June 13, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

This is the second to last of the MDPH School Health Updates for this school year!  And while the year is flying by….there are still many opportunities for learning that I am including in these UPDATES.  Please remember that registration for the SHIELD Summer Institute is limited….but OPEN TO ALL SCHOOL STAFF – including all teachers, administrators and other individuals interested in addressing the social determinants of health.

And a reminder of the opportunities for online training including the new CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOLS series for school staff, students and parents available on SHIELD at:  http://www.nephtc.org/course/index.php?categoryid=2   Here’s a direct link to the course: http://www.nephtc.org/enrol/index.php?id=36

I know you are all so very busy, so I will keep these updates short and concise with information for school health personnel and others of occasions for summer professional development being offered across the state.

Thank you for all you do!
Mary Ann and Janet

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams

NURSES IN THE NEWS:

From South Hadley:

http://www.gazettenet.com/South-Hadley-School-nurses-seeking-more-support-17772627

From Wilmington:

http://wilmington.vod.castus.tv/vod/?video=d757ebb0-8577-447c-bea2-f28676c99b20&nav=recent

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR NURSING AND OTHER DISCIPLINES:

Fellowship opportunity for nursing and other disciplines interested in enhancing their knowledge and education and policy experience in working with children and adults with Intellectual disabilities!!

The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program, or the LEND program at the Institute for Community Inclusion at Children’s Hospital Boston is looking to recruit trainees to join the program this coming year. This is a nine-month fellowship program that requires a full day of activities each Friday from Labor Day through mid-May, plus an additional ½ day each week. The program is appropriate for students in any professional discipline seeking to develop their leadership skills in the field of developmental disabilities including but not exclusive to audiology, creative arts, dentistry, education, family medicine, health administration, law, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, pastoral counseling, pediatrics, physical therapy, psychiatry, psychology, public health, rehabilitation counseling, social work, and speech therapy. Family members who wish to advance their knowledge in these areas and who are working toward leadership roles in the field of maternal and child health are encouraged to apply and become fellow as well.  The Fellowship program includes didactics, community visits and some clinical experiences. Please visit our site for more information and for application materials: lendboston.org

For nursing questions please feel free to contact Stephanie Porter MSN, RN (LEND nursing faculty)  email or call me at 857-218-4333

Stephanie Porter MSN, RN
Community Education Initiative
MASSTART
LEND

SYMPOSIUM ON CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM:

Save the Date for Tuesday, August 7, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.!  The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will hold a free symposium on chronic absenteeism. Questions to be addressed include: Why focus on attendance and absenteeism?,  How should we measure attendance and absenteeism?, and How can schools respond to the needs of chronically absent students, including building partnerships with family and the community? The event is sponsored by The Boston Foundation and will be held at their offices in Boston. Superintendents and school administrators are strongly encouraged to attend, and registration is open online.

ONLINE CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOLS:

The online Concussion Management in Massachusetts Schools is now live and available for use on the NEPHTC website at:  http://www.nephtc.org/enrol/index.php?id=36   This course contains four lessons with information about concussions, related Massachusetts laws and regulations, and guidelines for students to return to learn and play. After completion of a pre-test, post-test, and evaluation, a certificate of completion will be issued that satisfies the annual training requirement in Massachusetts regulation 105 CMR 201.007.  All school coaches, school physicians, athletic trainers, nurses, athletic directors, marching band directors, students and their parents who participate in an extracurricular athletic activity, and other trainers and volunteers involved in extracurricular sports can use these modules; they are self-paced and available at no cost!

 GRANT WRITING COURSES:

Nurses may be interested in these online courses from Boston University as they consider writing their upcoming grant applications:

Online Course

• Grant Writing Basics: http://www.nephtc.org/course/view.php?id=30

Webinars:

• Living on Grants: Practical Budgeting Guidelines http://www.nephtc.org/course/view.php?id=12
• Managing Budgets and Fiscal Resources: Part 1  http://www.nephtc.org/course/view.php?id=49
• Managing Budgets and Fiscal Resources: Part 2 http://www.nephtc.org/course/view.php?id=50
• Program Evaluation http://www.nephtc.org/course/view.php?id=53

FAMILY REUNIFICATION: DEBUT OF A NEW AAP TOOL:

AAP Children’s Hospitals and Preparedness Webinar Series

Friday, June 29, 2018

2:00pm ET/1:00pm CT

Registration Link: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/9769ookhip60&eom (registration is required)

An estimated 69 million children in the United States are separated from their parents or guardians because they are in school or child care during the week. During a disaster, there is an increased possibility for children to become separated from their parents or legal guardians. Being separated from family during or after an emergency can have lasting mental and physical effects on children. The faster children are reunited with their family, the better their outcomes will be.

Having plans in place in advance of a disaster for keeping children and their families together or accelerating reunification remains a significant priority. Steps have been taken to increase the preparedness of the community to reunify children with their families in the event of a disaster, but there is more work to do to help hospitals and communities with reunification planning.

The presenters of this free webinar will provide background information and lessons learned from their experiences. The webinar will also highlight key actions that participants can take now to increase their preparedness. The presenters will walk through the new American Academy of Pediatrics family reunification tool for hospitals, which includes information on assembling a planning team, involving external stakeholders, the elements of a hospital family reunification plan, how to activate a plan, and how to exercise the plan. This tool has been reviewed by stakeholder groups in Massachusetts and Missouri and is undergoing pilot testing in hospitals.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the importance of having a reunification plan that outlines steps that can be taken before children are separated from their parents or legal guardians.
• Outline the key components that should be included in a hospital’s family reunification plan.
• Identify where to find the most up-to-date guidance, recommendations, and resources.

This webinar is focused on hospitals who might receive unaccompanied children during a disaster. This webinar is open, so anyone can participate, so long as they register. Individuals can submit questions ahead of time to DisasterReady@aap.org or live during the Q&A portion of the webinar. This webinar will be archived for viewing after the live presentation.

Registration Details:

US/Canada Toll-Free Phone: 800-289-0459

International Toll-Free Phone: 1-323-794-2558

Participant Passcode: 512312

Registration Link: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/9769ookhip60&eom (registration is required)

Speakers:

Sarita Chung, MD, FAAP , Director, Disaster Preparedness, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital

Rachel Charney, MD, FAAP, Pediatric Emergency Medicine , SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

REGIONAL CONSULTANT CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN

Director of School Health Services/ School SBIRT Coordinator

MA Department of Public Health

250 Washington Street – 5^th Floor

Boston, MA  02108

mary.gapinski@state.ma.us

Website: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/community-health/primarycare-healthaccess/school-health/

SBIRT information:  www.masbirt.org/schools