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Catch up on all the latest news that's happening in the school health center movement around the state of California. |
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School Health Centers Participate in H1N1 Outreach and Vaccination Project |
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CSHC partnered with the California Primary Care Association, the California H1N1 Vaccination Collaborative, and school health centers throughout the state to prevent a third wave of H1N1 by providing school-based outreach, education, and vaccinations. CSHC awarded 19 mini-grants to school health centers to conduct H1N1 outreach and education, totaling $12,500. During the brief project period (May-July), school health centers conducted H1N1 outreach to 37,736 students, families, staff and community members, and delivered 923 H1N1 vaccinations. Outreach was strengthened by youth leaders at six high schools who promoted the H1N1 campaign at community events, passed out fliers on campus, utilized schools' public announcement systems, and even employed social networking websites to increase outreach to their peers. Read more on our H1N1 web page. |
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Congresswoman Judy Chu Visits Potrero After School Clinic |
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 Congresswoman Judy Chu recently visited the Potrero After School Clinic and talked with Mary Borja, El Monte City School District Health Services Chairperson, about the services the clinic provides to students and families. Sang Leng Trieu, Field Coordinator for California School Health Centers Association, also toured the clinic. Read more. |
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(In photo: Congresswoman Judy Chu, 3rd from left, visits Potrero Elementary) |
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Survey Shows 48% of Local Educational Agencies Cut Funding For Counselors, Nurses, and Psychologists |
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On June 10th , State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell shared the results of a recent survey of California's Local Educational Agencies (LEAs). Across the state, LEAs are being forced to slash spending because of the economic downturn and budget crisis. The survey asked LEAs to report which programs have lost funding or been eliminated since 2008. Administrators from 387 LEAs, representing 1.7 million students, completed the survey. Forty-eight percent of responding LEAs have cut funding for counselors, nurses, and psychologists. Other programs fundamental to student health and wellness have also been cut, including food and nutrition services (14% of LEAs) and physical education (12% of LEAs). Read more. |
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Predominantly Immigrant School Defies Odds |
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It may seem the odds are stacked against success for the charter school, which has had a colorfully tumultuous history after its 2001 debut. However, a closer look shows that El Sol is one of the best schools in the county. Read more. |
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Recessionary Tales: Schools Struggle to Counter the Economic Downturn's Impact on Children |
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As hard as it is to watch the recession’s toll on the national economy, the real losses are occurring much closer to home. Each day, many thousands of children show up in California schools hungry, having spent the night in a shelter or on someone’s couch. Lacking regular health care, and living with constant stress, they may develop medical and emotional problems, which can also seriously affect their academic progress. Educators are increasingly asked to become de facto social workers, caring for their students’ essential needs before they can tackle instruction to meet ever more stringent accountability standards. Although mushrooming homelessness, hunger, and physical, oral and mental health issues are straining most schools’ resources, there are school districts and county offices of education that are finding ways to respond to these critical needs. Read more.
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City Schools Offer Vaccination Clinics |
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Sacramento City Unified School District Health Services is providing free whooping cough, H1N1 and other vaccinations to students, their parents and community members. The district will hold six clinics beginning today through July 15 to offer vaccines to fend off preventable diseases. Read more. |
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Students Gaining More Access to Mental, Oral Health Care Services at Their School Health Centers
California's school-based health centers have substantially increased mental health services, oral health care and nutrition counseling, which results in expanded opportunities for students to access quality health care right where they are – in school. The largest increase was in mental health, specifically crisis intervention, according to a national triennial survey, which was conducted by the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) and released May 26. In California, 63 percent of school-based health centers (SBHCs) offered crisis intervention in 2009, up from 47 percent in 2006. Read more on census results for California. |
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Vallejo USD Opens Second School Health Center
 Alexa Hauser, Principal at Elsa Widenmann Elementary School in Vallejo, can attest to the value of health services for students. A 2nd grader who was recently evaluated got much needed glasses and was finally able to read a book cover to cover without struggling to see the words. A 4th grader who received medicine for his asthma and started sleeping through the night passed a spelling test for the very first time. Both children are on the road to academic success thanks to receiving the accessible, affordable health care they needed. These types of stories are sure to multiply now that the Elsa Widenmann Student Health Center has officially opened its doors. An enthusiastic crowd of supporters was on hand May 18th as the second school health center in the Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) opened. Located on the campus of Elsa Widenmann Elementary School, the opening ceremony attracted a host of students, parents, school administrators past and present, supporters and sponsors. The new center will provide medical care, immunizations and screenings for students and the community.
