Comprehensive Initiative
The Florida Legislature provides funds, in addition to those provided under the School Health Services Act, to school districts and schools where there is a high incidence of low birth weight babies, infant mortality, teenage pregnancy or medically underserved high-risk children. The purpose of this funding is to provide programs which offer the greatest potential for promoting the health of students and reducing teenage pregnancy. The School Health Program Comprehensive initiative provides services that focus upon promoting the health of students, reducing risk-taking behavior and reducing teen pregnancy at six elementary and two middle schools. A team consisting of a registered nurse, social worker and health aide provide services to the school community.
Basic Initiative
The goals of the school health nurse in the basic initiative are carried out to appraise, protect and promote the health status and well being of the total school population. This service is intended to supplement, rather than replace parental responsibility and primary health care physicians and includes servicing students, their families, school personnel and the community. The basic school nurse's caseload usually consists of two schools. General surveillance and referrals serve as the basis for identifying students at risk. The responsibilities of the basic school nurse consist of direct observation, health care, case management, communicable disease control including administering immunizations, enforcing medication compliancy, health education activities, record review, referrals, follow-up and teacher-nurse and parent conferences. Establishing nursing priorities is an essential step in accomplishing these goals.
Full Service Schools Initiative
Full Service Schools were implemented in 1990 to reduce the risk of educational failure and enable children to overcome conditions adverse to school learning while also strengthening families caring for children. This is accomplished through a variety of services provided to students and their families at various school sites. Services may include, without limitation, nutritional services, basic medical services, aid to dependent children, parenting skills, counseling for abused children, counseling for children at high risk for delinquent behavior and their parents, and adult education. Interdisciplinary teams provide direct services to the students at selected school sites throughout Miami-Dade County. The Miami-Dade County Health Department, in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, monitors the activities of the Full Service Schools.
OUTREACH SAFETY NET INITIATIVE
The School Health Outreach Safety Net Initiative was established to respond to the emerging health and health education needs of students, parents, school staff and the community at large. During the past year, we have expanded the initiative to accommodate the increasing number of calls requesting school health services. This initiative is supported by several school nurses who respond to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Comprehensive School Health Services staff, referrals and community requests for services. Referrals and request for services include communicable disease outbreaks, consultation, technical assistance, health fairs, career day participation, resource materials, health education, staff training and other health related activities. The goal of the initiative is to provide these services to the community and public, charter, and non-public schools, with minimum or no health services, in order to promote optimum health. The comprehensive health education component includes teen pregnancy prevention, alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse prevention education. The goal of this educational component is to promote healthy lifestyles and elevate student awareness to the short and long term detrimental consequences of risk taking behaviors
|
