Weekly Insider 25.03.2009
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
The School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth report has been released by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention to demonstrate the ability of school connectedness to act as a buffer for youth against negative factors such as violence.
The Community Development Foundation, based in the UK, channeled their informative experiences and strategies regarding immigrant acculturation into the Creating Spaces: Community Development Approaches to Building Stronger Communities report.
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has released a 2009 update to the We Can Do Better: NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Child Care Standards and Oversight report from 2007. Progress made over the last two years is described and areas requiring improvements are identified in this report.
New from the Center
On March 24, 2009, Council members Harry Thomas Jr (Ward 5) and Michael Brown (At-Large) sponsored DCAYA's First Youth Advocacy Day. From 9am – 2pm, youth and youth advocates from across the District of Columbia met with City Council Members and their staffs to highlight need for investing in youth. Young people from the Center's Youth Health Coordinating Council (YHCC), a project funded by the Horning Family Fund, participated in the event. Picture 1: YHCC Co-Chair Symone Johnson with Chief of Staff for Councilmember Jim Graham, Ted Loza and Deputy Chief of Staff, Calvin Woodland. Picture 2: Youth Advocacy Day Press Conference
Last week the Center hosted a webinar on Language Issues when Working with Refugees and Immigrants in the Health/Mental Health Field. To access an archived version of both the presentation and audio, click here.
A new issue brief, Supporting the Mental Health of Immigrant and Refugee Students Through Family Engagement by Ms. Eileen Kugler will soon be released by The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools as part of the Robert Wood Johnson funded Caring Across Communities program. This issue brief explores the many cultural challenges and barriers to meeting the mental health needs of immigrant and refugee students. In addition, this brief identifies successful strategies and highlights innovative national models that have overcome challenges such as cultural stigma, language differences, lack of parent involvement and provision of mental health care within the school/educational environment.
Check back here in the coming weeks for info on how to access this exciting new brief!
Caring Across Communities, a multi-site initiative to address the mental health needs of children of immigrants and refugees, is managed by the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 15 sites across the U.S. are developing model mental health programs that engage schools, families, students, mental health agencies and other community organizations to build effective, culturally competent services for children and youth. To check out the tools and lessons learned from each site, please click here.
Important Topic
Dealing with Testing Anxiety
Helping Children Overcome Test Anxiety: American School Counselor AssociationTest Anxiety Q & A: Teens Health/The Nemours Foundation
Resources for Overcoming Test Anxiety: Southwestern College Academic Success CenterUpcoming Meetings
Previously Posted Meetings
- Greenville, SC: Family Symposium - Building Safe, Humane, and Responsible Communities for Children and Families. March 30- April 1, 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.familysymposium.com/
Job opportunities
The Office of School Health – Public Health Nurse (School Health)
(Multiple Locations, NY)
Together For Kids – Early Intervention and Preschool/Clinical-Licensed Psychologist (Worcester, MA)
Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc. – Clinical Services Coordinator (W. Stewartstown, NH) Waldon Street School – Assistant Director of Nursing (Concord, Massachusetts)
Children's National Medical Center – Director of Performance Improvement and Compliance School Health Services (Washington, DC) Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinic – Educational Coordinator / Mental Health Counselor (Wausau, WI)
Grant Alerts
GTECH Corporation – GTECH After School Advantage Program (Deadline: Rolling)
The GTECH After School Advantage Program is a national community investment program, which gives non-profit community agencies and public schools with state-of-the-art computer labs. These centers are targeted towards inner-city children aged five to 15 with a meaningful, safe and fun environment after school hours.
Best Buy Children’s Foundation – Community Grants Program (Deadline: 6/15/09)
Through the Community Grants Program, Best Buy seeks to support non-profit organizations that provide opportunities to young teens related to education, life skills, leadership skills or relationship development.
For Kids Only – Dare to Dream Grant Program (Deadline: 7/6/09)
For Kids Only seeks to fund programs with specific faith-based components targeting “at-risk” children ages 0-12 years that have measurable academic and spiritual outcomes.
The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation – Meeting Needs of Children Grants (Deadline: 7/15/09)
The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation works to provide other nonprofit organizations with the means to educate the public about the needs of children across the US.
The Northern Virginia Community Foundation – 2009 Community Investment Grant (Northern Virginia) (Deadline: 9/30/09)
The Northern Virginia Community Foundation serves the greater Northern Virginia area with the goal of improving the quality of life for all citizens.
The State Farm/Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Good Decision Service-Learning Program Grants (Deadline: 4/20/09)
The State Farm/Mothers Against Drunk Driving Good Decision Service-Learning program is offering grants to teachers, school-based service-learning coordinators, and community organizations that work with children and youth (ages 5 to 25) to implement a service-learning project on underage alcohol use prevention or vehicle safety.
