work. Autum began her career at Adelphoi Village, supporting youth with significant trauma and dual diagnoses in residential treatment settings. "I learned how important it is to meet people where they are," Autum said. 

Since joining Achieva in 2012, Autum has managed 26 community homes, overseeing teams of specialists and supervisors and coordinating complex behavioral and medical supports for people with intellectual developmental disabilities. Her leadership style is rooted in person-centered planning, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. 

"Autum Scott is an incredible partner," Kolleen added. "She's compassionate, resourceful and an ultimate problem solver. She will figure out what families need and make it happen."

While nursing expertise is essential in medically complex care, Achieva intentionally structured this program around coordination and partnership. Autum serves as a connector - bringing together families, nurses, providers, and systems to ensure supports are aligned and responsive. 

"It's not where it's going to end," Autum said. "It's where it will start."

Achieva is also leading the way at the state level. The organization is one of the first providers in Pennsylvania to deliver the Family Medical Support Service (FMSS), a new, dual-delivered model that includes both a coordinator and a nurse. FMSS is designed for children who are medically complex but do not meet the highest levels of need required for family life-sharing - families who often fall into the gap before a crisis occurs. 

The program officially launched February 1, initially offering two core supports and services. Even before the launch, families have already reached out, underscoring both the need for - and the promise of - this work.

Achieva is also strengthening external partnerships, meeting with State Deputy Secretary, collaborating with medically complex care teams in Allegheny County, and participating in state-wide capacity-building efforts. 

For Autum, the purpose is simple and deeply human. "As a parent, I can't imagine not having my child in my home," she said. "These are kids - and they deserve to be with their families."