NMASBHC Newsletter
July
2014


 




A Note from the Executive Director

 

Greetings from NMASBHC! As July wraps up, we here at NMASBHC are thinking about all you must be doing to prepare for a new school year. As we plan how we can help you in 2014-15, we're hoping you will reach out to us to let us know what your most pressing needs are. Depending on whether you work at an SBHC, a school, or a managed care health plan, we have different resources that may be of use. Don't hesitate to contact us to ask for information, to post a job, to get advice, etc. We know that the best expertise is in the field, and we want to share what we learn from each of you individually as well as what we hear from partner organizations like state agencies, the national School Based Health Alliance, and others.

Please let me know if there is other information you need or ways we at NMASBHC can serve you. Many thanks!

Nancy Rodriguez

[email protected]  

What You'll Find In This Newsletter (click to jump to section):

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JobSBHC Job Opportunities 
 

If your school-based health center is hiring, NMASBHC is here to help you spread the word. Please email Nancy Rodriguez at [email protected] or Alex Rios at [email protected] to request a job announcement posting in our monthly newsletter.

Clinical Therapist: YDI is hiring a clinical therapist to serve YDI-Elev8's Albuquerque community middle schools, Grant and Wilson. Compensation: $1,489.30 or $1,716.81/Bi-Weekly (Based on Level of Licensure).

(Non-Trad. Hrs.) MSW or MA in Psychology, Social Work, Guidance & Counseling. Applicant must be independently licensed (LISW, LPCC or LMFT) to practice in NM. Must be able to read, write & understand English. Ability to speak Spanish desirable. Must be computer literate. Apply at YDI, 6301 Central NW, 831-6038 or visit our website at www.ydinm.org. Posting Closes: 7/25/14. (Copy of Transcripts/License must be attached to application).

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sbhaSchool Based Health Alliance Convention Highlights

I was lucky enough to attend the SBHA's recent convention, and for those of you who were unable to attend, I wanted to share the top 5 resources I learned about (please see below). Additionally, I want to remind you all to start working with your organization to save time and money to attend next year's convention. It is an investment, but a very worthwhile one. Next year's will be close so I hope we'll have a huge group of NM attendees! Save the dates - June 16-19, 2015 in Austin, TX at the new downtown Marriott.

1)    Return on Investment (ROI): many of you have seen the ROI report based on a subset of New Mexico's SBHC data from 2011-12. We'll be doing an update/next stage report soon, and we were pleased to see the consulting firm with whom we worked (Melanie Ginn and Associates) presented further data on this methodology at the convention. Stay tuned for more information about the next phase of this work.

 

2)    Presentations: You can check out some of the powerpoint presentations that were shared, by visiting the archive (which includes several presented by New Mexico partners like the Ruidoso SBHC, Apex, Envision New Mexico and OSAH) on SBHA's website: http://www.sbh4all.org/site/c.ckLQKbOVLkK6E/b.7505261/k.2727/Convention.htm

 

3)    Web Resource: Are you looking for ways to adapt your organization's health services to maximize community health outcomes? CDC funds the Guide to Community Preventive and associated website: http://www.thecommunityguide.org/index.html and sent representatives to the convention who recommended this tool. Special topics around adolescent health, asthma, alcohol use and other issues may be of particular interest for SBHC personnel and their partners.

 

4)    Health Statistics Resource: need evidence to convince your school or community that a focus on child/adolescent health is important? Check out website: http://www.americashealthrankings.org/NM for reports from United Health Care's Foundation on the real-life statistics affecting our state.

 

5)    Tobacco Free Kids: is your agency or the young people with whom you work looking to tackle tobacco use in your school or community? If so, be sure to look into the information and resources available at http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/ Everything from guidance on how to do a "Kick Butts" day to fact sheets for students about e-cigarettes, the organization has great resources that are being used by SBHCs all over the country.

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goodnewsGood News You Can Use! Hold a Creative Writing Contest Related to Healing at Your SBHC
  

This is our second of a monthly feature on SBHC highlights with a focus on ideas, practices, or activities that you may wish to use at your SBHC. We had no contributors from New Mexico SBHCs so I'd like to continue the sharing from the SBHA Convention by telling you about an activity I learned about there. For coming months, if you'd like to share a great practice from a New Mexico, please send your ideas to [email protected].

One of the keynote speakers at this year's School Based Health Alliance convention, Dr. Reed Tuckson, encouraged SBHC personnel to replicate at their SBHC a creative health writing contest he's involved with, particularly if you are working in a high school. His organization, Tuckson Health Connections, is working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on a contest for university students (http://www.tucksonhealthconnections.com/healing-stories-creative-writing-contest/), and he shared how healing it has been for students and how it raised awareness about the importance of health care among the students. If you'd like to adapt this idea for your campus, the website above has samples of students' writing, and other information about the contest.
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voicesNew Mexico Voices for Children Releases Data--NM Moves from 50th to 49th.
 
Special thanks to New Mexico Voices for Children for publishing the most recent update to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's "Kids Count Data Book." New Mexico moved up, slightly, from 50th in the nation in child well-being indicators to 49th. Check out the state and national data at www.nmvoices.org. NMASBHC also would like to thank NM Voices for Children for including SBHCs in the NM KIDS are COUNTing on Us Policy Agenda. See how our state is doing compared to that agenda by downloading the updated agenda at www.nmvoices.org.
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crucessLas Cruces SBHCs Featured in Local Paper

This month, the Las Cruces Sun-News featured the Department of Health expansion funding at 3 Las Cruces SBHCs. Check out this good news! http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_26184871/school-based-health-centers-receive-money-expand

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shoppingSupport NMASBHC By Shopping 
 

You can help support the work of NMASBHC to advocate for SBHCs by shopping! Check out the ways you can shop at Amazon, Albertson's and Smith's and get cash to the organization:

  • Amazon Smile: If you're shopping at Amazon.com, .5% of your eligible Amazon purchase can go back to NMASBHC when you make it through: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/27-0859783. Set this up as your default Amazon account page for easy shopping. Many of the eligible items are also eligible for Prime shipping.
  • Albertson's: Shop with the Albertson's Community Partners program and 1% of your purchase value goes back to NMASBHC when you participate! Ask NMASBHC for the special key tag you'll scan when you shop to benefit NMASBHC.
  • Smith's: 1% of your purchase value goes back to NMASBHC when you assign your value card to our organization. Sign up today! Register at: www.smithscommunityrewards.com. If you already have a rewards card, you'll have to associate it in your online account with NMASBHC. If you haven't yet created an account, you can do so online or in the store.

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adolescentAdolescent Patient Resources: Focus on Young Men

This is our second of a monthly feature on adolescent health resources focused on, but not limited to, young men. SBHCs typically serve more female than male patients. If you're working to better draw and/or serve young men, check out these resources:

July has been National UV Safety Month! Let your patients know about this especially dangerous health risk year-round and how it can be prevented at an early age if young people are made aware:

  • Skin cancer: During the summer the, teens want to get out and enjoy the...Sun! Unfortunately, the highest risk of UV radiation is during the months of May through September, which is the time of summer break for schools! UV rays are especially high in a higher altitude, such as most New Mexico towns. This can help be prevented however by doing things as simple as "using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher", or even wearing clothes with a high UV defense. "A thin white T-shirt provides a UPF, or Ultraviolet Protection Factor, of about 5, meaning the shirt lets in about 1/5 of the sun's rays. In contrast, blue jeans have a UPF of approximately 1700." http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/prevention-guidelines/preventing-skin-cancer Many young people participate in outdoor sport practices; when you're completing sports physicals, remind young people to take precautions!
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