New Resources
As reported in the School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth, school connectedness is an important factor that can act as a buffer for youth against negative factors such as violence. Analysis indicated that school connectedness is the strongest protective factor against substance use, early sexual initiation, violence, absenteeism and injury. It is also associated with higher grades and less propensity to engage in risky behaviors when compared to students without school connectedness. This report delineates six strategies for school administrators, teachers and school staff to use in order to enhance school connectedness.
Immigrants can often experience challenges with social integration including diversity, community cohesion and tolerance issues. The Community Development Foundation based in the UK channeled their informative experiences and strategies into the Creating Spaces: Community Development Approaches to Building Stronger Communities report. While this report is based in the UK, their experiences can be applied to immigrant populations adjusting in the US. This report identifies key lessons for practitioners and policy makers that can be strategically utilized to improve the process of immigrant acculturation in the US.
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has released a 2009 update to the We Can Do Better: NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Child Care Standards and Oversight report from 2007. Overall, when compared to 2007, scores regarding child care center oversight, child care center regulations and combination rank improved in 2009. Additionally, this report identifies remaining areas for improvement for each state’s child care centers.
Job opportunities
The Office of School Health – Public Health Nurse (School Health) (Multiple locations, NY)
The Office of School Health, a joint program of the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is seeking seven Public Health Nurses, Level II. Responsibilities include serving as nursing preceptor for newly hired school health professionals, utilizing automated student health records to generate reports and statistics, serving as training resource, performing case management where needed, and supervising activities of Public Health Advisors and Nurses at the Intermediate School level.
For more information and to apply to this position, please visit http://sh.webhire.com/servlet/av/jd?ai=741&ji=2339736&sn=I
Together For Kids – Early Intervention and Preschool/Clinical-Licensed Psychologist (Worcester, MA)CHL's
Together for Kids Project is a comprehensive model of mental health
promotion, prevention and intervention services. To maintain these
practices, Together for Kids is seeking a Licensed Clinician to conduct
assessments and evaluations, develop and implement culturally competent
individualized treatment plans, perform family thereby, provide
consultation services to day care and other providers of service to
preschool children, provide educational support and maintain caseload
of clients.For more information and to apply to this position, please visit http://jobs-chl.icims.com/jobs/1064/job;jsessionid=D0C5FEC4A0D702ED51D2A79EB4E44830
Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc. – Clinical Services Coordinator (W. Stewartstown, NH)
Eckerd Youth Alternatives provides therapeutic programming for at-risk youth and is seeking a Licensed Mental Health Counselor or Clinical Social Worker. Responsibilities include administrative and managerial duties along with direct services to youth. Additionally, this position will provide supervision of unlicensed program case managers in their treatment services and maintain delivery and documentation of all mental health-related treatment services.
For more information and to apply to this position, please visit
http://www.opportunityknocks.org/JobseekerX/ViewJob.asp?JobID=BJSYrzPkSzTI9Y11d8tsMDRp6M6W
Waldon Street School – Assistant Director of Nursing (Concord, MA)
The Waldon Street School is a residential program serving adolescent females and is seeking an Assistant Director of Nursing to oversee daily operations of the nursing department. Responsibilities include supervising nursing staff, medication administration, treatment planning, health care coordination and education.
For more information and to apply to this position, please visit http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/326659-260
Children's National Medical Center – Director of Performance Improvement and Compliance School Health Services (Washington, DC)
The Director of Performance Improvement and Compliance coordinates the quality assessment and performance improvement activities for the Children’s School Services School Health Nursing Program. Responsibilities include coordinating program procedures and supporting the development, implementation and reporting of on-going strategies to achieve program objectives.
For more information and to apply to this position, please visit http://www.nasbhc.org/site/c.jsJPKWPFJrH/b.3092031/apps/cf/jobsoffered/view.asp?ad_id={19DFC443-0915-4753-B3F9-A0D073E7CD4B}&category_bin_id={A9563DD7-ACB8-4FB1-ADBC-6B7077DEFE99
Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinic – Educational Coordinator / Mental Health Counselor (Wausau, WI)
Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinic is a mental health agency that provides services to children and adolescents and is seeking an Educational Coordinator. Responsibilities include facilitating educational lessons and mental health groups for kids, communicating with area school districts, assisting clients to successfully reintegrate into the school system and contribute to evaluation and supervision.
For more information and to apply to this position, please visit http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?job_did=J7X1QB77XNVNNKZN0MP&siteid=CBJUJU_Feed