(Photo: H1N1 vaccines were provided on opening day of Elsa Widenmann Student Health Center in Vallejo.) |
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LA Coalition of School Health Centers May Meeting Recap
Nearly 60 people attended the May meeting of the LA Coalition of school-based health centers. We had a terrific array of presentations, including: updates on SBHC provisions in health care reform; updates on the state budget and school health centers legislation; a report on the LA County school health center data collected during the NASBHC census; a presentation about services available at Shriner Hospitals for Children - Los Angeles; a profile on the Belmont High School Wellness Center; and a presentation on the role of school nurses and school health centers staff. Please follow the link for a PDF copy of the handouts from the coalition meeting. If you would like to be added to the LA Coalition's e-mail distribution list, please e-mail Sang Leng Trieu, LA Field Coordinator. |
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Comprehensive Sexual Health Education in the San Gabriel Valley
A number of organizations have formed a partnership to strengthen comprehensive sexual health education in the San Gabriel Valley. These organizations include Planned Parenthood Pasadena San Gabriel Valley (PPPSGV), Teen NOW, California Department of Health Services - STD Control Branch, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, JWCH Institute, Foothill Family Services, and CSHC. The group will be examining whether school districts are in compliance with state Ed Code. The next meeting will take place on July 1, 2010, from 2:30PM - 4:30PM at PPPSGV (1037 N. Lake Ave. in Pasadena). To RSVP, please e-mail Sue Keppler. |
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SBHC Champion Rep. Lois Capps Tours Site
Rep. Lois Capps, one of the country’s biggest school health center champions, recently toured a school health center in Ventura, celebrating with students the historic event – for the first time ever, direct federal support for school health centers. “If we can bring the services to the place where (students) feel so familiar and welcome already … we will be able to integrate education and health,” Capps said at the event hosted by Sheridan Way Elementary School’s school health center. “What we want to do now is make this routine on as many campuses as we can.” Read more... |
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Granger Junior School SBHC Grand Opening
Granger Junior High School in National City (San Diego County) was recently awarded the designation of “California 2010 Schools To Watch-Taking Center Stage” by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. This is a significant recognition and honor for their school and community, with their successes due to the collaboration and partnership with Operation Samahan. Even more exciting is that in April, Granger will be opening its school based health center, sponsored by Operation Samahan.
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Nursing, counseling staffs take big hits
Every morning, Meredith Meals hops in her silver Toyota Prius and heads to work. The elementary school nurse, however, won't park her car on one campus for the entire day – she's one of two roving nurses who must split her time across eight of Centralia School District's elementary campuses, which span northern Anaheim, Buena Park and La Palma. Read more at the OC Register website.
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Hiram Johnson High School Opens Clinic
Pauline Tracey rebandaged stitches from a recent surgery, sent a handful of students home with flu symptoms and monitored the insulin injections and blood glucose levels of a contingent of kids with diabetes on Monday.
And she was beaming. The family nurse practitioner saw eight years of effort come to fruition last week, when Hiram Johnson High School opened a medical clinic - the first of its kind in the county.
Read more of the story and see photos in the Sacramento Bee.
School-based Health Centers in the News
The school-based health center movement in California is making news! 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. And 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.
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. Read more...
Three Major California Foundations Invest $700,000 to Explore Education, Health
The California School Health Centers Association joined a host of education and health officials to support a new statewide project, California Education Supports, which will explore the link between health and educational outcomes. The California Endowment, the James Irvine Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation have dedicated $700,000 over the next few years to release policy papers and hold hearings on a broad range of issues such as obesity, mental health and reproductive health, and how those conditions impact academic achievement. Read more...
Reimbursements for School Health Centers – Thanks to the advocacy efforts of people across California, Senator Barbara Boxer has signed on to be a cosponsor of S. 1034, the Healthy Schools Act of 2009. We still need your help to get the message to Senator Dianne Feinstein. Read more…
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joins Teens to Discuss Benefits of Student Health Centers - Asthma. Depression. Diabetes. Violence. Migraine headaches. Hunger. Failing grades. These physical, emotional and mental health issues are just a few of the challenges facing students every day; and it's these same challenges that bring hundreds of students to their school health centers every year. Read more …
Riverbank Gets New Mobile Health Clinic - A mobile health clinic has opened in Riverbank, California with the intention of offering low cost, primary care medical services to all those in need. Read more …
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