 |
|
|
| |
ENewsletter February 2010
|
| |
|
| |
CSHC 2010 Regional Conferences |
| |
Message from the Executive Director |
| |
Policy Updates |
| |
News from the Field |
| |
CSHC News |
| |
Tools & Resources |
| |
Conferences & Workshops |
| |
Spotlight on: Fresno County Office of Education Mobile Van |
| |
Job Postings |
| |
Message from the Executive Director |
|
| |
Dear Members and Friends,
So much has changed since our last ENews. In Washington D.C., health care reform is now stalled. Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind) is now in the works. The state of California is facing an even bigger fiscal crisis than ever before, and the Governor's budget puts some programs critical to SBHCs, such as Family PACT and Healthy Families, at risk of cutbacks or elimination.
These are definitely challenging times. At the national level we are working closely with NASBHC to maintain support for school health centers to ensure that they are included as health care reform evolves. We are cultivating new partnerships to advocate more effectively in the education arena. In California, we will be working with other advocates to prevent cuts that would erode the ability of school health centers to serve students and families. We hope you will all hang together with us to make our voice heard.
On that note, our Fresno conference is around the corner (Feb. 19) and Los Angeles and Oakland are not far behind. There is still time to register online for all of these conferences. And don’t forget, members get a discount on registration fees and access to our resources and tools for free.
Serena Clayton
Executive Director |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Back to top
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
 Federal Health Care Reform
Although the health care reform debate has cooled a bit in the public’s eye, we are actively communicating with Democrat and Republican leaders regarding strategies to pass health care reform that includes support for school-based health care. President Obama has called for a bi-partisan Health Care Summit at the White House on Feb. 25th. Until then, we are pursuing any opportunity to inject school-based health care into discussions around reforms to the national health care safety net.
|
| |
|
| |
State Budget Cuts Threaten School Health Centers
Impact of State Budget Cuts on School Based Health Centers
On January 8th, the Governor released his budget proposal for FY2010-11. The Governor utilizes a combination of cuts, federal contributions, and shifting funds in order to close the $19.9 billion gap. The budget includes no new tax increases, and proposes severe cuts to numerous Health and Human Services (HHS) programs, totaling $2.9 billion. A number of the health-related cuts, revenue shifts, and “trigger” mechanisms would have a major impact on school health centers, as many rely on public funding streams in order to leverage other sources. The loss of these funds would force closures and cutbacks that would limit the ability of SBHCs to function as effective safety net providers, forcing patients to seek care at higher level and more costly facilities.
The two proposed cuts we are most concerned about include the elimination of Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Gateway and the elimination of the Family PACT program. Because CHDP Gateway enables SBHCs to be reimbursed based on presumptive eligibility and does not require participation in health plan networks, it is one of the single most important fund streams for SBHCs and enables thousands of children to receive screening and follow-up services, while Family PACT provides reproductive health services for thousands of teens. We are currently reviewing and working with our allies to respond to these proposed cuts. If you have a particular concern about any of the proposed program reductions or elimination, please contact us. Several months ago, we conducted a survey and held several phone calls to get input on how to shape our priorities and will be posting those results shortly. |
| |
|
| |
Back to top
|
| |
News from the Field
|
| |
|
|
| |
Bechtel Foundation Funds Oakland Unified Wellness Initiative
We are pleased to report that the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation is investing $1.25 million to help reduce obesity and chronic disease among high risk youth in Oakland public schools. The Foundation has awarded five schools $50,000 a year for five years to develop model programs. The five schools are: Fremont High School, Oakland High School, Oakland Technical High School, West Oakland Middle School and the Hawthorne elementary/middle school campus. With the Bechtel funding, one or two Wellness Champions at each school site will receive a stipend to coordinate nutrition, physical activity and wellness activities at the school site. The school-based health center will build its capacity to deliver nutrition and physical activity programming and become an integral player in the school's goal of achieving student academic success. The goals will include: strengthening wellness programs at the school sites; increasing engagement of students; improving coordination with all the district's wellness programs and resources; developing model programs; and increasing healthy eating and activity levels among students.
CSHC has worked closely with the Foundation during the proposal process and will be providing ongoing technical assistance to the five schools throughout the project.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Hundreds Celebrate Opening at El Cerrito High School
 Several hundred former and current El Cerrito High School students, community members and local dignitaries recently turned out to celebrate the opening of James Morehouse Project (formerly known as the El Cerrito High School Community Project). The El Cerrito High’s school-based health center was previously housed in a portable off in a distance campus parking lot. The health center moved into new space on the main campus in January 2009 and was renamed The James Morehouse Project. It is complete with two exam rooms and much more space for services such as counseling and academic support.
