Today's school nurses have significant responsibilities. Despite research proving their importance, very few schools have certified school nurses, relying instead on school personnel. A wish list for school nurses might include sufficient numbers and funding, school-based health centers, and confidential records. Parents can help ensure students'…

This document, the second of three volumes in the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment's "Adolescent Health" series, provides background information on aspects of adolescents' lives and examines the effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions. Chapter 1, an introduction to this two-part document, provides a summary…

Recognizing that school-based health centers are one of the most promising recent innovations to address the health and related needs of adolescents, this report provides information on these centers as a strategy to improve the access of adolescents to primary care. The report is intended to assist state and local Maternal and Child Health (MCH)…

This booklet summarizes recent information on the current health status and service needs of America's children. The booklet is intended to present sentinel health measures in a readily accessible and readable format to illustrate what has been accomplished for children and to identify what challenges remain. The booklet's four sections cover:…

Discusses partnerships between school-based health centers and school nurses, clarifying the role of school nurses and school-based health centers in the areas of collaboration, communication, and cooperation and examining obstacles to partnerships. Elements for successful collaboration are reviewed (clarifying roles, sharing leadership and…

Describes the practices of homeopathy and how they affect the scope of practice of school nurses. Includes a definition of homeopathy, a discussion of remedies and the specific symptoms for which they are effective, and an examination of conditions treatable by homeopathic physicians. Nine guidelines for managing homeopathic products in the school…

Expanded school mental-health (ESMH) programs address the limitations of traditional mental-health agencies in meeting childrens' needs by offering a full range of services in school. Family involvement in ESMHs can enhance their effectiveness. This paper describes challenges of involving families, guidelines for determining program goals for…

Managed care organizations (MCOs) and school health programs share some common goals and some competing, conflicting priorities. Partnerships between the two are important for the effective coordination and delivery of comprehensive adolescent health services. This paper discusses adolescent clinical preventive services, school health services,…

Supports findings from a 1996 meeting of two school health organizations that there is a need for additional research on school nursing, reviewing existing research, describing the group process used to establish a research agenda on school nursing, presenting results of the process, and offering recommendations for the next steps to be taken by…

Rapid proliferation of school-based health centers is occurring during the time that school systems are seeking to improve educational practice. Absence of connection between school reorganization and provision of human services may lead to failure. The emerging community school model integrates quality education with effective health, mental…

In 1998, the Making the Grade National Program Office and the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care sponsored a workshop on the relationship between the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and school-based health centers. This paper presents information from the workshop and uses experiences from Colorado and Connecticut as case…

Many adolescent health problems are linked with educational performance, family relationships, poverty, and the general lifestyles that adolescents experience in their communities. Although serious, chronic medical and psychiatric disorders affect about 6 percent of the adolescent population, many more adolescents are at risk for death and for…

Comprehensive school health programs (CSHPs) provide services and programs addressing eight categories: health education, health services, school environment, food service, physical education, counseling, schoolwide health promotion, and family, school, and community partnerships. Parents and PTAs are crucial in supporting CSHPs. Two sidebars…

In 1969, the Joint Commission on the Mental Health of Children made several recommendations based on the conclusions in their report entitled "Crisis in Child Mental Health: Challenge for the 1970's." These recommendations included formation of a child advocacy system at every level of society; the development of supportive, preventive,…

Due to the efforts of mental health consumer and advocacy organizations, there now exists a legislated community-based mental health policy for the treatment of children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders and their families. But the implementation of this policy has not met the intended legislative standards. Accordingly, this…