World Health Organization:
Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
What is mental health really? Is it simply the absence of mental illness? What are the signs of mental illness? How do we support our students, families and the teachers and staff who are connecting with students that are struggling with social, emotional and behavioral issues?
In an effort to answer some of these questions and provide you with resources to advocate effectively for your students and families, the Regional Nurse Specialists developed training on mental health titled “All Hands on Deck”. The trainings started two weeks ago, and we have had some great reviews and encourage all of you to sign up for one of the 19 trainings left this spring! If you are real adventurous, and can’t make the site based trainings (these are highly recommended because of the interactive nature of the training), try one of the web based opportunities. (See the link below)
We understand the tremendous demands on your time, but did you know that mental health was identified as one of Colorado’s ten most winnable battles?
You may ask, “But what is my role?” This is a great question and one we spend a lot of time exploring with you in the training. With all the demands on your time, it makes sense to know how to prioritize your time and who the other members of the team are, right? One school psychologist suggested that “school nurses are sense makers of the health and mental health needs of our students”. I don’t know about you but that seems like a powerful role and sounds a lot like advocacy! Advocacy requires that we care, but it also requires that we have a grasp of the real needs of students and their families and we can be a part of the solution--this is why it is critical for school nurses to be at the “table” so to speak!
The following are typical talking points when we are having conversations about mental health needs:
• Students with diagnosable problems
• Therapy and behavior change
• Connecting community mental
health providers to schools
• What mental health professionals do
• Empirically-supported treatments
But these are not all encompassing—the following prevention and promotion concepts are often assumed or left to chance rather than intentionally addressed in a comprehensive health services continuum for students.
Providing programs to promote social-emotional development, prevent mental health and psychosocial problems, and enhance resiliency and protective buffers
• Providing programs and services to intervene as early after the onset of learning, behavior, and emotional problems as is feasible
Drawing on all empirical evidence as an aid in developing a comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive continuum of school-community interventions to address barriers to learning and promote healthy development.
This training strives to first promote your confidence in sound, evidence –based interventions that look at charting a course for prevention, and the promotion of positive mental health and academic success for all students! (It also takes a good look at caring for our own mental health—a critical first step in the process). Secondly, it creates the opportunity to explore how you can best support your UAP’s, teachers, administrators, and parents in identifying the red flags and early warning signs of rough waters ahead!
Powerpoint presentation:
National Center for Mental Health in Schools: UCLA
Mental Health in School & School Improvement: Current Status, Concerns, and
New Directions
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/mhbook/mhbooktoc.htm
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Kathy's Korner- February
I am on an airplane as I write this coming back from Washington D.C. The Healthy Schools Campaign and the Trust for America’s Health convened a group of interested parties to develop a position paper with recommendations to prioritize health in schools including improving the ratios of school nurses in the schools. How exciting is this! This was the first convening of its kind and I was very excited to be a part of this. The information gathered during this meeting will be finalized and presented to Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education and also to Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary for Health and Human Services. Anytime that we can bring forward the good works that school nurses do in helping students be healthy and safe in schools it is a giant step for our profession. We have a huge job in getting folks at the Department of Education to seriously look at student health as the missing link to student academic success. Central to the discussion was the use of Medicaid reimbursement to expand nursing services. We are fortunate in Colorado that reimbursement is returned to the participating school districts. It is projected that $17 million will be distributed to those districts this year. One of the largest uses of funds is for expanding nursing services. If your district is not currently taking advantage of this program, I would suggest a call to Jill Mathews, the Medicaid School Health Program Manager here at CDE. She can provide further information whether your district would benefit from participation. Her email is Mathews_j@cde.state.co.us. 1-303-866-6978
Are you a Web-based learner?
Are you a web-based learner?