Mr. Morehouse worked at ECHS for more than two decades as the audio/visual equipment manager but quickly became a beloved figure of support and encouragement to students and staff alike. Former students from as far back as the class of 1970 came to shake hands with Mr. Morehouse and thank him for his support. The celebration included poetry, dance and words of gratitude from current and former students, who reflected on how the James Morehouse Project staff supported them throughout their high school years. Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chairman John Gioia, a graduate of ECHS and longtime supporter of the school-based health center, also spoke of the successful partnership with the school district and other agencies providing services to students.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Input Needed on Comprehensive Sex Education Survey
The Southern California Sexual Health Collaboration, spearheaded by the California Department of Public Health, STD Control Branch, is currently coordinating efforts to promote information sharing around statewide assessments of comprehensive sexual health education. Current efforts include: |
|
| |
- CSHC and California School Boards Association’s assessment of school board members survey on sex education awareness and policy development
- Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties sex education curricula assessment
- TeenNOW California’s assessment of school districts conducting comprehensive sex education. Please take this very brief survey, and pass this link along to anyone else you know who works with sex education, on any level (prevention, intervention, etc.). Thank you for your help!
|
|
| |
If you are working on comprehensive sex education, we would like to hear from you! Please contact Lidia Carlton, MPH, Regional Health Education Coordinator, California Department of Public Health. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Lincoln High School and San Ysidro Health Center Partnership
A partnership between Lincoln High School in San Diego and San Ysidro Health Center was approved recently by the San Diego Unified School District. As a result, the San Ysidro Health Center began bringing their mobile medical unit to Lincoln HS in January. Lincoln High's School Nurse, Kathy Ryan, anticipates full incorporation into their site by April with medical services offered 20 hours a week. The center has already started parenting classes, anger management classes and stress reduction (yoga) at the high school. By March they will be adding a farmers market and healthy cooking classes. To learn more, contact Kathy Ryan.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
School Health Centers in the News
Balboa High School in San Francisco is batting a thousand when it comes to letters to the editor. The San Francisco Chronicle on separate occasions published a letter from a Balboa student and a Balboa parent, both of whom described the benefits of a school-based health center. What’s superb about these letters is that they show the depth and breadth of school health services and how they impact the entire community.
Read Shirley Duong’s letter, “Help for teens."
Read Marcia Zorrilla’s letter, “Healthy option.”
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Spotlight on:Fresno County Office of Education Mobile Health Van
 Behind the wheel of a full-sized RV that has been converted into a mobile health clinic, Lois Ewert is once again headed down the highway to a rural community an hour away from Fresno. Ewert, a nurse practitioner with the Fresno County Office of Education (FCOE), travels to isolated communities where health services are not easily accessible to students and families. Serving 10 schools in seven school districts, Ewert is on the road a lot. Read the full spotlight.
(You can meet and network with Lois Ewert and Barbara Miller of FCOE at our Fresno Conference!)
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Back to top |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
CSHC Regional Conferences Are Coming to You! Register Now
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Fresno-Feb 19 * Los Angeles-Mar 9 * Oakland-Apr 21 |
|
| |
There is still time to register for the first of our three regional conferences. We kick off our 2010 road show in Fresno on Friday, Feb. 19. Online registration for Fresno closes Feb. 16. You won’t want to miss a tour of our latest toolkit, a web-based nutrition and physical activity resource that includes video, audio and links to assessment, resources, helpful hits and case studies. We’ll also highlight our latest resource on sorting through HIPAA, FERPA and confidentiality laws. And so much more! Early bird registration is still open for Los Angeles and the Bay Area conferences. To learn more and register now please go to our Conference web page. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
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, Associate Director,510-268-1160. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Building Momentum for the School Health Movement
Thank you to all of our 2009/10 members and supporters for helping us grow the movement to bring health care where kids are - in schools! As our list of supporters grows, so does our ability to advocate for policies and funding that increase student access to health care. We are pleased to report that less than half way into our fiscal year, we already have more than 100 donors at the membership level! If you are among this year's donors, thank you for your support! If not, please consider joining now.
Supporting CSHC at the membership level entitles you to conference discounts, access to valuable tools and resources, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are strengthening our voice on behalf of kids throughout the state.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
CSHC Welcomes New Board Member and Officers
We are pleased to announce the election of Joel Cohen as our new CSHC Board president for 2010-2012. Joel is the Policy and Community Education Director with The Dental Health Foundation in Oakland. Joel will take office in March and replaces outgoing president, Dr. Sandra N. Jones of Watts Healthcare who has ably served for the past 2 years. Sandra is the Director at the School Health Center of Jordan High. Dr. Shaila Serpas has been reelected as Vice President and Secretary. Shaila is a physician with the Scripps Family Medicine Residency Program in Chula Vista. Vergia Slade, Senior Public Health Programs Administrator with Health Net, will continue to serve as Treasurer. We are also pleased to welcome Michele Rigsby Pauley as our newest board member. Michele is the Program Manager/Director of Clinical Services for Coach for Kids at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Back to top |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Awards for Asthma-Friendly Schools 
California Breathing, a program in the California Department of Public Health, invites you to nominate schools in your area for the AIR (Achievements in Respiratory) Health Awards, a recognition program designed to acknowledge the successful efforts individual schools have made to create healthy, asthma-friendly environments for students and school personnel. All public and private K-12 California schools are eligible for the award. Each award includes a monetary prize and trophy for the school, acknowledgement in the press, and a commendation sent to the school district recognizing the school’s achievements and efforts in improving and maintaining indoor air quality. The awards will be announced on April 26, 2010, National Healthy Schools Day. Up to 15 total awards will be given in the following categories: Distinguished Achievement Award $2000;
Award of Excellence $1500;
Award of Achievement $1000. California Breathing must receive the completed nomination forms and supporting documentation no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 25, 2010. To obtain a nomination form, or for more information, please visit the California Breathing website or contact Scott Kessler at 510-620-3643.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
What Works: Curriculum-Based Programs that Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Newly released in shorthand form from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, this brief provides an overview of what is known about evaluated interventions that help delay sex, improve contraceptive use, and or prevent teen pregnancy. The list of 30 effective programs also includes selected effects of the program along with contact information on how to obtain the program. Follow the link to download a PDF of the What Works brief.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Back to top
| |
| |
Conferences & Workshops
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
CSHC 2010 Regional Conferences
 Sponsor: CSHC
Dates: 19 February (Fresno), 9 March (LA), 21 April (Oakland)
Time: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
There is still time to register for the Fresno conference. See above for details or go to our Conference web page for more information on all three conferences, or to see the Fresno Conference Schedule and Program Description.
| |
| |
| |
| |
Sex::Tech
Sponsor: ISIS Inc.
Dates: 26-27 February 2010
Location: San Francisco CA (Marriott Hotel)
This conference will focus on presentation and panels from Planned Parenthood Online, University of Michigan, Packard Foundation Scholar-in-Residence for Social Media, Alloy Access, AIDS.gov, Community Healthcare Network, and more. Learn how to create a virtual interactive space for youth to access STD/HIV education and testing, and learn about classroom and computer-based middle school sexual health education programs. For more information, please go to the Sex::Tech website.
| |
| |
| |
| |
California Teachers Association Statewide Day of Action
Date: 4 March 2010
Contact: David A. Sanchez
The CTA is taking a stand against state budget cuts by joining in a statewide day of action for students and the future of California on March 4. CTA is asking every member to participate in demonstrations and activities at their school on the morning of March 4 before school starts. Make your voices heard about the painful effects of these cuts on students and teaching. This will be part of a larger day of protests that includes college students, faculty and other labor unions.
| |
| |
| |
| |
Contraceptive/GYN Update
Date: 11 March
Time: 9:00 am to 4 pm
Location: Arcata CA
Contact: Center for Health Training
This workshop will present the latest developments in contraceptive practice, as well as an update on current gynecological care.
| |
| |
| |
| |
Preconception Counseling (Audio Conference)
Date: 17 March
Time: 12:00 am to 1:30 pm
Contact: Center for Health Training
This workshop will present the latest developments in contraceptive practice, as well as an update on current gynecological care.
| |
| |
| |
| |
Counseling Young Teens
Date: 24 February
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Fresno CA
Contact: Center for Health Training
Young teens are sometimes like children and sometimes like teenagers, and working with them presents multiple issues that are unique to this age group. This workshop examines developmental issues to consider and counseling strategies to use with 10-14 year old clients, including the topics of working with youth and their parents, building on strengths, supporting the development of healthy relationships and postponing sexual activity. Confidentiality, abuse reporting and legal issues for this age group will also be addressed.
| |
| |
| |
| |
 Coalition for Community Schools’ National Forum
Date: 7-9 April 2010
Place:
Philadelphia PA
2010 could be a banner year for community schools, according to Frank Wolfe in his front-page story in Education Daily (1/5). This encouraging article evokes the Obama Administration, Arne Duncan, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Randi Weingarten, and Marty Blank. This year budgets weigh heavy on the minds of local, state, and national leaders. The National Forum is stepping up to provide a number of provocative sessions that include federal department leaders, alignment of public/private funding streams and existing resources that support community schools, connections between community schools and Title I ARRA, and much more. Partnership is a word that has been used frequently by the Administration and in education policy circles in recent months and it is the central theme for the event. As our partner, we are writing to you now to ask for your help in promoting the event. To register please visit the Community Schools website.
| |
| |
| |
| |
Grantsmanship Center Grant Writing Workshop
Date: 19-23 April 2010
Place: San Leandro CA
Sponsor: Alameda County Healthcare Services Agency
Contact: Jamie Hintzke,
Alameda County Health Care Services Agency School Health Services; 925 876.2380
This workshop will equip you with the skills you need to develop grant proposals that are competitive and meet the needs of your organization. This is a unique opportunity to attend this training in the Bay Area rather than having to travel to Los Angeles.
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Director of Policy and Advocacy
NASBHC is seek a Director of Policy and Advocacy who will work closely with the Executive Director and other members of NASBHC's policy team to design and implement NASBHC's federal policy agenda. The Director of Policy and Advocacy is also responsible for identifying policy opportunities and best practices from the states, and for developing and providing policy and advocacy training and support to NASBHC's constituents. In addition, the Director of Policy and Advocacy will provide organizational leadership on a range of issues at the request of the Executive Director. The job is posted on Idealist and on the NASBHC website. | |
| |
| |
| |
Back to top
| |
| |
| |
| |
