Thursday, June 23, 2011
Workshop: C7 - Using Teen Theater for Youth Engagement
Lights! Camera! Action! Come to our workshop "Using Teen Theater for Youth Engagement." (C7) Throughout the presentation, we'll share our experiences and give you a few pointers on how to do teen theater in your setting. Hear about our "lessons learn!" Do fun activities! This interactive workshop will get you started in no time. What are you waiting for? See you there!
Ariella Rubio, Youth Advisory Board member
Marcia Zorrilla, Staff and Adult Ally, Youth Advisory Board
Workshop: C2 - CHIPRA: Demonstrating Quality Health Care via School-Based Health Centers
School-based health centers have a unique ability to provide quality, convenient, accessible and youth-focused health care. Yet, few recognize the critical role that SBHCs play in the health care delivery system, particularly in serving children with special health care needs. Recognizing this, a team of experienced SBHC providers and administrators pursued an opportunity to improve upon and showcase amazing work done by SBHCs in Colorado and New Mexico. In 2010, our team was awarded a five-year Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) demonstration grant by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In this workshop, we will share the trials and triumphs of developing a multi-phase, multi-state demonstration project with SBHCs, the School-based Health Center Improvement Project (SHCIP). Our project aims to highlight the ability of SBHCs to address the health care needs of children and youth and to expand on the understanding of how school-based health centers contribute to the overall health care system.
Specifically, workshop presenters will share our plans for accomplishing our overall Project goals:
1. Improve the quality of care delivered in SBHCs
The primary mechanism for supporting positive change in our partner SBHCs is continuous quality improvement , aimed at improving preventive care and screening for chronic conditions. In the workshop, we’ll share our quality improvement plan, share our new electronic student health questionnaire and talk about how we plan to use technology to engage youth and assist providers.
2. Integrate SBHCs into the medical home approach
Much of what SBHCs are already doing aligns with the medical home approach. Yet, there are still some stumbling blocks to integrating this approach in a consistent manner. Our workshop will include an overview of our plans to help SBHCs understand the medical home approach, assess their current level of “medical home-ness," and increase their readiness to become certified as medical homes.
3. Actively engage youth in their own health care
You can’t improve health outcomes among children and youth without involving them in their own health care. Since youth engagement is so important, we are developing a new survey tool to understand youths’ satisfaction with the care they receive at the SBHC and to measure youths’ health literacy. We call it the Youth Assessment of School Health Involvement -- or YASHI and we are excited to share the purpose, development, and plans for YASHIs implementation with you.
How will we know if we’re successful?
For those of you who love logic models and spreadsheets, we’ll share our plans for evaluating the project across 17 sites in two states. It’s no easy task, but our team members will walk you through the ins and outs of this complex evaluation effort.
Join the conversation!
Our team is excited to share what we’re doing and to learn from you! We hope the workshop will stimulate conversations around the role of SBHCs in the health care delivery system, the fit between SBHCs and the medical home approach, and strategies and successes towards engaging youth as full partners in their health and health care.
Sarah Nickels
Workshop: A3 - Using Yoga in School-Based Health Centers
This year, I have the good fortune of presenting a Success Story to the participants (and readers) of the NASBHC national conference. The “story” is really about our delightful social worker, who was already doing expert mental health work with adolescents in Durham, North Carolina. A specialist in therapy for adolescent anxiety, depression, stress-related disorders and substance abuse, Donna was well known to adolescents at our health center where we have worked together for several years. She is skilled in motivational interviewing and anticipatory guidance among teens and is a trusted provider that the adolescents enjoy. Donna was using yoga for her own health and relaxation, and eventually progressed to becoming a certified instructor. Together, she and I began to consider the possibility of using gentle yoga as an effective non-pharmacological tool for teens with anxiety and depression at our SBHC. The clinic had enough space for a class, the students (and their caregivers) were more than willing to try gentle yoga practice in the safe and secure setting of the clinic and the school faculty supported students learning this “life skill” to reduce anxiety during a one-hour session each week. The happy marriage of Donna our skilled mental health provider/yogi and the SBHC resulted in relaxation/health and improved well-being for more than a dozen adolescent women.
A very basic pre-test/post-test evaluation of the yoga initiative (using a 10-point likert scale evaluation tool) was completed by participants. While disappointed in these results, we believe the “insignificant effect of yoga” was due the less-than-optimal timing of the post-test evaluation—done more than a week after the final yoga practice, right when the participants were needing (and wanting!) another hour of yoga most. What we can tell you is that the practice resulted in a lifting of the spirit…the girls participating would literally drag into the clinic looking downcast and “blah” and FLOAT out of it, glowing and refreshed….the combination of Donna’s soothing voice, the opportunity to clear their minds of all worry and anxiety and the final moments of rest at the end of the hour were obviously restorative and healing. The fact that each of the participants returned week after week for yoga sessions also indicated an effective therapy had been found. Interestingly, in the time period that yoga practice was provided in the SBHC, none of the teens became pregnant, were suspended from school, or performed self-harming behaviors. Best of all, each of the girls asked to continue yoga practice. THEY found value in it and wanted to continue.
