New Legislation: Dangers of Fentanyl (Assembly Bill 889) - Beginning with the 2024/2025 school year, school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education must inform parents or legal guardians about the dangers associated with using synthetic drugs, including fentanyl and counterfeit pills. (Ed. Code section 48985.5.) This information must be included on the organization’s website. It must also be annually provided to parents or legal guardians, making it a potentially convenient addition to the information in your annual parent/student handbook. SCCOE offers guidance on information that LEAs can add to their websites to meet this requirement.
The Coordinator of Physical Health and Wellness offers the following services. For more details, or to receive support, please contact:
Lauryce Haney,
Coordinator - Physical Health & Wellness
669-212-8668
lhaney@sccoe.org
Coordination of Care Service
Full SCCOE coordination of care is available to schools and districts when students without current IEPs or case managers experience a long-term absence due to physical or mental health reasons, with or without a hospital stay. Each student is multi-faceted, and all needs- physical, medical, academic, social, emotional, behavioral, and those of the family, are considered so that the student is optimally supported during a medical absence and after returning to school.
The Coordinator of Physical Health and Wellness will:
- Gather information and complete a Student Intake Form prior to the student’s absence.
- Facilitate a meeting with the family, site administrator, and appropriate school personnel to plan for the absence.
- Develop a Return to School Plan and facilitate a Coordination of Care Conference prior to the student’s return to school.
- Serve as liaison between school, family, and medical professionals.
- Monitor implementation of the plan and provide support as needed.
- Collect feedback to evaluate effectiveness.
- Respond accordingly with exceptional service.
District and school personnel often struggle to find the time to meet the needs of students who are out for medical reasons, especially after they return to school. This service will alleviate district and school personnel of this responsibility while providing high quality support to students and their families.
Consultation, Thought Partnership and Resource Linkage Regarding Students with Medical Needs The Coordinator of Physical Health and Wellness is available to meet with school and district personnel regarding complex or challenging issues pertaining to students with medical conditions.
Monthly Wellness Wednesday Meetings Wellness Wednesday Meetings are designed for site-based administrators and other school or district level staff interested in promoting students’ health, wellbeing, and ultimately academic achievement. The Coordinator of Physical Health and Wellness holds these meetings 9:00-10:00 a.m. via Zoom on the first Wednesday of each month. Each meeting includes:
- Information, data, and context
- Ideas for ways schools can address the issue
- Ideas for administrators to pass on to parents/guardians for support at home
- Resources for school and home
- Customizable parent/guardian communication
- Problem solving of participants’ pressing issues or needs
- November 1, 2023: Chronic Absenteeism & Health
- December 6, 2023: Dangerous Social Media Challenges
- January 10, 2024: Encouraging Healthy Eating & Physical Fitness While Addressing Childhood Obesity
- February 7, 2024: Oral/Dental Health
- March 6, 2024: The Importance of Adequate Sleep
- April 3, 2024: Bridging Physical & Mental Health
- May 1, 2024: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
Opioid Awareness and Naloxone Training and Distribution The Coordinator of Physical Health and Wellness is available to present lessons to students and workshops for staff and parents/guardians regarding the opioid epidemic and the use of Naloxone to save a person’s life during an overdose.
Trainings/Events Related to the Social Drivers of Health: The Coordinator of Physical Health and Wellness is available to meet with school and district staff, parents and guardians regarding the Social Drivers of Health:
- Economic Stability
- Education Access and Quality
- Health Care Access and Quality
- Neighborhood and Built Environment
- Social and Community Context
A frequent focus for parent workshops is on the long-term effects of chronic absenteeism as it relates to the Social Drivers of Health in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office. Problem-solving of specific reasons that interfere with students attendance is included.
Collaborative for Oral Health - An organization promoting oral health for families in Santa Clara County.
Kindergarten Oral Health Screening (KOHA) - Dental health is one of the leading causes of students being absent from or inattentive in school. Children with poor dental health are nearly 3 times more likely to miss school then their healthier peers.
Responding to an Opioid Overdose - Safety Plan Template