School Health Services Update: September 26, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

Fall has begun and the school year is in full swing!  I’m sure your office is humming with activity and lots of programming occurring!  This Email UPDATE for School Health Faculty is full of programs and resources to help you stay current in your practice!

Regional meetings will be starting again soon, and we hope to see many of you there!  And please mark Wednesday, December 5^th, on your calendar for our next statewide meeting.  We will be including all mental health providers, including school psychologists at this meeting to discuss such topics as DBT and Mindfulness, Challenges of Managing Crisis in Schools, and looking at Chronic Absenteeism in our schools.   Invite your colleagues to save the date!

Lots more to read below!

Thank you for all you do every day to ensure the health and safety of our students!
Mary Ann, Alison and Janet

School Health Team

“After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.” – – Alfred Perlman, railroad executive

SCHOOL NURSES IN THE NEWS!

Congratulations to Denise Moore, BSN, RN, NCSN, a school nurse in the Billerica Public Schools, for becoming nationally certified in school nursing!

Nashoba Regional School District School Nurse faculty, under the leadership of Lesa Breault-Gulbicki, RN, recently held their first meeting last week and started the year off right – with some fun! Included in this agenda was  nursing staff training in “Stop the Bleed” with kits provided to  every school.

SHIELD NOVEMBER 6^TH CONFERENCE FOR ALL SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS:

For information see: https://www.bucme.org/node/1198
To register please visit: https://bucme.org/activity/7240

MA TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM (MTCP) VAPING CAMPAIGN:

The MTCP Toolkit for schools and community based organizations is now posted at GetOutraged.org – Click on “For Schools”  The Toolkit includes a presentation that can be directed to parents or staff, guidance for giving this presentation, a flyer to promote a meeting or presentation about vaping, a sample newsletter article, and various other resources and materials to address youth use of e-cigarettes.

MASSHEALTH SCHOOL-BASED MEDICAID EXPANSION PROGRAM UPDATE:

MassHealth resources for School-based Medicaid Expansion program updates are now posted on their website at:  https://www.mass.gov/masshealth-school-based-medicaid-program

For those who want more detailed information on the upcoming expansion of MassHealth reimbursement for school-based providers, please see the MassHealth School-Based Medicaid Program: Program Guide for Local Education Agencies can be located on the web at: https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/09/24/PG-LEA-SBMP-0918.pdf

LIFESKILLS TRAINING FOR THE PREVENTION OF OPIOID AND OTHER SUBSTANCE MISUSE, AND PROMOTION OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING COMING IN OCTOBER

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) and School Health Services (SHS) are offering free daylong combined Elementary and Middle School level Certification Trainings on the well-received LifeSkills Training© (LST) program (for grades 3-5 or 6, and/or grades 6-8 or 9). All of the Teacher and Student Materials will be supplied.

You also can invite Administrators, Community Leaders, Public Health, and School Nurses to a ½ day session in order to explore the programs’ outcomes and get tips on how to support the program’s implementation.  We will also hold a ½ day session on a beautifully illustrated Native American supplement to LST. It can be used with Native American youth, or as a means to expose all Middle School youth to diverse Native cultures through stories and poems.

The October dates, CEUs, PDPs, required registration link, and other details about these free trainings can be found here http://www.cvent.com/d/74q78p/6T    All are encouraged to register right away and to forward these opportunities to other educational, health, and community leaders as soon as it is convenient. The deadlines are quickly approaching, and we will really appreciate your enthusiastic support. Please see the attached flyer for more information related to these programs.

MCAAP IMMUNIZATION INITIATIVE WEBINAR SERIES:
Thursday, October 4, 2018, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Using Digital Media to Engage Parents Around Childhood Immunization

 Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, FAAP
Pediatrician and Chief of Digital Innovation at Seattle Children’s Hospital
“Seattle Mama Doc”

Learning Objectives: As a result of participating in this activity, learners should be able to:

• Identify how to use digital media (text, graphics, audio and video) to engage parents around the topic of infant immunization;
• Explain how social media can be used to amplify digital media efforts;
• Describe digital tactics used by Seattle Mama Doc to engage parents.

Click here to register for the webinar on October 4, 2018.