Some of the classes offered to school nurses in Colorado are web-based. What does that mean and is that good choice for you? The traditional class style of the teacher and the learners in the same room can be broadcasted or adapted to a class style where the information is presented through computer access. We use a web program called, GoToMeeting, that can be accessed through a computer with a speaker and mikes. The best sound quality is obtained using a USB headset that can be purchased at your local office or electronic supply store.
You can register one of two classes for our current training “All Hands on Deck” through the online registration. It is best if you can attend the Regional Nurse Updates by Kathy Patrick so you can meet your colleagues. But, if you cannot attend, you can receive the information being presented at the Glenwood Springs site through the web. Register for the web class by emailing Pam Hitt at hit_p@cde.state.co.us. Give us the following information:
name,
email
best phone contact
school district
hours you work per week.
All the web classes have a maximum attendance of 12.
But, it is a good choice for you? Let’s consider three different options for your involvement with a web-based class and let you decide.
The attendee. When you sign into the class, your name is listed as an attendee. You can hear the speaker and view any PowerPoint style information. If you have any questions, you can type them into a text box and the speaker can answer them at the end. It is an excellent way to get information, especially if you are unable to attend a physical class. Your learning experience is enhanced if you read any handouts that are mailed or emailed to you.
The participant. But, you can increase your knowledge and enjoyment of the class if you can become involved in the learning. For the class that is designed for web presentation, you will be asked to contribute to the discussion and complete learning exercises. If the class is being broadcast from a live presentation, freely add comments to the text box. We will have someone in the classroom to monitor the comments and present them to the teacher when appropriate. It is important to diminish distractions in your environment so you can concentrate on participating in the class.
The learner. The definition of a learner from Webster’s dictionary is one who gains knowledge and understanding through instruction, study, and experience. To be a web-based learner, you need to attend and to participate, but to also study the material and to plan how you can apply it. There may be exercises to do between sessions and you may be asked to contribute your expertise to the discussions and to share your plans for implementation.
Do you want to be a web-based learner? If yes, please join us in one of our classes.
Some of the classes offered to school nurses in Colorado are web-based. What does that mean and is that good choice for you? The traditional class style of the teacher and the learners in the same room can be broadcasted or adapted to a class style where the information is presented through computer access. We use a web program called, GoToMeeting, that can be accessed through a computer with a speaker and mikes. The best sound quality is obtained using a USB headset that can be purchased at your local office or electronic supply store.
You can register one of two classes for our current training “All Hands on Deck” through the online registration. It is best if you can attend the Regional Nurse Updates by Kathy Patrick so you can meet your colleagues. But, if you cannot attend, you can receive the information being presented at the Glenwood Springs site through the web. Register for the web class by emailing Pam Hitt at hit_p@cde.state.co.us. Give us the following information:
name,
best phone contact
school district
hours you work per week.
All the web classes have a maximum attendance of 12.
But, it is a good choice for you? Let’s consider three different options for your involvement with a web-based class and let you decide.
The attendee. When you sign into the class, your name is listed as an attendee. You can hear the speaker and view any PowerPoint style information. If you have any questions, you can type them into a text box and the speaker can answer them at the end. It is an excellent way to get information, especially if you are unable to attend a physical class. Your learning experience is enhanced if you read any handouts that are mailed or emailed to you.
The participant. But, you can increase your knowledge and enjoyment of the class if you can become involved in the learning. For the class that is designed for web presentation, you will be asked to contribute to the discussion and complete learning exercises. If the class is being broadcast from a live presentation, freely add comments to the text box. We will have someone in the classroom to monitor the comments and present them to the teacher when appropriate. It is important to diminish distractions in your environment so you can concentrate on participating in the class.
The learner. The definition of a learner from Webster’s dictionary is one who gains knowledge and understanding through instruction, study, and experience. To be a web-based learner, you need to attend and to participate, but to also study the material and to plan how you can apply it. There may be exercises to do between sessions and you may be asked to contribute your expertise to the discussions and to share your plans for implementation.
Do you want to be a web-based learner? If yes, please join us in one of our classes.
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