Health care programs that provide multidisciplinary education, training and support regarding recommended therapeutic regimens, medical procedures and self-care for adults, adolescents and/or children who have undergone surgery or who have chronic conditions (such as diabetes, asthma/COPD, kidney disease/ESRD, heart disease/hypertension and AIDS) that require ongoing management, and/or for family members who may be involved in their care or affected by their condition. The objective of these programs is to empower patients to manage their own chronic conditions in partnership with their health care providers. Chronic disease self management assistance may be provided in a variety of settings including classes/workshops, individual counseling sessions and as home-based services, particularly in situations where conditions in the home have an impact on the individual's illness. Chronic diseases are illnesses that are prolonged, do not resolve spontaneously, and are rarely cured completely.

Programs that help people of all ages who have juvenile or adult diabetes understand and manage their illness. Services may include screening programs for early identification of the condition and associated complications; establishment of a treatment regimen; patient education; and self-management skills development assistance which may focus on use of insulin and drugs to control blood sugar levels, blood glucose monitoring, dietary management in different environments (at home, at work, in school, while dining out), menu planning, the role of exercise in relation to food intake, hygienic measures such as foot care and ways to reduce the likelihood of diabetes-related complications which may include heart disease, kidney failure, amputation, nerve damage and blindness. Included are programs that provide comprehensive preventive, diagnostic and treatment services on an inpatient or outpatient basis as well as less formal programs that emphasize education and may provide any combination of supportive services such as case management, assistance in obtaining needed products and services, and assistance in following the prescribed treatment regimen. Diabetes is a chronic, incurable disease in which the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to allow the body to adequately metabolize sugar.

Programs that maintain information about community resources that are appropriate for a specific target group or human services sector (for example, youth programs or addiction services) and which link individuals who are in need of specialized services with appropriate resources and/or which provide information about community agencies and organizations that offer specialized services.

Programs that publish and distribute directories of agencies that provide human services for residents of the community and/or resource lists. Included are programs that produce directories/lists that focus on a specific geographical area, service category or target group as well as those that produce a comprehensive directory of all community resources.

A disorder in which the pancreas produces too little insulin with the result that the body is unable to adequately metabolize sugar. Principal symptoms are elevated blood sugar, sugar in the urine, excessive urine production and increased food intake. Complications of diabetes if left untreated include low resistance to infections leading to a susceptibility to gangrene, cardiovascular and kidney disorders, disturbances in the electrolyte balance and eye disorders, some of which may lead to blindness.