Program Launch in All Four Cities

Program in Action

The School-Based Health Alliance, in partnership with federally qualified health centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and Miami, officially launched the School-Based Health Care Coordination Initiative, a transformative approach designed to enhance student health and educational outcomes through comprehensive care coordination. The partner health centers include Whitefoord, Inc. (Atlanta), UI Health-Mile Square Health Center (Chicago), Legacy Community Health (Houston), and Jessie Trice Community Health System, Inc. (Miami).

Bridging the Gap Between Health and Education

In each city, we collaborated with the federally qualified health centers to establish city work groups composed of diverse community members, including students, parents, health center staff, school-based health center staff, educators, school leaders, school health professionals, and other local stakeholders. These work groups are essential in providing valuable insights into the local experiences and needs, ensuring that care coordination is effectively tailored to each community.

Meet the City Work Groups: The Heart of the Initiative

The city work groups consist of:

Students

Offering first-hand perspectives on their health needs and expectations for quality care.

Parents/Guardians

Ensuring family voices are integrated into the planning and care experience.

Federally Qualified Health Center Staff

Bringing health care expertise to the table.

School-Based Health Center Staff

Providing direct insights from the frontlines of school –based health care.

Local Education Agency Staff

Bridging the gap between health and education systems.

School Leadership and School Health Staff

Ensuring that school environments support health initiatives.

Community Stakeholders:

Including pediatric primary care providers, behavioral health organizations, and other youth-serving entities, enriching the collaborative effort.

Our Journey So Far: Community Engagement and Insights

Our national team has visited each of these vibrant cities to kickstart the city work groups and tour their school-based health centers. During these visits, crucial discussions took place about the unique community dynamics and resource availability. Despite a wealth of resources, many remain hard to access, highlighting the need for better coordination and trust-building among partners. Here are some powerful insights shared by our community members:

I work in healthcare, and yet I still find myself sometimes not understanding how it all works. Imagine how some of our parents feel.

We strive to provide the services students need when they need it.

Someone who has the lived experience, maybe not even in the care coordinator role or field but if they know how to communicate with people, culturally appropriate and cultural competency is important.

I know the way I work and how I treat people. I hope the people I refer out to treats them the same way. I hope they are going above and beyond, as I do.

The biggest hurdle we face is the need to rebuild trust.

Aspiring for Excellence in Care Coordination

The city work groups have high hopes for the role of school-based health care coordinators. They envision someone who:

Understands the community

Is resourceful

Acts as an advocate

Works well within a team

Shows empathy

Builds strong relationships

Stay Tuned for More!

We are incredibly excited about the potential of the school-based health care coordination Initiative to make a lasting impact on student health and education. Check out the pictures from our city visits and see the SBHCC Initiative in action!

Stay tuned for more updates and join us in this transformative journey to better health and education for all students. Together, we can build a brighter, healthier future for our communities.

Photograph from the 4/26 Houston city work group launch featuring members of Legacy Community Health and SBHA teams.

Dr. Veda C. Johnson, MD, FAAP the Chair of the Georgia School Based Health Alliance, welcomes the Georgia participants at the April 10, City Work Group Launch. She gave participants a view into the work happening in the field and supported their dedication to the field.

Our partners from Frameworks discussed messaging on April 10 in Atlanta, Georgia here Nico Connolly talks about the importance of how we talk about our work. Participants were challenged to think about their messaging and the impact of the delivery of the message.

The Miami Norland Senior High School students came ready to discuss at the April 24 City Work Group, we had an impressive number of students participate in the days activities. Their teacher Mr. Rico Rozier can be seen in the back and was pivotal in helping these students be apart of this event.

On April 24, participants listened intently while Joanne Pierre, RN, MA, BSN the School Health Director for Jessie Trice Community Health System, Inc, shared Jessie Trice’s commitment to their communties health and wellness. The room was filled with core members of the community which allowed for rich discussion.

Andrea Shore, from SBHA, facilitates a discussion with the Chicago city work group members

Community partners in Chicago discussing care mapping with the focus of students.

On May 1, 22 participants from UI Health Mile Square School-Based Health Centers, Nathan S. Davis Elementary School, Englewood STEM High School, and community members

Our team enjoyed meeting the administration and staff of Carrie P. Meek /Westview K-8 Center, Principal Dr. Tommy Richardson (far left) and Assistant Principal Shekinah McIntosh (middle female with black jacket) are visionaries and are connected to their school population and work with their team to support students and families