To Register: https://www.framingham.edu/academics/continuing-education/professional-development/professional-development-for-educators/courses-and-registration/

GLSEN Fall Conference:

Registration is now open for GLSEN’s Fall Conference, which will occur on Saturday, November 3rd in Amherst. GLSEN is also accepting conference proposals. Learn more and register here.

GSA Day at Bridgewater State: “The GLBTA Pride Center invites all high school Gay and Straight Alliances (GSA) to visit BSU! Learn how to choose an LGBTQ-friendly college and successfully navigate higher education from current LGBTQ college students.” Registration is due October 1st for this November 28th event. Learn more here.

BOSTON CHILDRENS HOSPITAL COMMUNITY EDUCATION INITIATIVE:

MASSKIDS FALL CONFERENCE:

Creating a Culture of Safety:  Building Skills to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Misconduct in Schools and Youth Organizations

Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center
1657 Worcester Road, Framingham, MA 01701

Join us this October for a day of building confidence and practical skills for proactively preventing and responding to a range of boundary-violating behaviors on the continuum of employee misconduct. This event will feature interactive skill-building sessions led by top experts:

• Learn about the continuum of misconduct and how to help employees avoid the slippery slope that can lead to reportable sexual misconduct and abuse
• Develop a detailed code of conduct that sets clear behavioral boundaries
• Confidently respond to staff who have been reported for boundary violations
• Better screen prospective employees to discourage those with concerning behaviors
• Engage youth in assessing/modifying the safety of physical spaces
• Train school employees using evidence-based online training on sexual abuse prevention and resources

Who Should Attend:
State education leaders, public school superintendents and principals, heads of private independent schools, leaders of youth organizations, parents, school volunteers, members of Parent Teacher Organizations and local School Committees, child advocates and other strategic decision makers would all benefit from attending this conference.

For more information:

Visit the MassKids website to register and learn more: http://www.masskids.org/index.php/enough-abuse-campaign/national-conference-2018

Are you member of NAIS, NEASC, MASS, MASC, MAAPS, MSAA or a youth-serving organization leader?  Contact us for your special 15% registration discount.  info@masskids.org

MDPH SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM – UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE:  

http://www.cvent.com/events/suicide-prevention-257-understanding-trauma-and-trauma-informed-care/event-summary-ae9eebca681742648d5a3abb59c6c481.aspx

MDPH FLU RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE:

Register Here for the MIAP Pediatric Immunization Skills Building Conference

Download the MIAP conference brochure 

Are you interested in learning more about vaccines? Go to the Immunization Program Website for more information.

The best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated every year. Thank you for all of your hard work ensuring that Massachusetts citizens are fully protected against flu and flu-related complications.

Please visit our Flu Website for Healthcare Professionals for what’s new during the 2018-2019 flu season and additional MDPH resources.

Additional Massachusetts Department of Public Health resources found on www.mass.gov/flu website:

Sample Standing Orders*

• Sample Standing Orders for IIV vaccine
• Sample Standing Orders for LAIV vaccine

Screening/Consent Forms*

• Screening/Consent form for IIV vaccine
• Screening/Consent form for LAIV vaccine
• Screening/Consent form for IIV and LAIV vaccine

Flu Highlights for 2018-2019, which is geared towards a general public audience that you can use in discussions with your patients

Control of Influenza and Pneumococcal Disease in Long-Term Care Facilities, which is on the Flu Website for Healthcare Professionals, discusses specific recommendations for long-term care residents and staff as well as other vaccines applicable to this population

*These resources are based on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

For more information on this year’s flu recommendations:

• Summary of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Influenza Recommendations as an interactive website or as a 4 page pdf document.
• Full ACIP Influenza Recommendations
• Background of the ACIP 2018-2019 Recommendations

American Academy of Pediatrics Influenza Recommendations and AAP News Article

Vaccine Information Statements

Reminder! The influenza VIS is no longer updated each year, unless needed. The current flu VIS posted on the CDC website is the one you can use for this upcoming flu season for both IIV and LAIV. If you need VISs in other languages, please visit the Immunization Action Coalition’s Vaccine Information Statement Website.

For questions about state supplied flu vaccine availability and ordering, please contact the Vaccine Management Unit at 617-983-6828.

For questions about flu vaccine recommendations, please call the Immunization Program at 617-983-6800 and ask to speak to an immunization epidemiologist.

REGIONAL CONSULTANT AND STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST CONTACT INFORMATION: