How School Health Centers Help Achieve Health and Education Philanthropic Priorities

1
How School Health Centers Help Achieve Health and
Education Philanthropic Priorities

• California School Health Centers Association 2005
  Annual Meeting
• April 11 and 12, 2005 Sacramento, CA

2
What Happens When a Students Health is
Compromised?

• Students are not ready and able to learn at
  school -- emotional, physical and social health
  conditions affect school readiness and student
  ability (both directly and indirectly)
• Some health conditions that can impact school
  performance
• ADHD
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Dental Caries (tooth decay)
• Ear Infections
• Lead poisoning
• Mental health
• Poor nutrition
• Risk-taking behavior (e.g., alcohol, tobacco,
  other drugs, sexual behavior, diet, gang
  participation, etc.)

3
Why School Based Health Centers?

• Many SBHCs are in medically underserved
  communities (health access, immunization rates,
  risk-taking behavior)
• SBHCs provide culturally-competent health
  services
• Components of model
• Services are onsite (easy to access)
• Free of charge (no economic barrier)
• Confidential
• Teen-friendly (staff experience)
• Inclusive (peer health education programs)
• SBHCs are an investment in prevention
  maintaining physical and emotional health needs
• Outcome is improved health status
• National education reform requires schools to
  document improvements in student achievement

4
Intersection between Education and Health

• Instinctively know that good health facilitates
  learning while poor health hinders it
• Academic performance is due to a number of
  factors (i.e., individual, social, environmental,
  educational behaviors, school setting, health
  status behaviors)
• Extremely difficult to link SBHCs and educational
  performance
• Population
• Data constraints -- privacy
• Research and evaluation limitations
• Program differences
• Even so, SBHCs can have a indirect impact
• General concept SBHCs ? health status ?
  educational behaviors ? educational outcomes

5
The San Francisco Foundations Framework

• Goals
• Neighborhood/Community Development Promote safe,
  affordable and sustainable livelihoods for
  individuals and families
• Education Support families and communities to
  help children and youth succeed in school and
  provide opportunities for them to become
  confident, caring and contributing adults
• Health Strive to promote the health of
  communities, particularly underserved
  populations, by expanding access, promoting
  prevention to reduce illness and advancing health
  policy reform
• Physical health, educational performance,
  emotional support, and family strength and
  support are interconnected and interdependent
• Recognize that health status impacts a school
  readiness and that education attainment (as a
  marker for socio-economic status) impacts access
  to health services
• Community and individual quality of life are
  affected by health status and educational
  attainment levels

6
What TSFF has Supported

• Capacity building, evaluation and program support
  for SBHCs in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo
  counties
• The Regional Asthma Management Prevention
  network whose work includes a school initiative
  (asthma management and emergency response,
  environmental controls)
• Collaborated with other foundations on a funders
  forum on the SBHC model
• Participated in development of McClymonds Youth
  and Family Center in West Oakland

7
McClymonds Youth and Family Center in West Oakland

• Provides comprehensive clinical and social
  services
• Part of a neighborhood improvement initiative for
  West Oakland that is anchored in the schools
• Collaboration between the William and Flora
  Hewlett Foundation, TSFF, local government and
  other philanthropic entities
• Envisioned results
• Improvements in student health
• Promotion of a safe and nurturing school
  environment
• Improvements in students academic achievement
• Investments to date have totaled 1.8 million for
  capital and program

8
Why is TSFF Participating?

• TSFF views schools as an engine for
  community-wide revitalization a catalyst to
  improve the life chances of children and youth,
  to support families and to help build strong
  communities
• TSFF wants lasting neighborhood improvement in
  West Oakland to address
• Socio-economic Condition One of the most
  impoverished communities in the Bay Area
  higher rates of poverty and CalWORKS
  participation
• Health Status Striking health disparities in
  such conditions as asthma, higher rates of teen
  births, higher rates of abuse and neglect
• Academic Performance McClymonds High is below
  California high school averages for API, CAHSEE
  and graduation rates. It is one of the lowest
  performing schools in the State.

9
McClymonds Youth and Family Center

• On campus of McClymonds High School
• Programs
• Health and wellness
• Academic support and attainment
• Youth leadership, advocacy and service learning
• Culture and expression
• Violence prevention and physical arts
• Life options
• Family services

10
Chappell Hayes Health Center

• MYFC includes the Chappell Hayes Health Center as
  a anchor program
• Federally-qualified health center
• Middle and high school students
• Opened January 2005 with the support of 14
  partners
• Focuses on the delivery of on-site and
  school-linked services

11
Chappell Hayes Health Center Services Model

• An outpatient treatment center of Childrens
  Hospital and Research Center in Oakland
• Comprehensive services
• Medical (exams, health screenings, immunizations)
• Health education (nutrition, prevention)
• Counseling/therapy (crisis, stress mgmt., AOD
  use)
• Youth development (peer educators, health fairs)
• Interdisciplinary team

12
Chappell Hayes Health Center Evaluation

• Univ. of California at San Francisco will conduct
  evaluation
• Combination of inventions
• Level of involvement (dosage)
• Swipe card technology to track student program
  attendance
• Data collection strategies
• Centralized evaluation database
• Student, school staff, parent and service
  provider surveys
• Access to Oakland Unified School District
  student-level data
• Tech. assistance to identify and integrate best
  practices
• Difficult to attribute changes in student
  indicators strictly to the Center -- will assess
  whether differences exist between students who
  use and those dont use the Center

13
Avenues to Improve Student Health Beyond SBHCs

• Access to health care coverage
• Nutrition programs within schools
• Physical education programs within schools
• Health education and promotion curriculum in
  schools
• Health messages from parents, media, peers,
  community and other key influencers

14
How the Philanthropic Community Can Advance
Health/Education Connection

• Enhance public awareness about health and student
  achievement
• Encourage and/or fund research on link between
  health and academic achievement
• Support advocacy and policy activities through
  local or state coalitions and advocacy
  organizations
• Help support development and capacity building of
  SBHCs
• Promote interagency collaboration on local
  community level
• Increase collaboration between education and
  health funders
• Address sustainability in policy and permanent
  financing