North Carolina Student Community Health Alliance (NCSCHA)
Recent News
- HHS announces available funding for construction, renovation of school-based health centers
- During her remarks at a Healthy Schools Campaign and Trust for America’s Health event, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of funding for the construction and renovation of school-based health centers.
These new investments, totaling up to $75 million, are part of the School-Based Health Center Capital (SBHCC) Program, which was created by the Affordable Care Act, the health care law of 2010.
The Affordable Care Act appropriated $200 million for the SBHCC Program to address capital needs in school-based health centers. The funding opportunity announced today is the third in a series of awards that will be made available to school-based health centers through the Affordable Care Act. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) oversees the SBHCC Program.
Part one of the applications is due on June 26; part two is due on July 24. Awards are expected on December 12.
• Find more details about the funding announcement here: http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/assistance/sbhcc/.
• BPHC will conduct a pre-application technical assistance webinar on May 24 at 1 p.m. Eastern.
• NASBHC will hold a webinar to discuss the grants and provide guidance and support on May 29 at 2 p.m. Eastern.
Copy and paste this address into your browser for more information:
Grant info: https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/FundingOppDetails.asp?FundingCycleId=43428DEC-03EE-4921-B739-595B24F5A3D6&ViewMode=EU&GoBack=&PrintMode=&OnlineAvailabilityFlag=True&pageNumber=1
- Deadline Extended: Action for Healthy Kids to Award $1.2 Million to Schools for Wellness Initiatives
- Action for Healthy Kids is awarding $1.2M to schools for the 2012-2013 school year to support nutrition goals. The average grant size is $2,000, and grantees will also receive in-kind contributions from Action for Healthy Kids in the form of people, programs, and school nutrition and management expertise.
Funds can go towards supporting a number of school nutrition programs:
• School breakfast programs (Grab n' Go, Breakfast in the Classroom, 2nd Chance)
• School gardens
• Healthy classroom parties
• Summer feeding programs
• Nutrition education
• Improving food quality in school stores, a la carte, athletic events, and fundraisers
• And more
The deadline to apply has been extended to May 18, 2012. Learn more at www.ActionforHealthyKids.org/SchoolGrantsforHealthyKids.
- Keep Childhood Smoke Free
- Beginning April, 2012, the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, NC Division of Public Health is launching a campaign about the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure to small children. The campaign, called “Keep Childhood Smoke-free” was originally developed by the Health and Wellness Trust Fund and has been expanded for release this spring. The radio, billboard, convenience store and online campaign is tagged with QuitlineNC information.
The tone makes the message meaningful for all parents, whether they are smokers or non-smokers, to be more aware of their children’s exposures to secondhand smoke. The message is direct about the need for children to not be exposed to tobacco smoke, with information on how to access QuitlineNC.
If you have questions about this campaign and how you may be able to use it, contact Ann Staples at ann.staples@dhhs.nc.gov; 704-543-2347
- RAAPS Adolescent Risk Screening Tool
- “RAAPS (Rapid Assessement for Adolescent Preventive Services) is a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate risk assessment that our SBHCs use to identify critical risk behaviors. In addition to opening the conversation about health behaviors between providers and their adolescent clients, the RAAPS web system allows the SBHCs to collect important data about their client population to use for quality improvement, analysis of disparities, and for potential funding through grant opportunities.”
-Carrie Tarry, Adolescent & School Health Manager at the Michigan Department of Community Health.
Like many SBHC health professionals, you may struggle with:
• Using long surveys that cause delays in completing your patient/client visits and teens spending too much time in your clinics instead of getting back to class right away.
• A lack of standardized screening tools, with no structure or consistency in risk screening from teen to teen or among health professionals.
• No way to track patient risk behaviors over time, across entire populations, or to compare your population to others.
• Little data on your patient population, making program funding and fundraising difficult.
An article on the reliability and validity of the RAAPS is available online at The Journal of Adolescent Health.
