Dear Members and Friends,

Congress is in recess, and that can mean only one thing – local advocacy! Given the state budget situation, we need to focus our energy where it can make a difference for school health centers, and that is in federal health care reform.

With advocates weighing in on all sides, we need to make sure that school health centers stay on the radar and in the legislation. Congressional representatives are back in their home districts, and we urge you to contact their offices and invite them (or their staff) to tour your site. With schools gearing up for the new year, it's a great time for them to see a school health center in action. If your center is still closed, you can meet with your representative in his/her local office. Any visit, tour, or even phone call with a legislator or staff is helpful! If you want to set up a visit, please look at NASBHC's Recess Outreach packet and contact our Communications Director, Dara Tom.

We are also pleased to announce that CSHC is offering members scholarships to the School Wellness Conference, Oct. 6-7 in Anaheim, hosted by the California School Boards Association. Not a CSHC member? Now is a great time to join because our membership year starts Sept. 1st.

Serena Clayton
Executive Director

State Policy Updates

SBHCs and Stimulus Funding for Electronic Medical Records
A sizable component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is “incentive payments” for safety net providers that implement electronic medical records (EMR). The maximum payment will be $65,000 per provider for five years. School health center providers may be eligible for these funds. If you work for an FQHC, you will most likely be eligible and should connect with your parent organization to be sure the EMR they adopt will meet the needs of the school health center. CSHC is working with other non-FQHC safety net providers to create the broadest possible eligibility for these funds.

A Visit with Rep. George Miller
CSHC organized a district meeting with Congressman George Miller (Contra Costa County), the chairman of the House's Committee on Education and Labor. Kathy Hahn, nurse practitioner from Vallejo City Unified brought a parent who explained the importance of the school health center for his children. Bianca LaChaux, health center director at Kennedy High School in Richmond, brought a student who described the health center's role in supporting her through school and toward a future career as a nurse practitioner. Congressman Miller is a strong supporter of school health services and is interested in working with us as federal legislation for education takes shape in the coming year. (Shown in photo at left (L to R): Bianca La Chaux, Serena Clayton, Bre'Onna Wills, George Miller, Kathy Hahn, Tomas Sanchez)

Healthy Families Update
The First 5 California Board held a special session August 13 to address the budgetary shortcomings facing the Healthy Families Program this year. The board unanimously approved a motion to fund the Healthy Families program with $81.4 million dollars to pay for the health care premiums and related enrollment expenses for eligible children ages 0-5 years and will help cover 200,000 low-income qualifying children. The funding starts August 13, 2009 through June 30, 2010 and will come from four accounts: Media, Education, Child Care and Research.

However, an enrollment freeze is still in effect which will prevent approximately 333,735 wait-listed children from enrolling. Disenrollments are also going to occur. All those who filed an Annual Enrollment Report (AER) in June, July or August will remain enrolled until June 30, 2010. Those children whose AER was to be filed in September and later will be disenrolled from Healthy Families. This number amounts to 669,296 children being disenrolled beginning October 1, 2009. In total, 1,003,030 qualifying children will be impacted after October 1, 2009.

The motion also addresses that if the California Children and Families Act (enabling legislation that created the First 5 program) were to be revised or amended, the board will hold a special meeting in order to make sure that the monetary aid given to Healthy Families remains compliant with the Act. For more information go to the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board website. (Thank you to the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California for this update.)

School Health Centers Census…It's Not Too Late!
Our thanks to all the school health center staff who have thus far taken the time to complete the triennial NASBHC census. This data will be invaluable to us moving forward as we rely on this information to provide accurate, current information on the great work that all of California 's school health centers are doing. A special thanks to all those who met the deadline and entered our early bird raffle. The winner of the $200 prize for a staff party was Lowell High School Wellness Center in San Francisco. Also a reminder...it's not too late! We are aiming for 100% participation from all California school health centers. We're currently at 80% completed, with another 12 centers that have started it. To complete the survey, go to the NASBHC website. Please contact Samantha Blackburn if you need assistance or have questions.

Strengthening the Role of School Health Centers in Obesity Prevention
We applaud the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Stephen Bechtel Fund who are committed to make an exciting investment in school health centers in Oakland. The Foundation and the Fund have launched the Oakland School Health and Wellness Program to promote nutrition and physical activity at school sites through careful integration of wellness activities with the work of school based health centers. They are currently seeking proposals which demonstrate a coordinated approach between the SBHC, a Wellness Champion, the school site administration, and other relevant community/county agencies. For details on how to apply for this opportunity, please see the RFP.

