School Health Services Update: October 22, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to welcome, Caitlin Pettengill, DNP, RN, to our School Health Services Team!!  Dr. Pettengill is beginning her new role as the Assistant Director of School Health Services this week and will be assuming responsibilities for many of the programs we oversee in School Health as she becomes more oriented to her role.  Caitlin’s previous experience includes clinical roles in community health centers, hospitals, home-care agencies, dialysis clinics and instructing nursing students in long-term care settings.  Caitlin earned her BSN from Northeastern University, and has completed graduate coursework in Molecular Immunology at Harvard University.  She obtained her DNP in Public Health at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and is currently enrolled in the Genetics/Genomics graduate certificate program at Stanford University.  She is passionate about public health, education, epidemiology and the welfare of children, which will help serve the School Health Services Unit here at MDPH.  Caitlin is looking forward to being a strong support and advocate for Massachusetts school nurses and the children of the Commonwealth.   Please join us in welcoming Caitlin to her new position!  She can be reached at: caitlin.pettengill@state.ma.us   Also joining our team is Sneha Durgapal,  an MPH Candidate in Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the Boston University School of Public Health.  Sneha will be working with us to collect and analyze SBIRT screening outcomes and can be reached at sneha.durgapal@state.ma.us .

Please note the updated information in the email below concerning the upcoming Comprehensive School Health Services (CSHS) RFR Bidder Conferences.  No registration is required to attend the live (in-person) conferences at either site; however preregistration is required if you’re choosing to live stream the webinar for the second bidders conference only on Friday, November 2^nd.

Thank you for all you do – every day – to keep our students healthy and safe…and in school!
Mary Ann and the School Health Team (including Alison, Bob, Janet and Wanda, too!)

“The show goes on at 11:30 not because we’re ready, but because it’s 11:30 and the show is starting!” – quote from Saturday Night Live

SCHOOL NURSES IN THE NEWS!

Billerica School Nurses provided staff training in Stop the Bleed for school staff: 
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_32217728/trauma-training-head-class
Debra McGovern, DNP, the Director of Nursing Services in Worcester Public Schools, is cited in this article that describes the districts attempt to ensure compliance with state required vaccines: https://www.telegram.com/news/20181016/​
The Boston University School of Public Health has recently featured SHIELD and its Director, Beverly Heinze-Lacey!  This article focuses on the work SHIELD does with School Health across the state!   http://www.bu.edu/sph/2018/10/16/school-nursing

UPDATES ON COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES (CSHS) BIDDER’S CONFERENCE INFORMATION

To attend in person (No registration necessary):
First location:   Monday October 29th 2018 UMASS Medical School 55 N Lake Ave, Worcester, MA 01655 from 1:00PM-3:00PMSecond location:  Friday, November 2nd, 2018 Time: 1:00-3:00pm, Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116

Webinar Information:
Webinar Information for Oct. 29^th, 2018, from 1:00PM-3:00PM (No pre-registration required)
1-669-900-6833 or 1-646-876-9923
Enter Meeting ID: 217-915-377
Web Link: https://umassmed.zoom.us/j/217915377
Webinar Information for November 2^nd, 2018, from 1:00PM-3:00PM (*Pre-registration required) https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7373172537986214915
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
For system requirements click on link:
https://support.logmeininc.com/gotowebinar/help/system-requirements-for-attendees-g2w010003?c_prod=g2w&c_name=iph

Please note:  Pre-registration is required to attend the webinar ONLY scheduled for Friday, November 2^nd.

FINAL REMINDER EMAIL FOR QUALTRICS QUESTIONNAIRE:

My name is Maria Anidi and I am a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at Northeastern University. I invite you to take part in my DNP scholarly project. The purpose of this scholarly research project is to evaluate School Nurses’ Knowledge of Individual School-Aged Homeless Children Grades K-8 through an online survey. The aims are to improve school nurses’ knowledge of the diverse needs of school-aged homeless children; to explore avenues, and available resources to assist them.

