Weekly InsiderAugust 18, 2010

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools Weekly Insider is a web-enhanced newsletter that offers news alerts, grant announcements and general web site updates delivered directly to your email box on a weekly basis. The Center is located at the School of Public Health and Health Services at The George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.


New Resources

School District Wellness Policies: Evaluating Progress and Potential for Improving Children’s Health Three Years after the Federal Mandate, published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), discusses data on school district wellness policies, including guidelines for nutrition and physical activity.

School and Community Resources to Avoid and Take Control of Head Lice (S.C.R.A.T.C.H.), a toolkit recently updated by the National Association for School Nurses, is designed to educate school nurses, parents, students, and the general public about the prevention and control of head lice.

Barriers To Obesity Prevention In Head Start, published in Health Affairs, discusses the difficulty in implementing policies and practices to address obesity in Head Start programs.

New from the Center

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools posted a new report titled Comparative Case Study of Caring Across Communities: Identifying Essential Components of Comprehensive School-Linked Mental Health Services for Refugee and Immigrant Children. The report is an evaluation of the three-year Caring Across Communities grant program managed by the Center. The report explored several aspects of the program, including the challenges experienced by the children and families the CAC programs served; the necessary components of comprehensive mental health services for refugee and immigrant children; and how partnerships between schools and multiple community agencies can work collaboratively to implement the necessary components of comprehensive mental health services. To view the report, please visit: http://www.healthinschools.org/Immigrant-and-Refugee-Children/Caring-Across-Communities/CAC-Evaluation-Report.aspx

The archive of our webinar presentation “Promising Models for Funding and Sustaining School Mental Health Services to Immigrant and Refugee Families” held May 20, 2010 is now available. The presenters are Mark Sander, Minneapolis Public Schools, MN., Grace Valenzuela, Portland Public Schools, ME and Audrey Tucker, Family Service Association of Bucks County, PA. This webinar featured three different school based mental health models, partnerships and funding/sustainability strategies.  All three presenters were part of the Robert Woods Johnson Caring Across Communities initiative, a national grant program that focused on school based and school connected mental health programs for immigrant and refugee students. 

Caring Across Communities (CAC), a program of the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, is featured in a new video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The 15 participating CAC grantees developed community partnerships that supported school-based mental health programming for students, parents, and teachers.

Supporting Immigrant & Refugee Communities (SIRC) Listserv is now active! The listserv provides an opportunity to pose questions to the field, share information, and network with colleagues nationwide. We will also share lessons learned, tools, and information gained during the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Caring Across Communities grant initiative. For more information and to sign up, click here.

Important Topic

Walking to School

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Kids Walk to-School Resources

• Walking School Bus: The Basics

• National Center for Safe Routes to School: Walkability Check List

Upcoming Meetings

• Washington, DC: MCHB 75th Anniversary Celebration. October 20, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.hrsa.gov/ourstories/mchb75th/

• San Antonio, TX: 16th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference. December 13-17, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/MCHEpi/2010/AboutConference.htm

• Hartford, CT:  NACCHO Annual 2011 Conference. July 20-22, 2011. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.naccho.org/events/nacchoannual2011/index.cfm

• Webinar: Using New Media to Reach Students and/or Families. October 27, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?i=e32d0052-d0b4-4016-a73f-6e098a92e16e

• Myrtle Beach, SC: 14th National School Social Work Conference. March 30 - April 2, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.sswaa.org/ConferenceRegistration.asp

• Honolulu, HI: International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect: One World, One Family, Many Cultures- Strengthening Children and Families Affected by Personal, Intra-Familial and Global Conflict. September 26-29, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.ispcan.org/congress2010/welcome.html

Previously Posted Meetings

• Webinar: Demystifying Social Media for Hospitals & Health Systems. August 28, 2010 at 3:00-4:00 PM EST. For more information and to register for this event, please click here.

• Oakland, CA: California Adolescent Health Collaborative 2010 Adolescent Health Conference: "Promoting Healthy Transitions: Tweens, Teens and Young Adults". October 28-29, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.californiateenhealth.org/

• Tampa, FL: 24th Annual Children’s Mental Health Research and Policy Conference. March 20 - 23, 2011. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://cmhtampaconference.usf.edu/

• Dallas, TX: 2010 National Association of Community Health Centers' Community Health Institute & Expo. September 10-14, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.nachc.com/community-health-institute2.cfm?

• Atlanta, GA: Marketing Disease Prevention in America Conference. October 19-21, 2010. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.dtcperspectives.com/website/Conferences/MDPA.html

• Washington, DC: Annual Conference of the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs. February 12-15, 2011. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.amchp.org/Events/amchp-conference/Pages/default.aspx

Job Opportunities

• Youth Villages – Medical Director (Durham, NC)
• A World Fit for Kids – Fund Development Manager/Grant Writer (Los Angeles, CA)
• Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School – School-Based Clinical Counselor (Washington, DC)
• Harlem Dowoling-Westside Center – Community Health Educator (New York, NY)
• Vergennes Union Middle/High School – School Nurse (Vergennes, VT)
• Sister Georgine School – School Nurse (Ewing, NJ)

Grant Alerts

Ripley Memorial Foundation - Teen Pregnancy Grants (Minnesota) (Deadline: 8/27/10)
Ripley Memorial Foundation, Part of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, is accepting proposals from direct service organizations focusing on teen pregnancy prevention. Proposals must service either Hennepin or Ramsey Counties. Priority is given to programs that are comprehensive, use proven best practices, and serve populations with high rates of teen pregnancy.

Youth Service America - UnitedHealth HEROES Grants to Fight Obesity (Deadline: 10/22/10)
Youth Service America along with United Health group have created the UnitedHealth HEROES program, a health literacy initiative designed to encourage youth to partner with schools and nonprofits to create hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity.

Ronald McDonald House Charities - Child Health and Well-being Grants (Deadline: 9/7/10)
Ronald McDonald House Charities provides grants to nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations whose national or global programs help improve the health and well being of children under 21.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Active Living Research: Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity (Deadline: 7/1/11)
The purpose of the grant is to support research to inform policy and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity among children and adolescents, decreasing their sedentary behaviors and preventing obesity. The program places emphasis on reaching children and youths who are at highest risk for obesity: Black, Latino, American Indian and Asian/Pacific Islander children, as well as children who live in under-resourced and lower-income communities.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture - Children, Youth & Families At Risk 4-H Military Partnership Program (Deadline: 9/1/10)
The purpose of the Children, Youth & Families At Risk 4-H Military Partnership Program is to develop and deliver educational programs that equip military children and youth who are at risk for not meeting basic human needs with the skills they need to lead positive, productive, contributing lives.

National Gardening Association and Home Depot - 2010 Youth Garden Grants Program (Deadline: 11/1/10)
NGA awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. In evaluating grant applications, priority will be given to programs that emphasize one or more of these elements: - educational focus or curricular/program integration - nutrition or plant-to-food connections - environmental awareness/education - entrepreneurship - social aspects of gardening such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service-learning.

News Alerts

CDC Highlights the Problem of Untreated Dental Caries in Children
In a recap of dental health data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, the CDC reports that according to its most recent report on dental disease among children (2001 – 2004), more than 19% of children between ages 2 and 19 had untreated dental caries.

New Resources

School District Wellness Policies: Evaluating Progress and Potential for Improving Children’s Health Three Years after the Federal Mandate, School District Wellness Policies: Evaluating Progress and Potential for Improving Children’s Health Three Years after the Federal Mandate, Children of Immigrants in the Child Welfare System: Findings from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being, published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), discusses data on school district wellness policies, including guidelines for nutrition and physical activity. According to a study by Bridging the Gap, a research program of RWJF, school wellness policies are weak and fail to coincide with national level recommendations, especially concerning competitive foods in schools. District policies, however, have improved over the past three years.

School and Community Resources to Avoid and Take Control of Head Lice (S.C.R.A.T.C.H.), a toolkit recently updated by the National Association for School Nurses, is designed to educate school nurses, parents, students, and the general public about the prevention and control of head lice. The toolkit includes facts sheets for nurses and parents, a powerpoint presentation, and a sample letter to inform parents about the dangers of head lice.

Barriers To Obesity Prevention In Head Start, published in Health Affairs, discusses the difficulty in implementing policies and practices to address obesity in Head Start programs. According to the study, parents and staff sometimes shared cultural beliefs that were inconsistent with preventing obesity, such as the belief that heavier children are healthier. In addition, the authors identified the key barriers to implementing policies to address obesity as lack of time, money, and knowledge.

Job Opportunities

Youth Villages – Medical Director (Durham, NC)
Youth Villages is a leader in the adoption and implementation of research-based treatment of children in the area of mental and behavioral health. The Medical Director is responsible for leading the clinical team and taking an active role in the clinical oversight of programs, quality of care initiatives, and the direct supervision of complex cases. A successful candidate will be a certified MD/DO Psychiatrist or Physician with ABAM or ASAM certification and be licensed in North Caronlina. The candidate should have two or more years of experience in diagnosing, treating, and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment for youth with mental health and substance abuse disorders. For more information and to apply for this position, please visit: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/393175-62/c

A World Fit for Kids – Fund Development Manager/Grant Writer (Los Angeles, CA)
A World Fit for Kids has the mission of preparing young people for fit and fulfilling lives. The Fund Development Manager/Grant Writer will be responsible for the creation and management the organizational development plan, generation of the agency through the submission of grant proposals, and the tracking and oversight of awarded grants. A successful candidate will have two to five years of related experience and demonstrated experience with grant writing and fundraising program development. For more information and to apply to this position, please visit: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/393493-269/c

Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School – School-Based Clinical Counselor (Washington, DC)
Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School seeks a full time School-Based Clinical Counselor. The counselor will provide counseling to both special education students and general education students while working closely with the school's multi-disciplinary team. A successful candidate will be a licensed mental health provider with at least three years of experience in clinical counseling, and have counseling experience in a school setting. For more information and to apply to this position, please visit: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/393794-304/c

Harlem Dowling-Westside Center – Program Supervisor (New York, NY)
The mission of the Harlem Dowling-Westside Center is to help children and their families in crisis through foster care, adoption, preventive services, and related assistance to help create a stable and nurturing environment. The Program Supervisor is responsible for the overall casework supervision of child welfare, foster care services, and service delivery for children and families referred by ACS, community providers and self referrals. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of a Masters Degree in Social Work or related field, and have three to five years supervisory experience in preventive services or a related field. For more information and to apply to this position, please visit: http://www.idealist.org/if/idealist/en/SiteIndex/AssetViewer/default?asset=Job&asset-id=393073-321

Vergennes Union Middle/High School – School Nurse (Vergennes, VT)
Vergennes Union Middle/High School seeks a full time school nurse. A successful candidate will be a Vermont licensed Registered Nurse with a Bachelors degree. At least two years of experience is preferred. For more information and to apply for this position, please visit: http://www.schoolspring.com/job.cfm?jid=38179&utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed

Sister Georgine School – School Nurse (Ewing, NJ)
Sister Georgine School seeks a full time School Nurse. A successful candidate will have a valid NJ School Nurse Certificate and CPR/AED certification. For more information and to apply to this position, please visit: http://jobs.nj.com/careers/jobsearch/detail?jobId=29074206