The story does not end here. More and more research indicates that yoga is an effective means of reducing anxiety and stress in adolescents. It is being used successfully in substance treatment programs (adult and adolescent), and as an adjunct therapy. Yoga training is being encouraged for mental health providers who come so well equipped with skills of mental health assessment, motivational interviewing and basic relaxation therapy.
Check our links from the conference presentation for more information and research data and think strongly about USING YOGA in your SBHC, especially if you have a staff member or community resource that is willing to share their talents and expertise. You can contact me or Donna with any questions.
Namaste,
Anne Derouin (anne.derouin@duke.edu)
Donna Eash (donna.eash@duke.edu)
Opening Plenary - Storytelling as Best Practice
Ever since we began talking to each other, telling stories has been the most powerful way to capture attention, engage an audience, and motivate them to act. Steadily advancing technology keeps handing us shiny new tools to communicate faster and farther – think iPads and Twitter to name just two – but in our fervor to remain current (and appear professional) we often ignore our natural inclination to tell a good story. In my presentation “Storytelling as Best Practice,” I will tell you why I believe storytelling remains the single most powerful communication tool you possess, how to tell a story that your audience will remember, and I’ll give you six categories of stories to collect that will help your organization advance your mission. I hope you will join me on Monday, June 27th, at 8:00 am for a session that may fundamentally change the way you communicate. (And if you’d like to read more about me and my work around storytelling, please visit my website, http://www.agoodmanonline.com/.)
Andy Goodman
Cofounder and Director
The Goodman Foundation
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Workshop: PC1 - Improving Adolescent Health by Effectively Motivating Behavior Change
Make a difference in the lives of teens!
Are you frustrated with identifying risky behaviors in your teenage clients and feel like nothing you say is helping them change those behaviors? If so, come to the pre-conference workshop entitled “Improving Adolescent Health by Effectively Motivating Behavior Change” at the NASBHC conference next week! This workshop is focused on improving health professional’s capacity to effectively motivate adolescents towards positive change around common risky behaviors (substance use, unsafe sex, mental health, nutrition/physical activity). You will learn about risk assessment and counseling workshops focused on using motivational interviewing strategies effectively in Michigan and their outstanding results; as well as be an active participant in learning some basic motivational interviewing strategies that you can take home and use when talking with teen clients (or your own teens) about their risky behaviors. This is a workshop that you don’t want to miss!
Jennifer Salerno
Director/Nurse Practitioner
University of Michigan/RAHS
Friday, June 17, 2011
Meet the Social Media Fellows: Amanda Forsmark
My name is Amanda Forsmark and I am the Health Educator for both Saginaw High and Arthur Hill SBHCs. As a recent college graduate, I am VERY familiar with the Social Media world. I have seen Facebook evolve from something that was just a basic profile and you had to have a college email to sign up (that’s how MY account was set up!!), to newsfeeds, fan pages, and the infamous “Like” button. I know personally what it is like to check Facebook more often than email, and to use Status Updates as a way to communicate my emotions, weekend plans, or share news with my network. I’ve Tweeted, texted, Liked, blogged, followed, shared, posted, changed relationship status, friend requested, and even blocked all in the name of social media.
Our health centers are in the process of developing Facebook pages for both sites, and I am very excited to be a part of this process. Our ultimate goal is to reach student through a channel that they use on a daily basis.
At the NASBHC Conference in Chicago, I will be taking different videos throughout the week and posting them to our social media sites. Some of these videos may include asking you how you are enjoying the conference, or something that you took away from a session. So, if you see me coming with the camera, don’t be shy! We’d love to hear from you!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Meet the Social Media Fellows: Parrish Ravelli
I thought a while about it. Should I write about some of the online advocacy campaigns I've been a part of...like the Facebook Olympics recruitment campaign with the North Carolina Teen Health Alliance, that helped drive over 500 new followers to our pages during a two week period...it's definitely something that is easily replicable. Maybe highlight some of the quick petitioning campaigns where we have gotten hundreds of signatures in just hours. Our Action Now team actually won the SmartOn Mobile App Contest!
I thought about even writing about this crazy theory I have about social media and advocacy and how it resembles the ripples on a lake when it rains. That moving messages across a platform involves quality as much as quantity, well that and location, location, location. But I find when I talk about this I usually end up confusing myself.
