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ENewsletter December 2009
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CSHC 2010 Regional Conference Registration Now Open |
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Message from the Executive Director |
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Policy Updates |
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News from the Field |
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CSHC News |
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Tools & Resources |
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Conferences & Workshops |
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Spotlight on: Palomar and Southwest High School Health Centers |
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Message from the Executive Director |
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Dear Members and Friends,
We have cleared one federal health care reform hurdle--the House--and are on to the next--the Senate. Our hope is that the Senate will wrap up debate by Dec. 25, and while we feel confident that Senators Boxer and Feinstein will vote for it, we have a long way to go before declaring victory. Please watch your e-mail over the next few weeks for actions you can take to help us keep health care reform moving forward with school health centers included!
Speaking of moving forward, we want to extend our thanks to Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit Program, Northern California Region for helping fuel the momentum of six school health center start-up sites. Kaiser gave a total of $300,000 to these six sites as part of its effort to support healthy communities and to expand the health care safety net. You can read more about Kaiser's generosity by clicking the link.
Thank you for helping us put health care where kids are – in school! 
Serena Clayton
Executive Director |
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 Federal Health Care Reform
First, a note of thanks to everyone who has mobilized on federal health care reform when we've called on you. At a recent high level White House meeting, a top advisor to President Obama made specific reference the effectiveness of the school-based health care movement.
Federal support for school health centers remains part of the health care reform bill being debated in the Senate, and there are no immediate threats to school health centers. Senators Boxer and Feinstein are among the supporters of the Senate bill as it currently stands. NASBHC has prepared a summary of the provisions and language on SBHCs in each bill.
CSHC continues to work closely with NASBHC to shore up support in battleground states. We are currently calling SBHC supporters in Utah and Oklahoma. Please watch your e-mails for CSHC's Call to Action.
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Race to the Top
California is in the process of putting together its application for the federal Race to the Top competition for $4.3 billion for school reform. CSHC has been working with other advocates to fund full-service community schools in this application. In addition, we are advocating for the collection of attendance data by individual students as part of the CALPADS data system so that rates and causes of chronic absence can be determined. This information would help make the case for student health and support services that address absenteeism.
Opportunities for school health: Currently the state is looking for districts to participate in the proposal. This involves signing an MOU with the state which may raise union issues well beyond the control of school health advocates. However, if your district signs the MOU, we recommend that you offer school health services as a strategy for the district to improve attendance and "turn around low-performing schools." These services are not a priority in Race to the Top but could be included. If you have questions, contact CSHC's Executive Director Serena Clayton at 510-268-1310 or email her.
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Assembly Select Committee Addresses Health and Education
The Assembly Select Committee on Communities and Schools chaired by Assemblymember Tom Torlakson hosted two events focused on the relationship between student health and academic success. On November 3rd, a legislative forum was held at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and on December 1st, a workshop for legislative staff and stakeholders was held at the Capitol. Both events featured the results of a research synthesis funded by The California Endowment, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and James Irvine Foundation as part of The California Education Supports Project.
 "For too long California has addressed health and education as separate issues often resulting in conflicting policies that fail to take into account their interdependence," said Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment. “Our goal with the California Education Supports Project is to identify actionable strategies to improve the way that health is addressed in our schools and in our communities.”
"Student health must be on California's education reform agenda if we ever expect to address the achievement gap and dropout rate," said Assemblymember Tom Torlakson, Chair of the Assembly Select Committee.
Serena Clayton, CSHC Executive Director, spoke at both Select Committee events which featured school health centers at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento.
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News from the Field
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Columbus Middle School SBHC Sends Thank You to Congressman Waxman
 Columbus Middle School, is one of the four school health centers in Congressman Henry Waxman's district. Congressman Waxman is one of the chief architects of the House health care reform bill and was instrumental in getting school health centers included. Staff, students, and parents at Columbus posed for a photo to create two large thank you posters for the Congressman. One poster was mailed to Washington DC. Back at home in Los Angeles, LA Coalition members (Louise McCarthy of Community Clinic Association of LA County, Karen Lauterbach of Venice Family Clinic, and Sang Leng Trieu of CSHC) presented the second poster to Waxman's district director who was so pleased that she asked for an electronic copy to post on the Congressman's website. During the tense health care reform debate, a little show of appreciation can go a long way! |
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School Health Centers Get $300,000 Boost From Kaiser
Partnership has its rewards. CSHC, working in partnership with Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit Program, Northern California Region, helped six schools and/or partner agencies receive a total of $300,000 to support the start-up of new school health centers. The Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Program, Northern California Region, selected six school communities in the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area to receive a one-time grant of $50,000 each as part of Kaiser's effort to support healthy communities and to expand the health care safety net. 
