NMASBHC Newsletter
April
2015

A Note from the Executive Director 

 

Thank you to all of you who were able to participate in this year's Head to Toe conference! We saw many of you at exhibit tables, at our silent auction, at our annual meeting and awards ceremony, and at the SBHC pre-conference! We are always thankful for the opportunity to convene with you and hope we provided a service to the field through these events! Looking forward to May, I know that many of you are simultaneously winding down this school year while planning for the next. Please know that we are here to help should you need any technical assistance. Please read on for information about how we can help.

Best wishes,

Nancy Rodriguez

nancyrodrigueznmasbhc@gmail.com

 

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

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highlightsSBHC Highlight: SBHCs and GRADS - a Public Health Collaboration 

 

NMASBHC is identifying best practices at SBHCs across the state; we are also creating a series of briefs on these practices, particularly those where SBHCs are partnering with GRADS Programs to support Expectant and Parenting Teens (EPT). Visit our new website tab to check out new resources: http://www.nmasbhc.org/gradsparenting-teens.html . We're excited to thank the Roswell SBHCs, the Ruidoso SBHC and Oņate High SBHC in Las Cruces for their input on a brief about how SBHCs can work with Public Health offices to help students access healthcare services; it is now available on our website!

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Job Opportunitiesjobb 
  • Behavioral Health Provider, Belen SBHC
  • Nurse Practitioner, Belen SBHC
  • Nurse Practitioner, Mountainair SBHC
The Central Regional Educational Cooperative is seeking new staff for the Belen and Mountainair High School School-Based Health Centers. Please contact Linda Filippi (LFilippi@crecnm.org) for information about these open positions.
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followupFollow-up on Convening Opportunities

NMASBHC Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony: Thank You!
Thank you to all who gathered with us for our Annual Meeting and Awards Reception! At the event, NMASBHC honored Brenda Chavez of Presbyterian Health Services and Senator Ortiz y Pino as SBHC Champions. We also honored the Pregnancy Prevention Work Group of Doņa Ana County as Legacy Award winners. At this event, we also introduced our new Board for 2015-2016; visit our website here to see the new Board names.

NMASBHC Head to Toe Silent Auction: Thank You!
The New Mexico Alliance for School-Based Health Care raised more than $2,500 in our annual silent auction during Head to Toe. Many thanks to those of you who donated, who bid and who won! This unrestricted funding supports our legislative advocacy work for SBHCs.

Head to Toe SBHC Pre-Conference: New and Exciting Clinical and Financial Trainings
This year's SBHC Head to Toe Pre-Conference had an agenda rich with offerings for clinical, managerial and coordinating staff members. It also included a special national speaker sharing best practices for SBHC financial sustainability and a Medicaid MCO panel aimed at answering your questions about billing, credentialing and Medicaid benefits. NMASBHC is gathering the documents from these presentations to share with those of you who could not attend; please continue to visit the What's New section of our website as we add more presentations.
 
School Based Health Alliance Convention Registration Open
Don't miss out on the opportunity to attend the national convention focused on School Based Health. This year's convention, located in Austin, is one of the more affordable because of its proximity. Scholarships are available to those seeking related advanced degrees. Click here to register and for more information about the scholarships.
 

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formalCreating a Formal New Mexico Definition of School-Based Health Centers - Provide Your Input!  
 
NMASBHC has convened a working group to create a formal New Mexico definition of SBHCs, and we would like your input. Click here to see a field test version. This link can also be found in the What's New section of our website. It is based on the School Based Health Alliance's efforts at a national definition, the language from the Children's Health Insurance Program Re-Authorization Act, and the work of the 2015 NMASBHC SBHC Definition Working Group.

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focusAdolescent Patient Resources: Prom Preparedness 
 

This is our monthly feature on adolescent health resources. This month's resource is focused on what you can do to support teens making health choices as they go to prom. Some of these same ideas and resources can be helpful as you help young people make decisions about their wellness over the summer. Send your teen patients to:  http://sexetc.org/tag/prom/ or http://kidshealth.org/teen/homework/problems/prom.html# to encourage thoughtful preparation for prom night choices.

You also may be interested in the efforts Laura Veal, the new FNP overseeing the SBHCs operated through Crownpoint I.H.S., engaged in to ensure her patients had safe prom experiences. Laura did a prom dress drive (with some boys formal wear too!), followed by a dress shopping experience for students. The theme was Dress Drive = Drive Safe and to get a free outfit students just had to sign a pledge to be a safe, sober driver that night. Shoppers also got a "prom emergency kit" with condoms, make-up samples, gum, and brochures about safe sex, dating violence, and risks associated with alcohol use.  Laura even volunteered as a prom chaperone (and made more kits available prom night) and reports that these efforts built tremendous relationships with her young patients!

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