Maybe it would help to know more about me as person, that I had a fantastic shrimp taco for lunch today from local restaurant in Durham.
So here goes my best shot:
Empowered young people are the social network. The internet is just the platform. #actionnow #northcarolinateenhealthalliance
Please share.
Parrish Ravelli
Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES!)
Parrish@youthempoweredsolutions.org
Meet the Youth Track: Becky Lee

Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Meet the Social Media Fellows: Linda Lam
I am excited to be one of the Social Media Fellows because I look forward to involving all of us (at home or at the convention) in activities where we can effectively use social media to help support and promote the work at school-based heath centers. Hopefully we can then bring those strategies back to our own organization! The potential of social media as a tool to support and streamline the work we do at school-based health centers is limitless. Being a Social Media Fellow encourages me to take more steps to strengthen my own organization’s use of social media to help students gain access to health information and services.
I look forward to meeting all of you and encouraging all of us to share our stories and best practices to build this school health care movement!
Linda Lam
School Based Health Program Coordinator
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc.
Meet the Youth Track: Nidia L. Escobar
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Meet the Youth Track: Nzugu Kitenge
Friday, June 10, 2011
Meet the Social Media Fellows: Lauren Mosley


Thursday, June 9, 2011
Meet the Youth Track: Elizabeth Guzman Arroyo
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Five Great Workshops you don’t want to Miss
Engaging and Collaborating with Tribal Communities and Organizations: Successful Behavioral Health Intervention and Prevention Methods
Monday, June 27th, 9:45 am – 11:00 am
The recent health care reform law emphasizes the need for collaboration across community stakeholders to improve prevention education and intervention programs. During this workshop participants will develop a method to collaborate with and engage tribal communities and Indian organizations in building and implementing substance abuse and mental health programming.
PROTECT™ (Supporting Appropriate Immunizations across the Age Spectrum): Strategies for Improving Immunization Rates
Monday, June 27th, 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
This activity has been planned in accordance with the need to provide education to address specific unmet needs and clinical gaps in the area of vaccine preventable diseases by improving the performance of clinicians who are currently responsible for administering immunizations to applicable pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients.
Pre-opening Surveys Help Define SBHC Services
Tuesday, June 28, 11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Pre-opening surveys can be very useful for determining the baseline access to health care and for assessing house-hold risk factors. This information can be used to help determine the spectrum of services for new SBHCs. Such surveys need not be complex.
A comprehensive Program Evaluation of Mental Health Services in a Rural School-Based Health Center: Implications for Planning Evaluations
Tuesday, June 28th, 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
This workshop will present best-practice guidelines for the design, execution, and interpretation of evaluations targeting school-based mental health services. These concepts will be illustrated using a case study from rural high school.
Incorporating Oral Health in Primary Care Practice: Lessons from Kaiser Permanente
Tuesday, June 28th, 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm
Dental problems are the most commonly cited unmet need among children, with tooth decay being one of the most common diseases of childhood. This workshop will address barriers to early dental disease prevention practices by training health care providers in how to apply dental fluoride varnish in the medical office setting.
This years’ Convention is full of useful workshops like these, along with trainings, networking opportunities, activities, and information sessions for you to take advantage of. If you haven’t registered yet, visit www.nasbhc.org/convetion to register today.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
What will you be doing in Chicago?
Not far from the Convention is Grant Park which includes great scenery like Buckingham Fountain, Millennium Park, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Cloud Gate (affectionately referred to as “the Bean” by Chicagoans). During the Convention Grant Park will be hosting a Taste of Chicago – one of the largest food festivals in the world. There will be lots of food (of course) along with musical acts and a 5K race/walk.
Cloud Gate
Also close to the Convention is Navy Pier which has fireworks, the Chicago Children’s Museum, boats and cruises, and a Ferris wheel. It’s a great place to check out Lake Michigan, go for a walk, or enjoy dinner.Chicago is host to a wide array of world class museums and art galleries. The Shedd Aquarium is home to 32,500 animals, and not just fish! They also have otters, whales, penguins, lizards, and many other land and sea critters. The Museum of Science and Industry is a popular destination for science eggheads and amateurs alike. Or if art is more your thing, the Art Institute of Chicago has a wonderful collection of art in a variety of mediums – paintings, sculptures, and photography.
As you can see there is a wealth of culture, activities, and food to be enjoyed while in Chicago. We’re really excited to host our 2011 National Convention in such a large, eclectic city. We hope you can join us for an informative and productive experience with your peers and a fun time in one of the United State’s great cities!
Have any suggestions for places to visit? Post them in the comments section to share with your fellow attendees!