Member Feedback on NASBHC Convention
CSHC welcomed 25 California-based attendees at the NASBHC convention in Florida where we spent three very busy days enjoying workshops and networking. Here's what some of those who attended had to say:

“I found it valuable to listen to the variety of strategies that are being used to improve the sustainability of SBHCs throughout the nation. It was a great opportunity to network with our California colleagues.” --Rene Gonzalez, Assistant Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District

“The NASBHC convention was especially inspiring for me this year. I see more potential in furthering school health centers than ever before. I came back to California remembering why I love this work and the people who join me in this effort. The setting in Hollywood , Florida could not have been more beautiful.” –- Jan Marquard , Director, School Health Services for the Northeast Valley Health Corp.

“While there were many components of this year's NASBHC conference that made the trip to Miami Beach more than worthwhile – the absolute highlight for me was the SBHC site visits to North Miami Beach middle school and high school. I came back feeling inspired and motivated by the incredible work they are doing and the innovative partnerships they've created. One of the best conferences I've been to in a long time, and all in a very relaxing tropical atmosphere!” -– Serena Kirk, Policy Director, California Primary Care Association

Start planning for June 2010 in Washington , D.C.!

CSHC Launches New Membership Year
The California School Health Centers Association is committed to providing a strong voice for school health centers among policy makers, educators, community leaders, parents and students. Our dedicated staff is out meeting with organizations, elected officials, government agencies and other interested parties throughout the state representing the needs and interests of school health centers.

By becoming a member of CSHC you are joining this movement to make school health centers an integral part of the health care and educational systems. Your support will:

• Strengthen our voice in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
• Provide assistance to communities seeking to start school health centers
• Help expand and sustain existing school health centers
• And build hope and opportunity for all students

Expanded Membership Program
CSHC's membership year runs from September 1 - August 31. Our Individual and Organization Memberships provide a variety of valuable benefits including: conference discounts, scholarship opportunities, technical resources and special recognition.

We have also added new membership levels this year for those organizations and individuals wanting to increase the impact of their membership by joining at a higher level and becoming one of our special Champions for Healthy Kids or Advocates for Student Success. Join today to activate your membership and become eligible for upcoming scholarship opportunities and other membership benefits.

New Partnership Opportunities
We are pleased to announce that we have also added new ways for companies and organizations to partner with us and be recognized for their support of the movement to put health care where kids are. From year-long partnerships to specific sponsorship opportunities, we offer a wide range of promotional opportunities. For details, please contact Associate Director, Kristin Andersen or call her at 510-268-1160.  

Youth Board News
New Youth Coordinators, Denise Felix and George Chacon, are planning to broaden the scope of youth board work regionally in the areas of technical assistance, policy and advocacy, and fieldwork/outreach. The next Youth Board meeting will be held this Fall. Three new Youth Board members will be joining the group: Amber Moore, a graduate of Fremont High School in Oakland who is now attending CSU Chico; Dale Maglalang a graduate of John Marshall High School (LA) who is now attending UC Davis; and Jessica Guevara, a graduate of Manual Arts High School (LA) who now attends USC.

Back-to-School Tools!
This is the time of year when many school health centers and other school health providers can most effectively reach out to students and their families. CSHC has pulled together a number of related resources and tools to help with your back-to-school activities, including parent engagement, immunizations, H1N1 prevention, and free- and reduced-price lunch enrollment.

Parent Engagement Toolkit
How did the summer fly by so fast? Back to school is right around the corner, bringing with it the perfect opportunity for school health centers to think about how to better engage both kids and their families. In that spirit, CSHC has developed a Parent Engagement Toolkit that includes strategies, case studies, tips, quizzes, interviews, and staff development activities geared toward strengthening the connection between school health centers and families in the new school year.

Prevent the Spread of Pandemic H1N1 2009
Read the latest news on the spread of Pandemic H1N1 2009, and find updates on schools' and health professionals' roles and responsibilities, current prevention and treatment recommendations, and related H1N1 links and resources on CSHC's new Tools web page on Communicable Disease Prevention.

Immunize Students
Find all the information you need to: plan your Fall immunization clinic; review students' records for appropriate immunization status; understand school exclusion guidelines for students out of compliance with immunization requirements; and educate staff, students and families about both required and recommended vaccines to stay healthy. See our immunizations web page.

Bring $ Into Your School: Assist with Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications
Did you know that schools receive Title I funding from the federal government based on how many students' parents/guardians complete the free and reduced price meal applications and qualify for the program? Title I funding has been increased in the federal stimulus package, and may be used for academic interventions, as well as student health and support programs. Read more about Title I funding at our web page: Federal Stimulus Package: Opportunities for School Health Centers. Help your school draw down its full Title I allocation by assisting parents and guardians in completing the meal application during school registration; and keep a stack of forms in the health center. This could, in turn, help the sustainability of your school health center!