If you have already completed the survey, then please disregard this message. This is just a gentle final reminder, if you would like to participate in the on-line homeless Questionnaire, that the questionnaire will be available for one more day.  Please see link below. https://neu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_03eJjQlNcxoFbAV

This study has been approved by the Northeastern University Institutional Review Board (#18-08-08).

Thank you in advance,
Maria Anidi, MSN, MBA, RN
DNP student, Northeastern University

REVISED “3TS FOR REDUCING LEAD IN DRINKING WATER IN SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES”

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a revised “3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities” guidance. EPA’s 3Ts (Training, Testing ,Taking Action) is the major guidance for the USEPA Lead Contamination Control Act (LCCA) program. The 3Ts provides tools for schools, child care facilities, states, and water systems to implement voluntary lead in drinking water testing and follow–up action programs.  The revised 3Ts guidance and tool kit is located at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/3ts-reducing-lead-drinking-water-toolkit .

EPA will be hosting the following webinars about the new guidance. Please see registration information and details below:
Thursday October 25th, 2018 from 2:00-3:30pm: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1166509662760773122
Wednesday, October 31st, 2018 from 2:00-3:30pm: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6243012023184540418

Following these webinars, MassDEP will provide further guidance to Massachusetts schools and child care facilities on how the revised EPA guidance will impact the Massachusetts Lead Contamination Control Act program. If you have any questions on this information, please contact the MassDEP Drinking Water Program at program.director-dwp@mass.gov or 617-292-5770.

Yvette DePeiza
Program Director
Drinking Water Program
MassDEP/BWR

MIAA 22^ND ANNUAL WELLNESS SUMMIT

Friday, October 26
Keynote – Vaping: The New Look of Nicotine Addiction

12 workshops
Over 30 exhibitors
Designed for students
Earn 5 PD hours
Click here to register.

NEW MENTAL HEALTH, TRAUMA, AND YOUTH FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES: BOSTON CHILDREN’S COLLABORATION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH

I’m pleased to share with you the next request for proposals (RFP) for Boston Children’s Collaboration for Community Health. Click here for details and how to apply

This round of funding is focused on the following areas:

• Mental Health and Youth Support Systems
• Community Trauma Response

There is a two-step application process.

• Interested applicants need to submit a letter of intent by November 16, and applicants will be notified by December 19 if their organization is invited to submit a full proposal.
• Full proposals will be due by February 1, 2019. 

More information about the process, selection criteria and the types of projects that we plan to fund can be found on BostonChildrens.org/funding. There will be an optional information session on Wednesday, October 24, from 2 to 4 p.m., where you’ll have a chance to learn more and meet with Boston Children’s staff about this new funding opportunity. For details and to register, click here.
If you have any questions, email us at TalkToUs@childrens.harvard.edu.

Best,

Shari Nethersole, MD
Executive Director for Community Health
Office of Community Health​

FOSTERING SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS THAT PREVENT TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

Wednesday, October 31, 2018
2:00 pm – 3:30 PM
(This web conference will be held only once)

If the above link does not work, copy and paste the following link into your browser:  https://wp.me/p2EdjW-5zU

With a growing evidence-base around interventions like Shifting Boundaries that focus on improving school environments to prevent teen dating violence and sexual violence, practitioners are implementing efforts that not only involve classroom lessons, but also focus on school-wide changes. Practitioners are working at the individual, relationship and community levels to comprehensively improve school climate and build environments that support safety for students and school staff. Join us for this web conference where we will dive deeper into what infrastructure is needed to implement comprehensive school-based violence prevention and how practitioners are going about this.

OBJECTIVES:

• Explore how to build the infrastructure needed to implement comprehensive school-based violence prevention (e.g. building school partnerships).
• Describe real-world examples of how practitioners and advocates are changing school environments through policies and practices.
• Engage in a dialogue about how to make change in school environments for violence prevention.

REGIONAL CONSULTATION CONTACT INFORMATION:  PLEASE NOTE CHANGES – IN RED!

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