By Kyle Taylor
Outreach and Engagement intern
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Welcome to NASBHC's 2011 Annual Convention Blog

There are a lot of exciting things happening at the Convention this year that you won't want to miss (click here to check out our preliminary program).
We'll be streaming all three of the plenary sessions live again this year along with two workshops to allow those who are unable to attend keep up with what's happening in Chicago.
Similar to last year, we'll show a live Twitter feed in the Convention hall. This allows everyone, including those who aren't present, to participate and interact with each other.
We are fortunate enough to have five social media fellows attending the Convention this year. They'll have distinct badges that will make them easy to spot. Throughout the Convention you will find them at NASBHC's booth and attending workshops. They will be happy to answer quesitons about Twitter and Facebook.
NASBHC is proud to have 16 Youth Ambassadors at the Convention this year participating in our Youth Track. These college and high school students will be travelling to the Convention from five different states and will work on projects related to their interests in media, advocacy, or leadership.
Keep checking this blog for updates, blogs about the different workshops and plenaries, and introductions to our staff, social media fellows, and youth ambassadors! And if you haven't registered yet, be sure to visit www.nasbhc.org/convention now. Keep in mind the early bird cut-off for registration is May 20th. Don't miss the discounted rate!
Watch NASBHC's 2011 Convention video:
Monday, June 28, 2010
Let Us Know What You Think!
Here's what we accomplished:
- Live video streaming of all three Convention plenary sessions -- video archived on www.nasbhc.org/conventionvideophotos
- 23 posts over four days on our Convention blog, www.nasbhc.blogspot.com
- Convention news, updates, and comments on NASBHC's Twitter page, www.twitter.com/nasbhc
- Live Twitter feed displayed in the Convention ballroom before and after plenaries and displayed in the exhibitor hallway
- Video and photos from the Advocacy Day Rally at www.nasbhc.org/advocacyday
- Video interviews and photos from the Convention at www.nasbhc.org/conventionvideophotos
- Three NASBHC Social Media Fellows Tweeting, doing video interviews, and answering questions!
NASBHC has put together a short, anonymous survey to learn more about how you utilized our website, blog, live plenary video, Twitter, etc. -- if at all -- and we'd appreciate it if you could take 5 minutes to let us know what you think.
If you attended the Convention in person, please take this survey:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AUCLV53AY
If you did not attend the Convention in person, please take this survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AUCUL57ZS
Thanks!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Helping Immigrant and Refugee students Achieve School Success: Partnering with families to support student needs
Schools typically focus on improving English skills, yet the immigrant experience itself brings challenges beyond learning a new language. One factor often overlooked is that immigrant and refugee students – and their families – face unique mental health issues that can interfere with student achievement. In coming to the U.S., children often leave close relatives behind, and many experience a grueling and violent journey. Students who are refugees often bring deep emotional scars from repeated violence, with limited prior educational opportunities.
Although they may be severe, the mental health needs of immigrant and refugee students frequently remain unidentified. A child who appears to be disinterested in schoolwork may actually be depressed, living with parents who themselves are depressed as they struggle to adjust. A student with violent outbursts who seems to be undisciplined can be reliving the emotion of a turbulent event in a war-torn country, experiencing a heightened “fight or flight” response.
Even if the needs are identified, immigrant and refugee students usually have limited access to mental health care and face barriers of culture as well as language. Many fade into the background, often viewed as disinterested or unwilling to learn, and they fall farther and farther behind academically.
One critical element of supporting these students to improve their academic achievement is engaging their families. This is particularly significant for immigrant and refugee families which tend to be close-knit and protective. While these families are committed to supporting their children, engaging them in school is often challenging, particularly in areas of student mental health which is stigmatized in many cultures of recent immigrants.
This workshop will highlight strategies identified through the Caring Across Communities (CAC) Initiative, administered by The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools at The George Washington University. Through CAC, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded grants totaling $4.5 million to15 projects in diverse U.S. communities. The grants support a range of innovative partnerships among schools and community organizations that build effective, easily accessed services.
I’ve posted two articles I co-authored on this issue on the convention website: “Helping immigrant and refugee students succeed: It’s not just what happens in the classroom,” a version of an article that appeared in the November 2009 Kappan; and “Partnering with Parents and Families to Support Immigrant and Refugee Children at School,” an Issue Brief published by The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools in June 2009.
Eileen Gale Kugler
www.EmbraceDiverseSchools.com
Twitter: embraceDiversiT Facebook: Embrace Diverse Schools
Advocacy Day Isn't Over Yet
Advocacy Day Video (Part 1 of 4)
Thanks to Iman Shervington for her great work filming and editing this film!