Features & Benefits of the RAAPS Web Application:
• Appropriate for ages 11-20; 21 questions completed in 5-7 minutes via computer, iPad, or other device.
• RAAPS is used across the US and a dozen countries; it has been taken electronically by more than 10,000 youth.
• Youth respond more openly, honestly with brief, online format.
• Unique audio and translation options for teens to complete the survey.
• Web based; no software required.
• Comprehensive data analyses reveal individual and group trends, allow immediate follow up, and supports program planning and funding efforts.
• HIPAA compliant, electronic medical record option.
• Meets many NCQA key components for patient-centered medical home.
For more information go to www.raaps.org or contact Dr. Jennifer Salerno (jsalerno@raaps.org).
- From Silent Suffering to a Self-Assured Smile
- Jalen was a hardworking student and talented artist, but an accident resulting in trauma to his mouth had left him with a broken smile and constant pain. Through Tomorrow’s SMILES, a program from National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s ToothFairy, Jalen’s smile was restored along with his self-esteem! Recommend an at-risk student and help transform their pain into a healthy smile. Visit www.TomorrowsSMILES.org, call (704) 350-1600, ext. 106 or email bwoodington@ncohf.org for information.
Archive
- Cartoon Explains Health Care Law
- The Kaiser Family Foundation released a short cartoon that explains the new health care law in easy to understand language--and pictures. If you're confused about the new law, this cartoon is for you.
- NC State Health Director Visits RCHS
- Dr. Jeff Engel, NC State Health Director, saw first hand the value of school-based health centers on a recent visit to Rockingham County High School. Read the article published on GoDanRiver.com.
- Jane Foy Recognized by Pediatricians
- Jane Meschan Foy, MD, FAAP, of the Wake Forest University Health Sciences Department of Pediatrics and the School Health Alliance for Forsyth County have received the "Promising Practices Award for Promoting Adolescents' Strengths"sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Adolescent Health Partnership Project. The award will be presented at the North Carolina School Community Health Alliance Annual Conference on December 6, 2011 during luncheon at the Brownstone Hotel & Conference Center in Raleigh.
The award honors exemplary achievemnt on behalf of adolescents at a local level. Recipients are recognized for the innovative contributions to adolescent health in their community or state and for promoting a positive perception of youth.
Dr. Foy has been the lead pediatrician for the School Health Alliance for Forsyth County program development and evaluation. It is based on summarizing health and mental health service utilization of students enrolled for services (e.g. immunizations, check-ups, individual therapy, medication management, nutrition groups). There is an emphasis on working with students to describe physical, behavioral, and emotional problems and overall psychosocial function among students in the school-based setting and promoting positive, strength-based assessments. The project also monitors parent, youth, and teacher/school administrator satisfaction with the meantl health consultation services.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well being of infants, children, adolesents, and young adults.
- Additional SBHCs Grant Awards Announced
- Congratulations! Cherokee County Schools was awarded $250,000 and Wilmington Health Access for Teens (WHAT) received $382,375 for capital needs - including construction, renovation and new equipment.
"Children are the foundation upon which this country will grow,” said Secretary Sebelius. “The Affordable Care Act will help ensure our children get the high-quality health care they need and deserve.”
Link to the U.S. Health & Human Services Department press release by clicking title.
- FirstHealth Awarded Oral Health Grant
- FirstHealth Montgomery County received one of 20 grants awarded by the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) to increase the capacity of school-based health centers to provide oral health services to students. The funds will enhance FirstHealth's capacity to deliver oral health preventive services. With funding from Kaiser Permanente, NASBHC will provide technical and financial assistance to FirstHealth to incorporate oral health promotion, assessment, and preventive practices within the SBHC. Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases of childhood. Because of their location, SBHCs are in a perfect position to increase the prevention and control of oral and craniofacial diseases, conditions, and injuries while increasing access to related services. Congratulations to Gina Smith and all the staff at FirstHealth Middle School centers!