Kaiser coordinated with CSHC to select communities that wanted to start school health centers and had firm commitments from the local school district as well as health care agencies that will deliver needed health services on campus. CSHC assisted with identifying the six school health center start-up communities, developing the grant proposals, and hosting conference calls between Kaiser and the selected communities. The grants will support the school health center start-up process, including conducting community planning and needs assessments, developing clinic infrastructure, and establishing billable school health services.
The six schools (and their districts) that received funding are:
- West Fresno Elementary School (West Fresno Unified School District) Healthy Start Services, Riverbank (Riverbank Unified School District)
- CK McClatchy High School (Sacramento City Unified School District)
- Franklin High School (Stockton Unified School District)
- Pinole Valley High School (West Contra Costa Unified School District)
- De Anza High School (West Contra Costa Unified School District )
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New School Health Center Opens in Sacramento
City and school officials in Sacramento helped Hiram Johnson High School celebrate the grand opening of its new school health center, an effort that has been nine years in the making. The school district is partnering with Health for All and volunteer dentists to launch the center. Services are free to Hiram Johnson High School students, and over the next year, the clinic will expand services to the local community. Follow the link to read the story and see the news video from ABC News10. Congratulations to Hiram Johnson High School!
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El Cerrito High School Open House 
El Cerrito High School's school health center is celebrating its new site with a community open house on Thursday, January 14, 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., with a brief program at 5:30 p.m. The center is being re-named the James Morehouse Project in honor of the high school's student supervisor who spent 35 years supporting the school, students, and staff.
The James Morehouse Project is located in Room A210. The center is located on north side of campus and is accessible from the parking lot on Eureka Avenue. For more information, contact 510-524-8252 or send an e-mail to Jenn Rader. |
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CSHC Board Member and Youth Board Members in the News
The school-based health center movement is getting a lot of positive news coverage recently with four appearances in daily newspapers throughout California. 
CSHC Board Member Linda Crawford was quoted in the Orange County Register in a story about H1N1 vaccination clinics. The story noted how the county partnered with schools, school health centers and school nurses to vaccinate students.
Two CSHC Youth Board members had their letters to the editor published after writing about the benefits of school health centers. Daniel Yim's letter appeared in the The Sun in San Bernardino and Nzugu Kitenge had letters published in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Modesto Bee. |
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Spotlight on: Palomar and Southwest High School Health Centers
The health centers at Palomar High School in Chula Vista and Southwest High School in San Diego are a three-way partnership between the Scripps Family Medicine Residency Program, San Ysidro Health Center, and the Sweetwater Union High School District . “Because of this three-way commitment, no one party is carrying the full financial burden to support the health centers for the long-term,” explains Dr. Shaila Serpas of Scripps. “That's really helped us with sustainability issues.” Read the full spotlight. |
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CSHC's 2010 Regional Conferences Are Coming to You! Register Now
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Fresno, February 19
Los Angeles, March 9
Oakland, April 21
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- Do you want to start a school health center or build a new partnership with a community clinic or a school?
- Are you confused about the interface of HIPAA and FERPA in your school health center?
- Do you want to improve your school health programs so they explicitly support student success in school?
- Are you ready to grow school-based nutrition and physical activity programs?
- Looking for new fundraising strategies in these difficult economic times?
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If you answered yes to any of the above, then register today to attend the CSHC regional conference closest to you!
Our conferences will be an outstanding opportunity to network with and learn from local school and community health leaders and experts on a range of topics. Space is limited. To learn more and register now please go to our Conference web page. |
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Conference Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship levels range from $300-$5,000, with opportunities to exhibit at one conference or all three. You may also choose to have a representative in-person or send information to be displayed on an exhibit table. Please follow the link for more information on sponsorship opportunities , or email Kristin Andersen , Assistant Director, or contact her at 510-268-1160. |
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CSHC Membership Continues to Grow
A big THANK YOU to our new and returning members.
Since the start of our new membership year on September 1, more than 80 individuals and organizations have joined forces with us in support of school health centers by making a contribution at or above the membership level ($100 for individuals and $200 for organizations).
In addition to having the satisfaction of knowing they are helping to grow the school health center movement in California, our members also receive a variety of benefits including conference discounts, access to special tools and resources (such as our Vision to Reality: How to Build a School Health Center from the Ground Up), and notification of funding opportunities.
If you are not yet a member, it is not too late to join. Sign up today and help us reach our goal of 200 members this year! |
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Youth Board Members Discuss Youth Outreach Strategies
Members of the CSHC Youth Board were invited to participate in a recent panel sponsored by the California Family Health Council (CFHC). The event included a number of school health centers who had been awarded CFHC Education Partnership to Increase Chlamydia Screening (EPICS) grants. Youth board members discussed various strategies health centers could use to engage youth in outreach services, particularly peer health education. Attendees were very appreciative of the strategies and insights provided by Youth Coordinator George Chacon and Youth Board members Nidia Escobar and Jessica Guevara. |
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Quality Assessment & Improvement in School Mental Health
The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) has a webinar and a web-based tool for quality assessment and improvement (QAI) in school mental health programs. The MHPET (Mental Health Planning and Evaluation Template) is an online assessment tool that can be used in evaluating activities and services across the field of school-based mental health. This tool can be used for new or established school mental health programs. This tool is available to everyone, however you will have to register with NASBHC and obtain an ID before you begin. Follow this link to view the QAI in School Mental Health Webinar. Learn more about the Mental Health Planning and Evaluation Template (MHPET). |
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Kidsdata.org Is Now Statewide: Find Data for Every City, School District, and County in California
Data on the health and well being of children across California is now more accessible than ever before. Kidsdata.org, a children's health website developed by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, just expanded statewide, offering data for all counties, cities, and school districts in California -- nearly 1,600 regions. Data are available for dozens of topics measuring the health and well being of children, and much more data will be phased in throughout 2010.
Learn how kids in your community are faring.
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Kids Video on How to Prevent the Spread of Germs
Seeking a fun way to reinforce the importance of following common sense preventive measures in order to reduce the risk of infection and prevent the spread of disease, Aetna turned to an unlikely group of "experts." Children ranging in age from 11 months to 13 years share their unique perspective on preventing the spread of germs in a short video. We've all heard the advice about carefully washing your hands and covering your cough, but sometimes kids say it best. After all, who knows more about germs than kids? You can view the video on YouTube or on the Aetna website.
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Conferences & Workshops
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CSHC 2010 Regional Conferences
Sponsor: CSHC
Dates: 19 February, 9 March, and 21 April 2010
Locations: Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland
Registration now open! See above for details or go to our Conference web page.
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Academic Success Toolkit Webinar
Sponsor: NASBHC
Date: 15 December 2009 (12:00 to 1:30 pm PST)
Contact: Adrienne Ammerman, 202-639-5872
This webinar will demonstrate the utility of NASBHC's Academic Success Toolkit and teach participants how to use it to recruit education stakeholders to become school health center champions. There will also be a discussion on the multimedia approach of the toolkit and an overview of how the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers is implementing statewide evaluations of school health centers. To register, please go to the NASBHC website.
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Basics of Rapid HIV Testing (Audio Conference)
Sponsor: Center for Health Training
Date: 3 February 2010 (12:00 to 1:30 pm PST)
Contact: Center for Health Training
For health centers that have been providing conventional HIV testing, adding the option of rapid testing can be exciting and challenging. There are many issues to address before offering this service, including financial considerations, staff training, handling reactive results, and clinic flow. This audio conference will walk you through the issue to consider when integrating rapid HIV testing into your current menu of services.
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Counseling Teens
Sponsor: Center for Health Training
Date: 13 January 2010 (8 am to 12 pm or 1 to 5 pm)
Location: Sacramento CA
Contact: Center for Health Training
This workshop examines the culture of adolescence; stages of adolescent development; healthy sexuality; how to develop and maintain rapport with teen clients, and counseling strategies for working with teens.
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